How to Prepare a Washer and Dryer for Moving

Published Read 10 min read

Laundry machines look like simple boxes, but they are some of the most damage-prone appliances in a household move. A washer holds water you can’t see, rides on a delicate spring-and-shock suspension, and has a heavy drum that swings freely once the cabinet is loose. A dryer adds a vent duct, a lint problem, and, if it runs on gas, a fuel line you should not touch casually. Get the prep right and both units arrive ready to hook up. Skip a step and you can crack a control board, kink a hose, or knock the drum off its supports before the truck even leaves your driveway.

This guide walks through preparing the machines themselves: draining and disconnecting hoses, locking the drum, dealing with the dryer vent and cord, and reconnecting at the other end. It does not cover the physical lifting and padding once the units are wrapped (that’s loading technique, → see our guide on protecting furniture and boxes during transport, post 074) or using an appliance dolly (→ post 076). And it stops at the gas line: knowing how to identify a gas dryer matters here, but the decision to disconnect or reconnect a gas connection belongs to a separate question (→ see our guide on when to hire a pro to disconnect gas and water lines, post 099).

Why Washers and Dryers Are Easy to Damage in a Move

The two machines fail in different ways. A washer’s most fragile part is its suspension. The inner drum hangs from springs and dampers so it can spin at high speed without shaking the whole cabinet apart. That same flexibility is a liability in transit: with nothing holding the drum still, a bumpy ride lets it slam against the cabinet and the sensitive components around it. Front-load washers are the bigger worry because their drums move on a more exposed horizontal axis, which is exactly why they ship with bolts that lock the drum in place.

Water is the other hazard. Even a washer that finished its last cycle holds residual water in the hoses, the pump, and low points of the tub. Tip it the wrong way or let it sit unbolted in a cold truck and that water can leak onto floors, freeze, or seep into electronics.

Dryers are mechanically simpler, but they carry their own risks. The drum is lighter and the cabinet is sheet metal that dents easily. The vent connection is awkward and easy to crush, and the lint that has collected inside over years of use becomes a fire concern the moment the machine is reinstalled and running again. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission identifies failure to clean as the leading contributing factor in clothes-dryer fires, with lint buildup blocking airflow and trapping heat. A move is the rare moment when the dryer is pulled out and accessible, so it’s the right time to clear the lint trap, the cabinet area you can reach, and the duct.

Drain and Disconnect the Water Hoses (and Let Them Dry)

Start the washer a day or two before moving day, not the morning of. Run a short rinse-and-spin (or the machine’s drain/spin cycle) on an empty drum to push out standing water, then leave the lid or door open so the interior can air out. Damp seals that get boxed up wet are how mildew smell sets in.

When the drum is empty, unplug the washer and shut off both supply valves, the hot and cold faucets behind the machine. Have a bucket and towels ready before you touch anything, because the hoses hold water even after the valves are closed. Whirlpool’s moving guidance is direct about this: turn off the valves and remove the hoses, catching residual water in a bucket. Unthread the supply hoses from the faucets first, drain them, then disconnect them from the back of the washer. Pull the drain hose out of its standpipe or laundry tub and let it empty too.

Once everything is off, let the hoses dry, then coil them loosely and tape the coil so it can’t unravel. Drop the hoses, the washer’s leveling-leg instructions, and any small fittings into a labeled bag so nothing wanders off mid-move. A standing tip worth following: rubber supply hoses degrade with age and are a common cause of laundry-room flooding, so a move is a sensible moment to inspect them and replace any that are cracked, bulging, or stiff.

Lock the Drum: Shipping/Transit Bolts on a Front-Loader

This is the single most important step for a front-load washer, and the one people most often skip. Shipping bolts (also called transit bolts) thread into the back of the cabinet and pin the drum so it can’t bounce on its suspension. The manufacturer guidance is unambiguous: Whirlpool states that “new shipping bolts must be reinstalled to avoid internal suspension and structural damage to your washer during transport.”

If you saved the bolts from the original delivery, reinstall them now. They go into the holes on the back panel, typically a set of bolt openings that were covered with caps or plugs when you first set the machine up. Remove the plugs, insert each bolt with its plastic or rubber spacer, and tighten with a wrench (Whirlpool’s removal instructions reference a 5/8-inch, or 16 mm, wrench for these bolts, which gives you the size to expect). Snug them firmly so the drum no longer shifts when you rock the machine gently.

Lost the originals? Most manufacturers sell replacement shipping-bolt kits for the specific model, and several explicitly recommend reinstalling new bolts rather than moving the washer unbolted. Because the exact bolt count, location, and torque vary by model, check your unit’s manual or the maker’s support page rather than guessing.

Two warnings bracket this step. First, do not run or even power up the washer with the bolts in, the machine won’t operate correctly and you risk damage; bolts come out only after the machine is in its new home and leveled. Second, if you genuinely cannot get bolts, the move becomes higher-risk and you’ll want extra padding and an upright, well-secured position; a top-load washer, by contrast, has a different suspension and usually doesn’t use shipping bolts, so don’t go hunting for holes that aren’t there.

Keep the washer upright for the move. Manufacturers are explicit that it should travel in an upright position; laying it on its side or back can damage the suspension and internal components.

