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How to Level a Washing Machine — Stop the Vibration and Noise

Published 14 April 2026

If your washing machine vibrates excessively, walks across the floor during the spin cycle, or makes a loud banging noise, there's a good chance it's simply unlevel. An unlevel machine rocks on its feet, which amplifies vibration dramatically — especially at high spin speeds. The fix is straightforward and takes less than 10 minutes.

Why levelling matters

Washing machines spin at 1,000–1,600 RPM. At that speed, even a few millimetres of wobble becomes significant vibration. An unlevel machine doesn't just make noise — it stresses the drum bearings, causes premature wear, and can damage the floor over time. Getting it level properly extends the life of the machine.

Tools needed to level a washing machine

A spanner or adjustable wrench (for the lock nuts on the feet), and your phone with Spirit Level Online open in the browser. No other tools are needed.

Step-by-step: how to level a washing machine

1. Remove the transit bolts if it's a new machine. New washing machines ship with transit bolts in the back to protect the drum during transport. If these are still fitted, the machine cannot level properly and will vibrate regardless. Check your manual and remove them before proceeding.
2. Place your phone on top of the machine. Open Spirit Level Online in Surface Mode and lay your phone flat on the top panel of the washing machine. The circular bubble shows you the lean in both directions at once.
3. Identify which direction it leans. Note whether the bubble drifts toward the front, back, left, or right. This tells you which feet need adjusting. A bubble drifting to the left means the left side is lower — raise the left feet or lower the right feet.
4. Locate the adjustable feet. Most washing machines have four adjustable feet — threaded legs that screw in and out. Turning a foot anticlockwise raises that corner; turning clockwise lowers it. The rear feet on many models are self-adjusting — tipping the machine forward and setting it back down locks them automatically.
5. Loosen the lock nut on the foot you need to adjust. Each foot has a lock nut directly above it that keeps it from turning during use. Use a spanner to loosen this nut before adjusting the foot height.
6. Adjust the feet and re-check. Turn the front feet in or out until the bubble centres on the spirit level. Check both the front-to-back and left-to-right readings. Aim for 0.0° in both axes.
7. Tighten the lock nuts. Once the machine is level, tighten all lock nuts firmly against the machine body. This stops the feet from vibrating loose during use.
8. Run a short spin cycle to verify. Run the machine on a spin-only cycle and observe. A correctly levelled machine should have only minimal vibration. If it still walks or vibrates heavily, recheck the level — the feet may have shifted slightly as you tightened the lock nuts.

What if the floor itself is uneven?

On very uneven floors, adjusting the feet to their maximum range sometimes isn't enough to bring the machine level. In this case, a solid rubber mat or a piece of plywood placed under the machine can bridge the gap. Level the board first using Spirit Level Online, shim it if needed, then position the machine on top.

Checking a machine that was previously level

Washing machines can go out of level over time as feet vibrate loose or floors settle. If a machine that used to run quietly has become noisy, the first thing to check is the level. Open Spirit Level Online in Surface Mode, place your phone on top, and see if the bubble has drifted. Re-tightening the lock nuts on the feet is often all that's needed.

For all levelling jobs around the home — appliances, furniture, shelves, and more — Spirit Level Online works directly in your browser with no app download required.