A prevalent problem in homes is the sound of the washer and dryer. Even though they are in a supposedly separate room for washing and drying clothes, I have not seen one that does not make too much noise.
The washer and dryer because they do different functions, and when they have had a significant use tend to make more noise than usual.
Especially when they are in their function of washing and squeezing for the washing machine, and the dryer during drying, which it does with the centrifugal force when turning the tub of each of these appliances.
The sound of the laundry room can be very annoying, especially when the place is close to others, such as the kitchen, living room or dining room, etc.
In essence, it is assumed that the laundry room is inside the house to give comfort. But when the washing machine and dryer make too much noise, it is very annoying.
The doors are usually the primary step of noise between rooms. In this post, we have made you some tips for soundproofing a door economically and cheaply.
When the noise becomes too unbearable, you will start shuffling options. Getting new and quieter appliances can be a great idea, but why worry about all those expenses?
The noises of certain appliances tend to echo throughout the house, no matter where they are.
We have said that the doors are usually the central element of the escape of sound so we must act first on them.
7 Easy Ways to Soundproof a Laundry Room Door
The best and most convenient option would be to soundproof the door of the rooms where you have noisy appliances. It will help reduce the noise coming from the laundry room, and you will not have to spend all your savings on it.
1. Apply insulation tape or door seals
You hope not to block the wind on the inside doors of your home, but the weather strips (Recommended) can also prevent the sound. Get self-adhesive tape and apply it firmly to the door frame.
Your goal is to create compression, the door compressing against the weatherstrip with a tight seal. And this will help block the noise.
The weather strip is a very affordable solution. But if you want to spend a little more for a more professional solution, you can try installing door seals.
If you are not very comfortable with DIY projects, you may want to find a helpful friend to help you with this project. It’s not very difficult, but you want everything to be perfectly aligned. Door seals will help you get an even more tight seal than you can get with weather stripping tape.
2. Install a door sweep.
The weather strip takes to care for all the small cracks on the edges of the door but does not solve the biggest problem. And this is where a sweep of the door comes in.
This simple product seals the gap between the bottom of the door and the floor. Much of the noise can pass through this crack, and a door sweep stops this noise in its tracks.
Although cheap door sweep works remarkably well, you can achieve better results with a more high-tech door sweeps. This automatic door sweeping uses a spring mechanism to automatically lower the seal on the floor when the door is closed. It’s a bit more expensive, but it eliminates the drag you get with a cheaper door sweep.
3. Reinforce the door with a soundproof blanket
Another option is to strengthen your hollow door with a soundproofing blanket. This dense cover will absorb a lot of noise thanks to its fiberglass panel.
It is a great job, but it may not fit your aesthetic perfectly. I recommend using it for rooms that you do not care as much about their appearance, especially the laundry room.
You can also ease the removal of the cover when you want the laundry room to be particularly beautiful. By installing firm hooks with anchors over the door, you can easily remove the sound blanket when you want.
For example, sometimes you may want to hear more easily what’s going on outside your door. So you can only book the soundproofing blanket when you need to calm down. Hanging the sheet on solid hooks like this gives you a lot of flexibility.
4. Add soundproof foam panels
If you do not want to spend money getting a soundproof fiberglass blanket, you can use more affordable soundproof foam panels. A package of 12 basic acoustic foam panels is affordable, and this will help cut the noise to a certain extent.
Your house will probably not be featured in an interior design magazine with these on your doors, but it’s possible to lay them out in a relaxed style.
To hang foam boards on your door without damaging the door, you must use control strips. These are incredibly easy to use and will not damage the door.
If you do not like the appearance of traditional soundproof foams, you can try to install a single sizeable acoustic panel at the back of the door.
These are covered with a textured fabric and can look like a new art statement at the back of the door. Also, to being beautiful, they will do wonders to absorb the sound. They have a noise reduction coefficient of 1 out of 1, so it does not get much better.
5. Moisten the sound on the other side of the door
A door is just a conduit for the noise. It is not the source of the noise, but it’s almost as if it had an open door policy for all the sound.
Although there is a lot to do right at the door to reduce this noise, one of the simple things to do is manage the source of the sound near the door.
The addition of a carpet is one of the most straightforward solutions. A rug will not be able to extinguish the noise completely, but it can help mitigate it a bit.
Indeed, with hard floors, the sound bounces. There is a lot to ponder from deck to wall to ceiling and back. There is nothing to absorb the sound. There are beautiful carpets available at affordable prices.
You can refresh your look while you work to reduce the overall noise level. Another way to reduce noise near a door is to add something like shelves or other furniture on each side of the door. It will also help to absorb a lot of sounds.
6. Consider adding curtains
In a laundry room, you may want to soundproof a door to improve your concentration on other things while the dryer or washing machine is on.
Light sleepers tend to be disturbed by small amounts of noise. Curtains or curtains are generally reserved for windows, but there is no reason not to install them on your door.