Disconnect the Dryer Vent and Coil the Cord

The dryer is lighter work, but don’t rush it. Unplug an electric dryer, or, for a gas dryer, stop at the gas line (more on telling them apart in the next section). Loosen the clamp where the flexible exhaust duct meets the dryer’s vent outlet and pull the duct off. This is the moment to clean: empty the lint screen, vacuum the lint trap housing, and clear what you can reach inside the cabinet vent and the duct itself.

Cleaning here is not busywork. CPSC’s dryer-fire guidance recommends cleaning the lint screen before or after each load and cleaning the exhaust duct periodically to prevent the lint buildup that blocks airflow and causes overheating. If your old duct is the plastic or foil accordion type, a move is a good time to replace it: CPSC and dryer manufacturers recommend rigid or corrugated semi-rigid metal duct instead, because flexible plastic and foil sag and trap lint in their ridges. Exhaust ducts should also be kept clear of and a safe distance from combustible materials at the new home.

With the duct off, coil the power cord and tape it to the back of the cabinet or to the top so it can’t drag, snag a doorway, or get crushed under the machine. Don’t wrap the cord tightly around sharp metal edges. If the dryer has a transit or shipping brace of its own (some models do), follow the manual. Otherwise, secure the door so it can’t swing open and tape down any loose interior parts.

Electric vs. Gas Dryer: Know the Difference Before You Unplug

Before you disconnect anything, confirm which kind of dryer you own, because the two are wired and fueled differently and the prep diverges at the fuel line.

An electric dryer draws a lot of power and plugs into a large 240-volt outlet with a chunky three- or four-prong cord, noticeably bigger than a normal wall socket. There is no fuel line. Pull the plug, and the only connection left is the vent duct.

A gas dryer is different. It plugs into a standard 120-volt outlet for the drum motor, controls, and igniter, and it draws its heat from a separate gas line, usually a flexible metal connector running from the back of the unit to a shutoff valve in the wall or floor. If you pull the dryer out and see a flexible metal hose feeding it in addition to the regular plug, you have a gas dryer.

That gas line is where this guide stops. Disconnecting and reconnecting a gas connection is not a casual DIY step: a connector that’s nicked, over-bent, or improperly resealed can leak, and gas leaks carry a risk of fire, explosion, or carbon-monoxide exposure. Whether the work even requires a licensed professional depends on where you live, and some movers won’t touch gas connections at all because of the liability. This is general information, not professional or legal advice; rules vary by state and locality, so treat a gas dryer’s fuel line as a decision point and verify your local requirements. For who should do that work and how to arrange it, → see our guide on when to hire a pro to disconnect gas and water lines, post 099.

Reconnecting and Testing at the New Home

At the new place, set both machines roughly where they’ll live before you reconnect anything, because moving a fully hooked-up unit is how hoses get yanked loose.

For the washer, level it first, then remove the shipping bolts. This order matters: the machine won’t run properly with bolts in, and leaving them is a common cause of violent shaking on the first load. Save the bolts and plugs in case you move again. Reattach the supply hoses, getting hot and cold to the right valves, reconnect the drain hose, and turn the water back on slowly while you watch the connections for drips. Snug any joint that weeps. Then plug in and run a short cycle on an empty drum, staying nearby to catch a leak or unusual vibration early. If it bangs or walks across the floor, stop and recheck leveling and that every bolt is out.

For an electric dryer, reattach the vent duct (this is the time to fit that rigid or semi-rigid metal duct if you swapped it), keep the run as short and straight as the layout allows, and confirm the exhaust actually reaches outside and isn’t crushed behind the machine. Plug it in and run a short heat cycle, checking that warm air is moving and the duct connection is tight. Clean the lint screen before that first load. For a gas dryer, the gas-line side of the reconnection is, again, a job to handle according to your local rules and, where appropriate, a qualified professional (→ post 099); once gas is safely restored, the vent-and-test steps are the same.

A few minutes of testing on day one beats discovering a slow leak or a vent disconnect weeks later. With the drum locked for the ride, the hoses dry, the lint cleared, and the gas line left to the right hands, your laundry pair should pick up right where it left off.

This article is general information, not professional advice. Appliance, plumbing, gas, and electrical requirements vary by manufacturer, state, and locality; consult your unit’s manual and a licensed professional for your specific situation before disconnecting or reconnecting utility lines.

Sources

  • Whirlpool, “Moving a Front Load Washer”, https://producthelp.whirlpool.com/Laundry/Washers/ProductInfo/WasherInstallationSupport/MovingaFrontLoadWasher
  • Whirlpool, “Removing Shipping Bolts for Front Load Washer”, https://producthelp.whirlpool.com/Laundry/Washers/ProductInfo/WasherInstallationSupport/RemovingShippingBoltsforFrontLoadWasher
  • Maytag, “Moving a Front Load Washer”, https://producthelp.maytag.com/Laundry/Washers/ProductInfo/WasherInstallationSupport/MovingaFrontLoad_Washer
  • U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, “Overheated Clothes Dryers Can Cause Fires”, https://www.cpsc.gov/Safety-Education/Safety-Guides/Home-Fire-Electronics-and-Electrical/Overheated-Clothes-Dryers-Can-Cause-Fires
  • U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, “Overheated Clothes Dryers Can Cause Fires” (publication 5022), https://www.cpsc.gov/s3fs-public/5022.pdf
  • FMCSA, “Protect Your Move” (consumer guidance on movers and appliance servicing), https://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/protect-your-move

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