Washing Machine Not Spinning? Causes and How to Fix It

A washing machine not spinning is often a load or setup problem, not a broken part: the load is off balance or packed too tightly, the washer isn't level, or the lid or door isn't latched (Maytag; Whirlpool). Spread the load evenly (or add a second wet item to a single bulky one), then run Drain and Spin (Whirlpool).

If water is still standing in the drum, fix the drain first: a washer drains before it spins, and it won't move on to the spin until the water is out (Samsung). If the motor runs but the tub never turns, the washer needs service (GE Appliances).

Key takeaways

Open the washer, spread the load evenly and run Drain and Spin before anything else.
Never spin one heavy item alone: add a second damp item to balance a rug, blanket or comforter.
Fill the drum to about 2/3 of capacity; Samsung counts a large load as 6-16 pounds.
Level the washer side to side and front to back, and check a new front-loader for leftover shipping bolts.
Reset by cutting power for a minute or two; a motor that runs while the tub stays still is a service call.

Why is my washing machine not spinning?

Whirlpool says many spin problems are simple to fix with a little troubleshooting. Its list of causes starts with the cycle settings, too much detergent, an unbalanced or overloaded load, an unlevel washer, a power failure, a kinked drain hose and an open lid (Whirlpool). Work through them in this order:

What you see	Likely cause	First fix
Washer stops mid-spin, thumps or flashes an unbalanced warning	Load bunched to one side	Redistribute, then Drain and Spin
Clothes come out soaking wet	Low or no spin selected, or a gentle cycle	Pick a higher spin speed
Water standing in the drum	Clogged pump filter or kinked drain hose	Clear the drain first
Nothing happens after the wash	Lid or door not latched, or a normal pause	Close the lid firmly and wait a few minutes
Loud shaking or walking	Unlevel washer or shipping bolts left in	Level it; check the bolts on a new washer
Motor hums, drum stays still	A failed part	Call for service

Give a top-loader a few minutes before you troubleshoot. GE Appliances says its full-size top-loaders can pause for up to 3 minutes between stages, and pumping out can take 3 more minutes before the spin begins (GE Appliances).

The washer may also stop after a power cut. Whirlpool and Maytag both say an outage can keep it from reaching full spin speed; run a Drain and Spin cycle to clear the water (Whirlpool; Maytag).

How do I fix an unbalanced load?

Stop the cycle, open the washer and spread the wet laundry evenly around the drum, then restart with Drain and Spin (GE Appliances). Modern washers sense an off-balance load and cut the spin speed or stop to protect the machine (Maytag; Samsung). Whirlpool's top-loaders first try to self-correct by refilling and rocking the load back and forth, and show an error only if that fails (Whirlpool Product Help).

How to load bulky items so they spin

Heavy, absorbent pieces are the usual trigger: towels and bedding clump on one side, and a single rug or blanket can throw the drum off on its own (Maytag). These habits keep the weight even:

Pair heavy with heavy. Add a second damp item to a lone rug or blanket, then run Drain and Spin (Maytag).
Use the right cycle. Whirlpool's top-loaders are designed to wash bedding and heavy coats on the Bulky or Sheets/Bedding cycle, not Normal (Whirlpool Product Help).
Don't overfill. LG says washers perform best loaded to about 2/3 of capacity (LG); GE warns that laundry packed above the balance ring can stop the spin (GE Appliances).
Don't underfill either. A very small load collects on one side of the drum; add more items or lower the spin speed (Samsung).

For scale, Samsung defines a small load as 3-5 pounds (about 1/3 full) and a large load as 6-16 pounds (about 3/4 full), noting that one pair of jeans weighs about a pound (Samsung).

A king comforter or a stack of quilts often won't balance in a home washer at all. Our guide to washing a comforter at a laundromat covers the large-capacity method; more than 4,000 laundromats in the LaundroMaps directory list large-capacity machines, as of October 2026 (LaundroMaps directory data). You can find a laundromat near you with big washers.

Is your washer level, and are the shipping bolts out?

