We've all been there — those evenings when you've tidied up the kitchen, and you're about to settle in with the latest binge-watch series — and then it happens. The washing machine spin cycle kicks in, shattering your peaceful evening.
With open-plan living now the norm, noise can be a big issue in our homes. Even those with the luxury of a utility room are not entirely immune. Our love of stone, timber, and tiled flooring instead of carpet increases sound reverberation, so it bounces around from room to room, rather than being absorbed by soft finishes.
This matters more than we think. Noise isn't just a nuisance; it can impact our health and increase stress. Thankfully, there are some simple (and stylish) ways to make your washing machine quieter — here's what the experts had to say.
Article continues below1. Ensure It Is Secure and On a Level Surface
If flooring beneath your washing machine is uneven, fit adjustable feet to prevent the appliance from rattling.
Deciding where to position kitchen appliances is a fine balance between aesthetics and practicalities. However, ensuring your washing machine is properly secured and placed on a level surface in your kitchen or utility space is fundamental.
This can be a common issue in period properties, especially if you're not intending to run new flooring under the cabinetry, as the original surfaces are often uneven. Yet, a level surface is essential for your washing machine to function properly, and will reduce the chances of it moving around and making a noise when spinning.
Levelling is something Brani Hadzhi, creative director & co-founder of Multiliving Scavolini Store, often sees overlooked.
"In the kind of homes we often work in, with stone flags, reclaimed brick, original Victorian tiles, the floor is almost never perfectly flat," explains Brani. "Beautifully specified machines installed on equally beautiful floors, yet no one has taken two minutes to check the feet.
"That’s exactly why adjustable feet exist. Use them, use a spirit level, and lock the nuts tight. I’ve seen machines that sounded genuinely alarming become almost silent just from those two steps, especially when paired with a good anti-vibration mat. It’s one of the highest-impact, lowest-cost fixes you can make."
Check with the machine manufacturer whether your model has feet. These washing machine adjustable feet from Amazon suit a large number of Bosch appliances.
Brani Hadzhi is co-founder and creative director of Multiliving Scavolini Store, the UK’s flagship destination for Italian designer kitchens, bathrooms and interiors, based in Hampstead, London. With a lifelong passion for architecture and design, nurtured from her school years, Brani has built a career shaped by intuition, craftsmanship and a deep understanding of how people truly live in their homes.
2. Reduce Vibration Through Flooring Choice
Anti-vibration mats beneath noisy appliances absorb sound and can't be seen
Washing machines spin at high speeds. This naturally creates movement and vibration, and when teamed with current flooring trends, such as wood, stone, and tiles, plus other hard kitchen surfaces, this leads to one thing — inevitable noise.
As Brani just mentioned, another simple way to reduce this and muffle sound is to place your washing machine on a non-slip, anti-vibration mat, like this Hinrichs option on Amazon, which can be cut to size, so it's discreetly hidden underneath.
There are other steps you can take to reduce the noisy reverberation when your washing machine is spinning too.
"Vibration transferring into hard surfaces is where design and acoustics really intersect," says Brani. "Stone, tile, and exposed brick are visually beautiful but acoustically unforgiving. They conduct vibration rather than absorb it.
"When designing a utility or laundry space, we think carefully about what’s behind, beneath, and beside the machine. Even allowing a small gap between the appliance and the wall makes a difference.
"Flooring choices matter too. Cork, rubber-backed LVT, or a well-specified anti-vibration mat will absorb significantly more vibration than bare stone or tile."
3. Place It Behind Custom Cabinetry
When it's behind cabinetry, you can close the door to muffle sound when the washing machine is on.
Placing bulky 'white goods' behind custom cabinetry in a modern kitchen or utility scheme not only looks better, but it can also reduce noise — if done well. Whether integrated or exposed, the machine also needs to be on a level surface, secure, and at a sufficient distance from surrounding hard surfaces.
