Does my noisy washing machine need replacing?

There's one appliance that we simply cannot do without in this house and it's a staple part of the home. The fear when your appliance starts to break and becomes a noisy washing machine is a nightmare. In a household of 5 people, our washing machine is on all the time, in fact I've had 2 wash loads on just while I've begun typing this post!

There are some obvious signs that a washing machine has spun its final load so if you’re concerned your washing machine is on the way out, here are some telltale signs that it needs replacing.

A noisy washing machine

The change in noise can be quite subtle at first but before you know it, you can be shouting over the noise of your washing machine and avoiding putting a load on if you are watching something and don'e want to be disturbed. Banging sounds are often an indicator that the drum is loose or the motor has gone bad. There are also certain sounds like scraping and grinding which often relate to certain parts of the machine rubbing together that shouldn’t be.

If any of these sounds are heard or your machine sounds different, then it’s worth getting an engineer to check if this is something that’s fixable or if the unit needs replacing in its entirety.

We fell foul of this some years ago when T was a baby. We'd got used to the noisy washing machine and kept using it. One day I was upstairs (ironically sorting out some more washing) when one of the girls shouted up that the washing machine had smoke coming out of it. I ran down and lo and behold, the utility room was full of black smoke with a hideous burning smell. We managed to turn it off at the wall and chucked the washing machine out of the back door but it was a goner. If we'd have got an engineer to check what was making it so noisy, we might have saved the washing machine but instead 2 days before Christmas, we were off to buy a new one!

You’ve had it for a long time

How long have you had the washing machine for? A washing machine is expected to last between 10 and 15 years. This can depend on how often it gets used though. As a rule, we tend to have to replace ours every 4-5 years but they do get a LOT of wear and tear.

If you’ve had it for more than a decade, then it’s safe to say that you might need it replaced. It’s not something that will last much longer and if you’ve had multiple problems, then this might be the final time it bounces back.

The washer won’t spin

When the washing machine won’t spin, that can often indicate that there’s something wrong with the machine. This tends to start with a towel wash - we''ve all been there with a heavy load that will take days to dry.

When the drum isn’t spinning properly or not spinning at all, you might want to consider getting it replaced, or at least troubleshooting it. There are some helpful steps online if your washer won’t spin properly.

Your clothes are no longer clean or in good condition

You may notice that the washing powder or pods don't dissolve properly. You may even start to notice black marks on your clothes. All signs that your washing machine isn't working properly. You had one job! A sign that you might want to consider when it comes to replacing your washing machine is the fact it’s no longer cleaning your clothes.

You may even start to notice that your clothes don't smell as fresh or start to feel dirty after only being worn for a short time.

In short, you are looking at replacing one of the most important appliances in the household!