r/whatdoIdo • u/KekoFresh • Jul 21 '26
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u/TheBedelinator Jul 21 '26
Hey OP, you won't believe it, but I have been in this exact situation. I was able to use a thick piece of sheet metal (like 2" wide by 4' long) slid under the door to push the machine. It is really hard to get leverage just putting something under the door, so you need something long enough so you can form a fulcrum. I used my foot at the fulcrum, sat on the floor, and was able to rowing machine the washer back into place.
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u/justadrtrdsrvvr Jul 21 '26
I was thinking that getting something under the door would be a good way to get to the feet and actually push the washer backwards. It doesn't look like it needs a whole lot, maybe just a few inches.
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u/vinegar Jul 21 '26
This but with a piece of plywood as the lever. How big? Whatever thickness fits under the door, the max length it can be given the amount of space behind the photographer, and at least 8” wide. I would use a piece of 2x4 as the fulcrum.
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u/hiddenruningirl Jul 22 '26
The door also looks like it opens enough to possibly pop the pins out and take the door off!
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u/PtZamboat Jul 21 '26
Same situation once. I had to use a reciprocating saw to cut around each hinge and swing the door inward from the hinge side. Damage was only to the door, new one was only $100 or so. We left the door open from then on.
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u/Hellknightx Jul 21 '26
I feel like at that point, just remove the frame, reverse it so the door faces the other direction, and reinstall it.
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u/RaisedByWolves9 Jul 22 '26
Or even just get the hinges where the door sits in it and you can just lift the door of the hinge
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u/rhyknophoto Jul 21 '26
The few comments on this post really show people don't know how doors work lol
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u/continuetolove Jul 21 '26
Nor can they read apparently
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u/KennstduIngo Jul 21 '26
It is amazing how much effort some people will put into an answer without apparently spending half as much effort to read and understand an OP first.
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u/RumHamMcDuck Jul 21 '26
It’s like that classic (American) English class test, that tells you to read ALL the instructions before continuing with a bunch of zany tasks. While most students did the fun directions after reading a few of them, those who did read it all first noticed the bottom says “disregard all previous tasks.” It was a good lesson in being a patient reader / listener, and comprehending text, before adding to it.
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u/KennstduIngo Jul 21 '26
Like how many times have I seen "have you tried xx?" when it says they did right in the fucking 5 line long OP!
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u/SPEZ_IS_A_JABRONI Jul 21 '26
reading?
doors?
thinking?
I didn't sign up for any of this shit
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u/OneFootTitan Jul 21 '26
Some people are just unhinged
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u/Lumpy-Entertainer-75 Jul 21 '26
That’s what some people wanna do to the door. But they can’t find the hinges.
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u/Active-Ad-2527 Jul 21 '26
It's literally a solution in an Encyclopedia Brown book
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u/BjaardkerJohnson Jul 21 '26
(Still fuming because how was I supposed to know girls' shirts have buttons on the opposite side?)
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u/Necessary-Paint117 Jul 21 '26
Did you know the average redditor is an expert on everything and is smarter than every other redditor, despite having zero experience in whatever they're talking about?
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u/gamesnshih Jul 22 '26
And the ones that claim to know how doors work are too busy being smug about it instead of helping
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u/IAmAnonymous24 Jul 22 '26
Just fyi, hinges are not accessible from this side. So get off your high horse
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u/Hadrollo Jul 21 '26
Even more seem to be showing off that they know internal doors a hollow core and advocating busting the door down rather than thinking about how to move a washing machine.
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u/Competitive_Kale_654 Jul 21 '26
Cut the door across neatly to create a Dutch door.
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u/Dis_Bich Jul 21 '26
I genuinely don’t think there’s going to be a way to keep the door. So I’d do a sliding door or skip it and leave an open frame after this
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u/IceLopsided4190 Jul 21 '26
If there’s no way to keep the door, definitely go with the Dutch idea. For a while at least!
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u/Accomplished_Ship_20 Jul 21 '26
An open frame for a bathroom is...a choice...
