FirstCheck
EN FR
🍁 Built for Canadian homes — written to Canadian codes and provincial rules. Not intended for use outside Canada.
DRAFT — this page has not yet been reviewed by a licensed professional. Editorial preview only.

Washing machine shakes violently or walks during spin

A washer that bucks and rattles on spin is alarming, but the fix is usually free: nine times out of ten the load is just bunched to one side.

tuneWhat are you noticing?
Select anything that matches and the checklist below reorders to fit. Not sure? Skip it.
emergency_home

flag
Start here

In Canadian homes this is the first thing to rule out. Pause the cycle, open the machine, and look: if a comforter, a bath mat, or a knot of towels has piled on one side, spread the wash out evenly around the drum and restart the spin. Free, and by far the most common fix. If it still shakes with an even load, move on to levelling.

Ranked from real-world failure data. The order updates as you select what you’re noticing above.

Likely causes, in the order to check them

Showing the typical order
Beginner-friendly Doable, with care Safety-critical Call a pro

visibilityHow to check

  1. Pause or cancel the spin and let the drum stop fully, then open the lid or door.
  2. Look at how the wash is sitting — a comforter wrapped to one side, or all the towels bunched together, is the tell.
  3. Spread the items evenly around the drum, add a towel or two to a very small load to balance it, and restart the spin. If the shaking is gone, that was it.
buildNo tools schedule5 min

handymanHow to fix it

Stop the spin, open the machine, and redistribute the wash evenly around the drum — break up bunched bulky items and balance a small load with a spare towel — then restart the spin.

  1. Pause or cancel the cycle and wait for the drum to stop completely before opening.
  2. Pull apart any bunched items and lay the wash evenly around the drum; wrap large single items like a comforter loosely rather than balling them up.
  3. For a tiny load, toss in a couple of extra towels so the weight is even, then close up and restart the spin.
schedule5 min savingsusually free
gavel Check your province first AB: homeowner may do this · BC: homeowner may do this · ON: homeowner may do this · PE: homeowner may do this · QC: homeowner may do this
Redistributing a load is routine homeowner use — not regulated in any province.

handymanHow to fix it

Set a level on top of the machine, adjust each foot until it sits flat with no rock, then tighten the lock nuts up against the cabinet so the feet can't back off.

  1. Set a bubble level (or a level app on your phone) on top of the machine, front-to-back and side-to-side.
  2. Rock the machine by its corners to find the loose foot, then turn that foot up or down until all four sit firmly with no wobble.
  3. Holding each foot still, tighten its lock nut up snug against the underside of the cabinet so vibration can't spin the foot loose again.
schedule15 min savings$0–15
Washer levelling feet / lock-nut setOnly if a foot is stripped or missing — match the thread to your model
gavel Check your province first AB: homeowner may do this · BC: homeowner may do this · ON: homeowner may do this · PE: homeowner may do this · QC: homeowner may do this
Levelling a washer and locking its feet is unregulated homeowner work in every province.

visibilityHow to check

  1. Look at the back panel of the machine. Front-load washers ship with two to four large bolt heads spaced across the rear — those are the transit bolts.
  2. If you see them still in place on a newly-installed machine, that's your answer: the drum is bolted solid and can't float, so it shudders hard on spin.
  3. Check the manual or the box for the plastic hole plugs that came with the machine — you'll snap those into the holes after the bolts come out.
buildNo tools schedule5 min

handymanHow to fix it

Following the manual, unscrew the transit bolts from the rear panel with a wrench, pull them and their sleeves out, and snap the supplied plastic plugs into the holes.

  1. Find the transit-bolt locations in the machine's manual — usually two to four bolts across the back panel.
  2. Loosen each bolt fully with the wrench (often supplied), then withdraw the bolt along with its plastic spacer sleeve.
  3. Push the supplied plastic hole plugs into the empty holes, and keep the bolts — you'll need them if you ever move the machine again.
schedule15 min savingsusually free
gavel Check your province first AB: homeowner may do this · BC: homeowner may do this · ON: homeowner may do this · PE: homeowner may do this · QC: homeowner may do this
Removing shipping bolts is a standard install step, permitted DIY across Canada. Note: worn-suspension and drum-bearing repairs are legal DIY too, but are a technician job in practice, not a homeowner fix.

verifiedWhy this one goes to a pro

Replacing worn shocks, springs, damper straps, or a drum bearing means largely dismantling the machine — pulling the drum and, on a bearing job, pressing new bearings into the tub. It isn't legally restricted anywhere in Canada, but it's heavy, fiddly work that's easy to get wrong, and on an older machine the repair cost can approach the price of replacing it. An appliance technician can confirm which one it is quickly.

Your notes travel with the request — what you saw, what you ruled out, when it started — so the pro arrives with a head start instead of a mystery.

verifiedWhy this one goes to a pro

Replacing worn shocks, springs, damper straps, or a drum bearing means largely dismantling the machine — pulling the drum and, on a bearing job, pressing new bearings into the tub. It isn't legally restricted anywhere in Canada, but it's heavy, fiddly work that's easy to get wrong, and on an older machine the repair cost can approach the price of replacing it. An appliance technician can confirm which one it is quickly.

Your notes travel with the request — what you saw, what you ruled out, when it started — so the pro arrives with a head start instead of a mystery.

sort

Why the list is in this order

We don’t sort by likelihood alone. We sort the way a good, honest tradesperson thinks: rule out the free, safe, common causes first. That’s why the cheap checks outrank the expensive repairs — and why anything dangerous gets a hard stop instead of a pep talk. The order exists to save you money, not to sell you anything.