An unlevel washer lets the drum wobble, which brings noise, vibration and a spin that may not finish (Maytag). Check it with a level placed across the top, side to side and front to back (Whirlpool). Samsung's leveling steps work for most machines (Samsung):

Leave about 1 inch between the washer, the dryer and any wall, on a stable, undamaged floor (Samsung).
Press down on the top corners to rock it. Each corner should sit firm; if one wobbles, adjust its leg (Samsung; LG).
On front-loaders, loosen each leg's lock nut, turn the leg clockwise to raise that corner or counterclockwise to lower it, then tighten the nut again (Samsung).
Keep the legs as short as you can, since shorter legs make the washer more stable (Samsung).
Run a small load on a spin cycle and readjust until it stops shaking (Samsung; LG).

If the washer sits on a pedestal, level the pedestal first (Samsung).

New front-loader shaking hard? Check the shipping bolts

Front-loaders ship with bolts in the back that lock the tub in place. LG says leaving the bolts and retainers in can cause severe vibration and noise and permanently damage the washer (LG). To check, open the door and push the tub forward and back: if it doesn't move, the bolts are still in (LG). Remove them with the wrench that came with the washer, cap the holes, and keep the bolts for any future move (LG).

Could it be the lid, a setting or too many suds?

Yes. Washers won't spin with the lid or door unlatched, and a faulty latch isn't always easy to spot (Whirlpool). Close it firmly and restart; if it still won't spin, check the latch section of your manual (Maytag). On GE top-loaders, a dE or E2 code means the lid was opened; close it and press Start/Pause, or the washer shuts off after about 30 seconds (GE Appliances).

Settings and detergent cause the rest of these cases (Maytag; Whirlpool):

Low or no spin selected. Extra low, low and no-spin settings leave clothes wetter by design (Maytag).
A gentle cycle. Delicate and hand-wash cycles spin slowly to protect fabric (Whirlpool). See our guide to washer and dryer cycles for what each one does.
Too many suds. Too much detergent, or regular detergent in a high-efficiency (HE) washer, makes suds that can stop draining and spinning (Whirlpool).
A late add. Pausing to add items late in the cycle can keep the washer from reaching top spin speed (Maytag).

Why are my clothes still wet after the spin cycle?

Wet clothes usually mean a slow spin, not a broken one: a low spin setting, a gentle cycle, an unbalanced load or a washer that couldn't drain fully (Whirlpool Product Help; Maytag). Run Drain and Spin at the highest speed the care label allows (Maytag). ENERGY STAR recommends a high or extended spin when your washer offers one, because it leaves less moisture in clothes and shortens drying time (ENERGY STAR).

Washer not spinning or draining?

Fix the drain first. Samsung explains that a washer tries to drain before it spins, and if it can't drain, it never reaches the spin step (Samsung). Two checks cover most cases:

The pump filter (front-loaders). It sits behind a small access panel and traps debris. Samsung's steps drain the leftover water through a small hose behind the same panel into a pan, then twist the filter out to clean it, about once a month or every 40 washes, whichever comes first (Samsung).
The drain hose. Straighten kinks and clear clogs. Whirlpool's top-loaders want only 4.5 inches of hose in a standpipe between 39 and 96 inches high (Whirlpool Product Help); Samsung specifies 6-8 inches of hose and an 18-96 inch height (Samsung). Follow your own model's manual.

On top-loaders the drain parts are harder to reach, and Whirlpool suggests calling a professional to inspect them (Whirlpool). For step-by-step draining, including how to empty a drum full of water, see our guide to a washer that won't drain.

How do you reset the spin cycle on a washing machine?

Cutting power resets most washers: unplug it (or switch off the breaker if the plug is hard to reach), wait, then restore power and start the cycle again (Whirlpool). GE Appliances says a reset clears controls that locked up after a power failure or an interrupted cycle (GE Appliances).

Does unplugging a washing machine reset it?

Usually, yes. GE Appliances says to unplug the washer or shut off its breaker for 2 minutes; on electronic models you then select and start the cycle again (GE Appliances). Whirlpool says to wait a few minutes so leftover power can discharge (Whirlpool).

How do I manually reset my washing machine?

