How to Fix a Washer That Is Off Balance

Uneven laundry and overloading come first

A load that's too heavy or unevenly spread can leave you with a stopped spin and wet clothes. We'd check the laundry first because correcting its size or distribution directly addresses those causes without moving on to the machine's setup.

When laundry isn't evenly distributed as spinning begins, the basket can move enough to cause noise and vibration. Spin speed can drop, cycles can run longer, and washing performance can suffer. That makes the arrangement of the clothes worth checking even when the washer eventually finishes.

Overloading is the other load-related possibility to address. A washer carrying too much laundry can become unstable and stop spinning to avoid damage, so spreading everything around may need to be paired with taking some items out.

Whirlpool top-load example when the washer tries again

On a Whirlpool top-load washer, refilling followed by gentle back-and-forth movement can be an attempt to redistribute the clothing. If that self-correction fails to even out the load, the washer displays an error message. That behavior explains why a balance problem can involve extra water and movement before you see an error.

Whirlpool's top-load correction procedure (opens in a new tab) separates two situations: an error is present, or the cycle can be paused. Use the matching branch below. These button instructions are the Whirlpool worked example, so use your own washer's instructions for its controls if you have another brand.

The timing can help you understand what's happening, too. Whirlpool describes the imbalance error as typically occurring during spin, after the washing portion has finished. A stopped spin therefore leaves a different next decision from a wash that still needs to be completed.

If you can pause the cycle

If your Whirlpool cycle can be paused, use the pause branch before opening the lid. This gives you a chance to correct the clothes and then resume the cycle you're already running.

1. Press Start to pause the cycle. The cycle should be paused before you open the lid.
2. Open the lid and rearrange the clothing or reduce the load size. Leave the laundry more evenly distributed or the basket less full.
3. Press Start to restart the cycle. Check that the cycle resumes.

Choose the correction that matches what you see in the basket. An unevenly gathered load needs redistribution, while an overloaded basket needs fewer items. Whirlpool allows either rearranging the clothing or reducing the load in this branch.

If an imbalance error is present

When an imbalance error is present on the Whirlpool top-load washer, cancel before correcting the load (opens in a new tab). This branch includes draining water when needed, then preparing the laundry before starting a new cycle.

1. Cancel the cycle by pressing Start or disconnecting the power cord. The current cycle should be canceled.
2. If water is present, run a drain-only cycle. Let that cycle remove the water.
3. Before starting a new cycle, rearrange the clothes and/or remove some items. The load should be even and no longer overloaded.

If the washing portion has already finished and you only need to extract water from the garments, you may run Drain & Spin after rearranging the load. Both conditions matter: washing is complete, and the laundry has been redistributed before the spin attempt.

Drain-only and Drain & Spin have different places in this correction. The first removes water present during the error branch. The optional second choice extracts water from already-washed clothes after you've addressed their arrangement.

Give the clothes an even, loose arrangement

For the next Whirlpool load, add clothes in loose heaps evenly around the basket. If your washer has an agitator, spread those heaps around it. This arrangement helps avoid the vibration that an uneven wash load can cause.

Never overload the basket. Keep the loosely added clothes no higher than the top row of holes in the wash basket, following Whirlpool's loading limits (opens in a new tab). Use that visible limit when deciding whether some laundry needs to come back out.

For an impeller washer, arrange water-absorbing items such as quilts or cotton blankets in a doughnut shape around the impeller. Keep the top of the impeller visible. The arrangement leaves the items distributed around the wash basket.

Don't add extra water to that impeller load. The clothes need to engage with the impeller, and too much water lets them float, reducing the cleaning action. More water isn't the loading correction Whirlpool prescribes.

Bulky items need a separate loading decision

Before putting a large or heavy item in your Whirlpool top-loader, check its care label. Some bulky items require a commercial-style front-load washer, so permission to machine-wash an item doesn't necessarily mean it belongs in your top-loader.

Don't wash a single absorbent article, such as one rug. Whirlpool's vibration guidance (opens in a new tab) recommends washing similar items together and gives two or three rugs as its balancing example.

Its separate unbalanced-load guidance (opens in a new tab) recommends balancing heavy items with lighter ones and refers to two or three garments. Those recommendations differ, so they aren't one universal recipe for mixing fabrics. Keep each recommendation with its stated context and retain the care-label and basket limits above.

Match the cycle and settings to the laundry as well. Whirlpool recommends Bulky for large loads or oversized items, delicate cycles for lighter fabrics, and heavy-duty cycles for bulky items. In its error-correction instructions, it suggests trying Bulky or Heavy Duty when starting the corrected load.

Does the washer rock from corner to corner?

For the Whirlpool example, check the machine's footing as well as the clothes. With your hands, try rocking the washer diagonally from corner to corner. If it rocks, it needs leveling.

All four feet must make firm contact with the floor, and the washer needs to be level both front-to-back and side-to-side. Whirlpool's stability check (opens in a new tab) is also worth repeating periodically to help prevent future balance problems.

Poor leveling can let the load become unbalanced and interfere with spinning. It can also produce excessive noise or vibration, especially during spin. A rocking result therefore points you toward the washer's setup as the next issue to address.

Check the next spin and get help if needed

After the correction, watch the spin portion for the symptoms that brought you here: excessive shaking, loud noise, or another stopped spin. At the end, check whether the clothes still have the unusually wet result associated with the imbalance.

If you still need help after the load correction and stability check, contact Whirlpool support or schedule service. The Whirlpool US vibration support page (opens in a new tab) offers contact and appointment options, including its preferred service providers.