Some beautiful soundproof curtains will reduce the amount of noise that can pass through a door.
You will need to install a curtain rod over your door frame. You can then use the curtains as you would on a window. Close them to cover the door for times when you want to be sure to block as much noise as possible.
A significant advantage for heavy curtains like these is that they do more than muffle the sound. They also block light and can even trap heat due to their insulation. You can choose any color for your curtains so that you can make this somewhat unusual idea work in the design of any room.
7. Buy a new door
It’s the most expensive thing you can do, but it could make a huge difference. Your entry is probably hollow. And this means that it is essentially a sound amplifier.
A stable door with more mass will absorb and dampen the sound instead of letting it pass or amplifying it like a hollow-core door. These doors are much more substantial, so it will be hard to open them and close them at the beginning, but the noise reduction will be immediately felt.
You can expect to spend $75-500 on a new solid door.
If you do not want to buy a new door, try adding some mass to the door. You can do this by attaching a piece of wood or even drywall the same size as the door. It can be a bit of a project, and it may not look good, but adding more mass and thickness to an entrance will help to block and absorb the sound.
Other Reasons Why Your Washer or Dryer Makes Noise
Check to see if there are no strange objects in the dryer.
Sometimes the solution to excessive noise is to check the tub of the dryer.
When introducing clothes to dry, often in the bags of pants, shirts, etc.
There may be coins or anything that we forgot, and that was not removed from the clothes before entering the dryer.
There are also buttons that can detach from the garments, which is a reason for the noise.
When that coin, button or anything, start spinning along with the tub. And with the centrifugal force that it performs during its work, it causes the noise to be excessive. It sounds as if something thunders or hits against metal.
Before checking, make sure to unplug the dryer, then open the door of the dryer and look for strange objects. Sometimes they can be there for weeks or months without you noticing the real reason why these appliances make excessive noise.
Here is a full article on how to reduce the noise of washers and dryers.
The washing machine is poorly leveled, which causes noise
Another common problem and one that is easy to repair is that the washing machine is poorly leveled. If the washing machine is not correctly leveled when using. Its different functions and the movement of the tub, it generates noise or the classic washing machine that slips or ” move.”
For this case, all you need is a tool like a level, you must have one at home, and here are the instructions to follow to solve it if this is your problem;
The leveling applies to any washing machine, both for top loading and for front loading.
1. Disconnect the washing machine from the electric current (this step is the most important before a repair of any domestic appliance, safety comes first). When moving the washing machine, if we do not disconnect it, it can be turned on, and this can be a problem.
Please, make sure you unplug it! DO NOT MISS this step.
2. Put on some work gloves, remember that the washing machine may have sharp or rusty punctures, BEFORE handling it; it is NECESSARY to put them on for the job.
3. Without disconnecting the water and the drain, it is not necessarily needed, move the washing machine about 50cm forward.
4. Tilt the washing machine back; it will be necessary to have someone to hold it. Meanwhile, check that the floor is flat and has no reliefs, holes, broken mosaics. If the legs of the washing machine are on anything of such, it will not make noise. If this is what is happening, remove, flatten, or fix what is causing it. And you can move the washing machine a little to settle on something flat; I think you understand my point.
5. When the washing machine is tilted, check the legs of the washing machine. The stands are usually “rubber” or “PVC,” if these are damaged, broken or missing a piece, this may be the problem, for this case, you would have to acquire new legs.
6. Lower the washing machine to its normal state, and place it level on its four sides at the top. The level indicator (bubble), should be positioned in the middle part, which means that it is level.
7. If you discover that the machine is not level somewhere, and you already checked that the washing machine is in a flat place. But you now realize that the problem is its legs that are not perfectly level.
Then with the use of a pair of tweezer, if the difference is on the right side of the washing machine. Turning it you will remove the leg from the opposite side (give it one or two turns) so that it is leveled; it is no longer necessary to tilt the washing machine.
With the use of the tweezers, you will be able to unscrew the stand that needs to be leveled.
If the unevenness were on the other side, you would fix it the same way, removing the leg a bit with the tweezers when you give it one or two turns.
This procedure requires patience, but you can save money since a technician will charge you for doing something so simple that you could fix.
When putting the washing machine back to its initial position. Usually, the level should indicate that the washing machine is leveled on its four lateral sides; this will show that it is ready.
If nothing you did help, it is best to contact a technician. It may have something internally damaged and for that, if you need specialized support in the subject.
Hopefully, this is not the case, and you can get a washer and dryer that generate as little noise as possible.
Conclusion
Doors are a weak link in a house when it comes to soundproofing. Fortunately, you have several options to make your doors reliable leaders rather than sources of problems.
You can spend a lot of money and time on the soundproofing of your door, but you can also do a lot for a minimal cost and minimal effort.
I recommend trying one or two of these steps at a time. You can try one of the cheapest and simplest projects to see what this can bring you. If that’s not enough, try another option.
Doing these seven steps is probably more than what you need.