10 Laundry Room Problems You'll Regret Ignoring

6/10

Noisy Dryer

Washers are usually the source of excessive noise or vibration from the laundry room, but dryers also occasionally rock the house.

If you notice unusual shaking, avoid damage to your dryer’s internal parts by balancing the load. Add a few smaller items when drying a bulky duvet or insulate against noise with towels when drying sneakers. If that doesn’t quiet the racket, you may have a faulty drum seal, causing unwanted friction between the dryer’s metal drum and front panel. That needs to be replaced.

A rumbling, grinding sound often indicates worn out bearings in the dryer motor. Replace the motor yourself or call in a repair expert before the bearings seize and the dryer stops dead. A loud motor can sometimes be repaired. Once it has seized, the dryer motor will likely need to be completely replaced.

7/10

Wet, Soapy Clothing

Your machine says that the wash cycle is complete, but the dripping, sudsy clothes you pull out of the machine tell a different story. Often, a sock or other small article of clothing has managed to wrap itself around a part inside your washer, blocking the agitator and disrupting the spin cycle. You or a repair professional should take your machine apart to find the guilty item before it causes further damage to your washer’s motor.

If the machine fills with water but the wash cycle never begins, the lid switch is probably broken. Replace it, and remember not to slam the washer lid in the future.

Machines that fill and wash but fail to drain at the end of the wash cycle often have a blocked pump. Remove the hose and clear out any jewelry, socks or other debris that may be clogging it. Then check the pump for broken blades, make sure it spins freely, and reattach. If you smell burning rubber or the pump is visibly damaged, you may need to replace it along with any melted belts.

8/10

Washer Scaling

That visible scaling — hard white or off-white mineral deposits caused by your home’s hard water — inside your washing machine’s drum is often the symptom of a larger problem hidden from sight. Scale build-up won’t just affect the drum, but will likely also accumulate on the heating element, valves, hoses and other internal parts. Eventually, pieces may break loose and cause leaks or blockage.

Treat your washing machine each month with a descaling powder while running the “drum-clean” or hottest wash cycle to avoid scale build-up, inside and out. You may also want to consider installing a water softener in your home to remove the minerals that lead to scaling and lengthen the life of your washer and other appliances.