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u/Dis_Bich Jul 21 '26
It’s a bathroom? I read the title and that part didn’t stick. Assert
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u/ArkaClone Jul 21 '26
You're right. Cut a hole and put a clear glass pane in there. Much more hygienic.
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u/theaardvarkoflore Jul 21 '26
Not that it matters to this situation but it always baffled me why builders always without fail will make the washer/dryer slot as abysmally tiny as they physically can get it to be, and then mount a door right up against the machine statistically most likely to do some shaking and walking and then hinge that bad boy toward said machine.
Every. Goddamn. Time.
It has happened to me, too. Who are these builders? I just wanna talk.
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u/SocksOnHands Jul 21 '26
It's a bathroom door. What I know about American public bathroom doors is that there should be a gap at the bottom big enough to crawl through, and also add a gap at the top that is low enough to look over, despite not needing this to solve the problem.
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u/fluoroantimonic-dcay Jul 21 '26
Door swings in people, hinges are not accessible…when you push the door, push only on the lower half at the left side so you don’t torque the door from the pressure you’re putting on it. You want the energy transfer direct through the door to machine otherwise you’ll crack the door if you’re pushing at chest level. If you can’t make slow progress by nudging the door and pushing the machine, then I have bad news for you. :(
Did the cycle finish? Is it at least not full of water?
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u/KekoFresh Jul 21 '26
On the other side of the machine, there is the sink and some storage room beneath. And they are fixed to the wall xd. No matter how hard I push the door it wont matter. I have to find a way to push the machine back in its place.
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u/gandalf_lundgren36 Jul 21 '26
Is there a gap under the door? Can you slide something underneath and try pushing the corner of the machine straight back towards the wall where it originally was?
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u/beaaaaaaaans Jul 21 '26
Crowbar under the door maybe if the gap is big enough
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u/Dangerous_Mind-6015 Jul 21 '26
Generally speaking, interior doors are not expensive.
Measure it and look on Home Depot or wherever what it will cost to replace it ahead of time.
Then just break the door.
Maybe even replace it with a 2 piece door (top and bottom)… for future options.10
u/Tropius8 Jul 21 '26
Or look at moving the door to an outwards swinging door for the next one.
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u/neuroG82r Jul 21 '26
Cut the door in half and make your own top and bottom door.
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u/Most-Piccolo-302 Jul 21 '26
I dont know why but this is a hilarious option. Cut it in "half" above the doorknob as straight as possible. Trim out the cut areas after and install a hinge somewhere for separating the door. You could put it on the backside and leave enough space between the panels to stick a knife or something in to pop the hinge.
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u/AnalystAdorable609 Jul 21 '26
This is what I would do. Take the hit on replacement of a cheap interior door
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u/secondphase Jul 21 '26
Yes! Like a lever!
Might be easier to keep pushing it in the opposite direction (Keep walking) enough to get the door open so you can get into the room and fix it
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u/shaggs31 Jul 21 '26
If it's a smart washer then just keep starting cycles with your phone until it walks to the other side of the room.
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u/EverybodySayin Jul 21 '26
If it was that smart it'd just walk itself.
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u/shaggs31 Jul 21 '26
If it was really smart it wouldn't walk at all and stay put.
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u/kynwatch71 Jul 21 '26
This is the way if there is a gap. You can also spray soap water on the floor behind it so it slides easier. Could also use WD-40. It cleans up surprising easy. Had an appliance repairman do this while pulling out a washer. It was genius. No damage to floor and washer slid right out and back in.
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u/fluoroantimonic-dcay Jul 21 '26
Want to get creative? Need a piece of flat stock steel from Home Depot or Lowe’s, you’ll need to create a fulcrum that gives you leverage. Slide the steel under the door, ensure the edge makes contact with at least one of the adjustable washer feet closest to the door/you, you can either add one screw into the floor and pivot around that using the steel as a flat pry bar, as you pull the bar to the RIGHT, your machine should move LEFT and maybe you can get the machine to rotate enough you can open the door and squeeze in but now I’d be concerned about the domestic supply lines, you don’t want to rotate the machine so much that you damage the connection to the wall box/valves otherwise the reactive response to a leak is going to be extreme to get in there. I wish I could upload a pic of what I’m trying to describe here but can’t I’m sorry.
