Transporting a washing machine – damage-free
Transport bolts in, load upright, strap down – and if you don't want to carry it yourself: van with driver and carrying help booked in minutes.
- ✓ Instant price before booking
- ✓ Insured transports
- ✓ Carrying help bookable
How to transport a washing machine correctly
Fit the transport bolts
The transport bolts at the back lock the drum. Without them the drum swings during the drive – bearing damage is the most common transport injury. Lost the bolts? Pad the drum with blankets as a fallback.
Drain residual water
Close the tap, drain residual water through the lint filter at the bottom, empty the hoses and tape them to the housing. That spares you a wet load floor – and the machine water in its electronics.
Load upright and strap down
Washing machines travel standing, strapped to the lashing points. If it must be laid down: on the side without connections – never on the front or back panel.
Which vehicle do you need?
A washing machine weighs 60–90 kg and fits upright in any compact van; with a hand truck and a second person it is loaded in minutes. Moving several appliances? Take the 2.7 m class. All dimensions and payloads in the van guide →
Transporting a washing machine: the right preparation
A washing machine is compact but, at 60–90 kilograms, one of the heaviest single items in a household – and its drum hangs freely in dampers. Preparation therefore decides the outcome: close the tap, drain residual water through the lint filter, empty the hoses and tape them to the housing, tape the door shut.
Then the transport bolts go in at the back: they lock the drum and stop it from swinging during the drive. The bolts come with every new machine – keep them and you save yourself the improvisation at the next move.
Transporting a washing machine lying down: avoid it if at all possible
Of all large appliances, the washing machine tolerates lying down the worst. Residual water from the tub and hoses can reach the electronics, and lying down the full weight of the concrete counterweight and drum presses on bearings and dampers that are not built for it.
If there is truly no way around it – in an estate car, say – the rule is: lay it on its side, never on the front or back panel. The porthole and electronics sit on the front, the connections on the back. Drain residual water first and fit the transport bolts; after the drive, let the machine stand upright for a few hours before running the first wash.
Transporting without the transport bolts – limiting the risk
Without transport bolts the drum swings freely over every bump – shock absorbers, bearings, and the concrete weight can suffer. If the bolts are lost, the best fix is to order them as a spare part from the manufacturer; they usually cost only a few euros.
If it has to happen without them: pad the drum through the loading opening with blankets or towels, transport the machine upright and tightly strapped, and avoid jolts as much as possible. A padded machine usually survives short distances unharmed – for long drives the bolts are mandatory.
Carrying a washing machine up or down stairs
The stairs are the real hard part: 60–90 kilograms, a smooth housing, no handles. Always carry with two people – one above, one below the appliance – and rest on every landing. A stair-climbing hand truck or carrying straps distribute the weight and spare your back.
Secure the machine on the hand truck with a strap and keep it as upright as possible. Our glossary article on load securing shows how straps sit correctly in the vehicle.
Freight forwarder, courier, or van with driver?
A classic freight forwarder rarely pays off for a single washing machine: consolidated freight comes with long delivery windows, and many forwarders only deliver to the curb. For a single appliance, a van with driver is the faster option – with Maxmove same-day if you like, with carrying help into the basement or up to the third floor.
You see the binding price up front in the transport cost calculator. If the machine moves as part of a full move, our moving checklist helps you plan from disconnecting to the first wash.
Frequently asked questions
How much does the transport cost?
Enter the route, pick the vehicle, add carrying help if needed – the price for your washing machine transport is fixed in seconds.
Calculate the price in seconds