Unlocking your washing machine yourself
Want to take your laundry out of your washing machine, but the door won't open? This means the door lock is engaged. How do you open a locked machine door yourself? Find out the answer in this article.
First, we need to figure out why the blocking is active. This typically occurs in three situations.
Reasons for blocking that are not related to malfunctions
- The first case isn't even a malfunction, but a common precaution used when washing clothes. If your washing machine is currently washing clothes, then naturally, For safety reasons, the hatch door is automatically locked in the closed position. If for some reason you urgently need to unlock the hatch, you'll first have to stop your appliances. You may also need to turn off the washing machine.
- Another option, which is also not a malfunction, but rather a certain drawback of some models, is The hatch is blocked due to an unexpected power outage. In our country, this happens occasionally. Nothing particularly serious has happened to the machine. To get it to open again, you'll need to run the spin cycle and drain the water. That should help.
- The third case, again, doesn't require repair, as it's not a malfunction. Rather, it's a natural feature of this type of appliance. Specifically, the washing machine prevents laundry from being removed for a certain amount of time after washing. Most models have a three-minute time limit. However, some washing machines are said to lock for five minutes after washing. Therefore, in this situation, don't sound the alarm; simply wait patiently. Once the automatic locking time has expired, try opening the door again.
We've covered all the natural and non-malfunctioning reasons why a washing machine won't open the door. Now let's look at several scenarios where the machine won't open due to a malfunction.
The washing machine is blocked due to a breakdown.
Look inside the drum (if you have a standard front-loading machine). If you notice water remaining inside the drum, the problem is that it's not draining. To find out how to fix this, you can read the article:The washing machine does not drain water.".
The door handle may also break. To replace a faulty handle, you can watch a video with instructions on how to replace this part of the washing machine. However, the door is already open in this video.
To open it, you'll need to remove the lid (the top part of the washing machine's body). To do this, unscrew the two bolts on the back of the machine. Then push it back and lift it up. Now make sure the machine is unplugged. Then, reach into the part of the machine where the lock is located, feel for the locking device, and release the locking element.
Now let's get back to the video instructions for replacing the handle. Watch:
If the problem isn't with the hatch handle, but with the lock itself, it's easier to avoid fixing it and simply replace the faulty part with a new one. You can purchase the necessary part online or at a home appliance repair service. To avoid having to describe the entire lock replacement procedure, we've included a video.
There you can watch all the steps for replacing this part yourself, starting, again, with removing the washing machine cover. It's all quite simple, and most of you can do it without assistance. Video instructions:
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The washing machine smells like burnt wires...there's unwashed laundry left inside...what should I do?
Elvira, please tell me how you opened the door, I have the same problem now?
I put laundry in the machine, slammed the door, set the wash cycle, turned it on, but none of the lights are on and the door won't open. What should I do? Sincerely, Lyudmila
That's how they do repairs there. In Russia, it's simpler. You cut out the plastic tab that locks the door and that's it. If you don't stick your hands in while it's turning, then opening the door whenever you want isn't so scary. One subtlety: you need to secure the "tail" of the tab in the depressed position, otherwise it won't turn on. The machine will think the door is open. I secured it with a nail and sealed it with silicone sealant.
I get the message "end" and the door won't open.
You need to wait 5 minutes, it will open itself.
It happened like this: The washing machine washed my LG, but the door wouldn't open—the handle wasn't broken. The lock's stopper didn't work. I later discovered the thermal plate was damaged. I opened the top of the machine and tilted it to get to the door lock. I pressed the stopper with a screwdriver. It's located in the lock housing. There's a small hole. I unlatched the lock—it works manually—and easily opened the door.
My power filter cover is stuck with a bra wire, and now it won't close (I tried removing the wire and it must have twisted) and won't open. The machine is built into the kitchen, so I can't take it out and disassemble it. Is there any other way I can disassemble it?
I put my jacket in the wash. Two minutes passed, and then I remembered I'd forgotten to take the coins out of my pockets. I remembered and turned off the washing machine, but then I tried to open it, and it wouldn't open. What should I do?!
A universal solution to your problem is to unplug the appliance, wait for the door to unlock (this may take about 5 minutes), and enjoy!
I am very grateful to Vasya for the advice; I opened the locked washing machine.
My daughter threw a lot of laundry into the washing machine, set the washing program, but all the buttons are flashing, it doesn’t wash, and the machine won’t open. What should I do?
Good afternoon. I set the "steam treatment" program to a cycle time of 20 machine minutes. The display showed only 1 minute left. It lasted for another 20 minutes. When I paused the program, unplugged the machine, and then plugged it back in, the "locked" sign came on.
I threw a sweater in the washing machine, the wash cycle is finished, but the door won't open. What should I do?
I have an Indesit Wisa101. I washed my clothes, and the lock indicator keeps blinking. I try to open it, but it stays on. There's no clicking sound, even when I turn the machine off. I've tried everything. I unplugged it and waited half a day. I started the repeat cycle, and everything worked as planned, but at the end the door won't open. Please help, I've been washing in the machine for two days now. What should I do?
It says: The machine is locked. Press the keys. Which ones?
Could you please tell me what the problem is? At first, the door wouldn't lock when I closed it, and today, six hours after washing, the door still won't open.