Laundry machines are usually the easiest appliances to get out of a house and the messiest to get ready. A washer holds more water than it looks like it does, and the hoses behind it hold the rest. Twenty minutes the evening before saves a wet floor on pickup day.
Every appliance needs to be ready first
Every appliance needs to be disconnected before pickup, including electrical, gas, and plumbing connections. Your Loaders pick up the unit once it is disconnected and ready to move. For laundry machines, here is what that involves.
The washing machine
Run it empty one last time. If you can, run a short spin cycle with nothing in the drum. It pumps out most of the water still sitting in the tub.
Shut off the water. There are two valves behind the washer, one for hot and one for cold. Turn both fully closed.
Drain the hoses. Have a bucket and a towel ready. Unscrew the supply hoses from the valves, point them into the bucket and let them empty. Then pull the drain hose out of the standpipe or sink and empty that too. A front-loading washer often has a small drain filter near the bottom of the front panel; opening it over a shallow tray releases the last of the water.
Put a towel under the front of a front-loading washer before opening the drain filter. There’s always more water behind it than the tray expects.
Unplug it, and bag the hoses. Coil the hoses, put them in a plastic bag and tape the bag to the top of the machine so nothing drips in transit.
Secure the drum if you still have the shipping bolts. Many front-loading washers came with transit bolts that lock the drum in place. If you kept them, putting them back is worth it. If not, it isn’t a problem for a pickup.
The dryer
Electric dryers just need to be unplugged. Their cords are heavy and the plug can be awkward to reach, so pull the machine forward gently first.
Gas dryers are different. The gas supply has to be shut off and the line capped by someone qualified before the dryer can move. This is a few minutes’ work for a plumber or a gas technician, and it isn’t something to improvise.
The vent. The foil or metal duct on the back of a dryer usually just pulls off its collar. Clean out any lint at the same time; it tends to fall out in a clump as soon as the dryer moves.
Stacked units
A washer and dryer stacked in a closet are two appliances on a stacking kit. They usually come apart by lifting the dryer straight up off the washer once any brackets are removed, which is a two person job. Mention a stacked pair when you book so the pickup is planned for it.
The path out
Laundry rooms live in basements, upstairs hallways and closets with doors that barely clear the machines. Measure the narrowest doorway on the way out, clear the floor, and if the machines are in a basement, check that the stairs are free of anything stored on the treads.
Quick checklist
- Last empty spin cycle on the washer
- Water valves closed, hoses drained into a bucket
- Both machines unplugged
- Gas dryer line shut off and capped by a pro
- Dryer vent pulled off and lint cleared
- Stacked pair mentioned when booking
- Path clear, narrowest doorway measured
Booking both together costs less than two separate pickups, because the second machine is priced as an add-on. The pickup calculator shows the total for the pair.