“Noise from a washing machine is usually less about the appliance itself and more about how it has been positioned within the room," explains Richard Davenport, managing director at Davenport. "In many homes, the machine is pushed tightly between cabinetry or placed directly against hard surfaces, which allows vibration from the spin cycle to travel into surrounding joinery, walls, and flooring, effectively amplifying the sound."
Richard concurs with Brani that one of the simplest ways to reduce this is to ensure the appliance has a little breathing space around it and that it sits perfectly level on the floor. "Even a slight imbalance can cause the drum to vibrate far more aggressively when spinning at speed," he says.
“From a design perspective, thoughtful cabinetry can play an important role in softening the noise. Housing the machine within well-built cabinetry, ideally behind a cupboard door, also helps contain the mechanical sound of the cycle while keeping the room visually composed."
If a bespoke kitchen is not an option, consider cabinets for built-in appliances from IKEA.
With a Distinction in Furniture Design and Cabinet Making, and knowledge from his father Aubrey Davonport, an honorary member of the British Woodcarvers Association, Richard went on to set up his own workshops and later, the Davonport brand, which specialises in creating bespoke kitchen furniture.
4. Allow Space to Balance the Wash Load
Adequate surface space allows for laundry practicalities.
An unbalanced wash load with one extremely heavy item, like a bath towel, mixed with lighter pieces, can make a spin cycle louder than it needs to be. The simplest solution is to ensure there are two similarly heavy items, as this evens out the weight distribution and reduces noise. Brani highlights the importance of including adequate space for sorting laundry in your utility room design.
"It’s easy to frame unbalanced loads as user error, but more often it’s a design and habit issue," says Brani. "The homes where this works best are the ones where the laundry process has been considered in the design. So there's somewhere to sort before loading, enough surface space nearby, and a drum capacity that gives clothes room to move.
"When a machine is squeezed into a tight corner with no working space around it, balanced loading rarely happens naturally. Give the process room, and it tends to resolve itself."
This Large Lidded Storage Basket from H&M is a charming addition to a utility area and would make sorting the washing simpler.
5. Introduce Soft, Sound-Absorbing Fabrics
Adding a shelf skirt in front of a washer is a pretty way to soften excess sound in a kitchen with lots of hard surfaces.
As previously outlined, part of the issue with noise from spin cycles and other sources in our homes comes down to our love of hard surfaces and open-plan living. This appears to be changing with some current interior design trends, such as broken-plan layouts, along with softer looks like curtains and shelf skirts becoming popular.
The latter is a pretty solution that can work with both integrated and exposed washing machines, provided there is enough worktop depth. Adding hidden acoustic lining to the inside of adjacent cabinetry and hanging a fabric shelf skirt will help to absorb sound.
"Properly enclosing a machine with a well-fitted door, considered interior finish, and ideally some acoustic lining is one of the most effective ways to reduce noise," says Brani. "It also looks far better than an exposed appliance sitting in a room. For us, it’s become a non-negotiable in laundry and utility design."
Richard agrees that introducing materials that absorb sound rather than reflect it can make a noticeable difference; for example, placing a dense rubber or acoustic mat beneath the machine prevents vibration from transferring directly into hard flooring. "Elements such as cork-backed panels inside cabinetry or softer materials within the room help dampen echoes too," he says.
You could even style your own with something like this Striped Ticking Fabric on Amazon, paired with this Decorative Extendable Curtain Pole and these Metal Curtain Rings With Clips.
Of course, buying appliances with a Quiet Mark also helps to reduce excessive sound in our homes. This is well worth considering when replacing a washing machine or any other appliance. In the meantime, implement the noise-reducing advice above and enjoy the increased peace it brings.
“Location within the home also matters more than people often realize," adds Richard. "If a washing machine sits directly within an open-plan kitchen or beside a seating area, the sound of the spin cycle becomes far more noticeable, whereas placing it within a dedicated utility room, boot room, or concealed cupboard slightly removed from the main living space allows the appliance to run without interrupting daily life.
"Small decisions like these mean the machine can operate efficiently while the room remains calm and comfortable to spend time in.”
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