Many washers also cancel from the panel: hold Start/Pause or Power/Cancel for 3-5 seconds to end the cycle, drain the water and release the lid or door lock (Whirlpool). Samsung washers that spin poorly can run a calibration mode on the empty drum, which takes 1-3 minutes; the button combination is in your manual (Samsung).

Do washers have reset buttons?

You usually don't need one. Whirlpool says cutting power resets most washers and the exact process varies by model, so check your manual for any button sequence (Whirlpool).

How do I reset my GE washing machine?

Start with GE's power reset above (GE Appliances). GE top-loaders with the Hydrowave wash system, generally built from 2011 through 2015, also have a motor reset for a washer that fills but won't agitate or spin (GE Appliances):

Unplug the washer for 1 minute (GE Appliances).
Plug it back in, and within 30 seconds lift and lower the lid 6 times in 12 seconds, raising it at least 2 inches each time (GE Appliances).
Run a small empty cycle; if it fills and agitates, the reset worked (GE Appliances).

Why is my washing machine shaking or loud when spinning?

The same three causes come first: an overloaded or unbalanced load, an unlevel washer, and, on a new washer, shipping bolts that were never removed (Whirlpool). Whirlpool lists loud noise during the spin, heavy shaking and wet clothes as signs of an unbalanced load (Whirlpool Product Help).

Rattling: remove anything rolling in storage compartments, and tighten the leg lock nuts and pedestal screws (Whirlpool).
Walking across the floor: re-level and check that all four feet touch the floor (LG).
Grinding or clanking: check that the drum sits centered and try moving it by hand. Whirlpool says worn shock absorbers or drum bearings on older washers cause internal imbalance, and grinding or clanking when you move the drum means it's time for professional service (Whirlpool).

When is a washer that won't spin a repair job?

When the checks above don't help, a part has likely failed. GE Appliances says that if the washer pumps out the water and the motor is running but the tub doesn't spin, it needs service (GE Appliances). Samsung says a washer that never spins at all may need service for a motor problem, though a drain issue can cause the same symptom (Samsung).

Leave internal parts such as the motor, drum bearings and shock absorbers to a technician (GE Appliances; Whirlpool).

Age matters when you weigh the repair. InterNACHI, the home inspectors' association, estimates that a washing machine lasts 5 to 15 years, depending largely on how much it is used (InterNACHI).

If a laundromat washer won't spin

Don't force the door or try to fix a commercial machine yourself; tell the attendant. More than 3,800 laundromats in the LaundroMaps directory list staff on site, as of October 2026 (LaundroMaps directory data). And if the home washer is out of action for a while, a wash-and-fold service will wash, dry and fold the backlog for you.

Frequently asked questions

How long do washing machines last?

InterNACHI estimates 5 to 15 years for a washing machine. How much use it gets matters most.

How do you drain water from a washing machine that won't spin?

Run Drain and Spin first. On a front-loader, the small hose behind the pump filter panel lets you drain the drum into a shallow pan before you clean the filter. A kinked or clogged drain hose is the other common cause.

What is the most common problem with GE washers that won't spin?

GE's own troubleshooting starts with simple causes: normal pauses of up to 3 minutes, a lid that was opened (dE or E2 codes) and a basket filled above the balance ring. A motor reset or a service call comes only after those checks.

Why is my washing machine not spinning fast?

A low spin setting, a delicate or hand-wash cycle, an unbalanced load or excess suds all lower the spin speed. Choose the highest spin the care label allows and measure HE detergent carefully.

Is it safe to keep using a washer that shakes violently?

Stop and find the cause. LG warns that running a new washer with its shipping bolts still in can cause permanent damage, and grinding or clanking points to worn parts that need a technician.

How we researched this

We read the washer makers' own troubleshooting pages for their machines (Whirlpool, Maytag, GE Appliances, Samsung and LG), ENERGY STAR's clothes washer guidance and InterNACHI's life-expectancy chart, and cited 13 outside sources plus our own directory counts. Where makers give different drain-hose measurements, we show both and point you to your own manual. We didn't test these fixes on our own machines, and this guide doesn't cover replacing parts. Researched October 28, 2026.