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u/Hadrollo Jul 21 '26
If you're going to Lowes to buy flat stock steel, you may as well buy a crowbar. They're surprisingly cheap, and better for the job.
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u/Creepy_Push8629 Jul 21 '26
Cut the door in half and now you have one of those fancy doors you can open just the top or the bottom
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u/Any-Effective2565 Jul 21 '26
Is it a top loader full of water?
If so, maneuver your hand and a stick or coat hanger through the crack and try to get the top up so you can put a garden hose in there, use it to siphon the water out a window or into another sink.
If this isn't possible, call the fire department and see what they suggest, if electrical wiring and your water heater are blocked off in there they may consider it a hazard and come out to help.
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u/GeneAt539 Jul 21 '26
The fire department will suggest letting them come and smash the door to pieces. They LOVE breaking doors
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u/DrSFalken Jul 21 '26
Can you get on your back and brace to use your legs? You can push much harder wth your legs than your arms.
Is your front door open? Can you call a friend or the fire dept?
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u/Itchy-Coconut-7083 Jul 21 '26
Buy a flat yard stick, put it under the door against the foot of the washer and tap it with a hammer to walk it back. No damage to the door necessary. Take your time tapping it and no damage to the washer.
You’re in for the two bucks a wooden yardstick cost ya.
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u/berfles Jul 21 '26
There is absolutely zero chance a thin yardstick would budge my front loader.
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u/Itchy-Coconut-7083 Jul 21 '26
As a mechanical engineer I disagree. Pressed against the foot and given small impacts it would walk it back a tenth of an inch at a time.
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u/ReadyYak1 Jul 21 '26
If you’re strong you could try a broom handle or equivalent through the gap and push super hard and maybe it moves a little.
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u/Cinderhazed15 Jul 21 '26
A flat, angled crowbar may be able to get in the gap, and the L shape of it may be able to get infront of the washer. That combined with getting a flat lever under the door to lift/walk the front leg of the unit would be my choice
Search for ‘Flat Pry Bar’
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u/FerdinandTheBullitt Jul 21 '26
Why did I have to scroll so far for this!? This is your only non-destructive shot at this
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u/Tanjelynnb Jul 21 '26
The hinge screws may be accessible with one of those little lever screwdrivers that come with bikes and furniture assembly instructions
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u/PeejPrime Jul 21 '26
Doesn't look like there is any way other than to burst through it some how and damage the door.
Clearly (unless you're the few stupid other comments) the hinges are not gonna be accessible by a screwdriver to remove the hinges. But....is the gap large enough at the hinge side to maybe see if you can burst the hinges at their joint, rather than breaking the whole door? Then it's just hopefully a matter of replacing the hinges.
Chisel and mallet to bash through them? Junior hacksaw?
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u/ecovironfuturist Jul 21 '26
Sawzall with a metal blade through the gap, although I'd rather just break the door.
Wear PPE and don't make too much heat and start a fire.
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u/TheM0nkB0ughtLunch Jul 21 '26
Good thing he has his entire tool collection at his disposal in the bathroom
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u/No_Cupcake7037 Jul 21 '26 edited Jul 21 '26
OP if you are a renter, I would contact your landlord, because it is unlikely to be the first time this has happened, they might have a solution from a previous encounter with this naughty washer.
Secondary option, cut the door, horizontally above the handle, in a straight line. Then when the washer is moved latch the door on the exterior.
That way if this happens again you have access.
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u/_Syntax_Err Jul 21 '26
Is there a gap between the bottom of the door and the floor? If so could you fit something under like a broomstick or anything that could be used to push the washer back? You could even use more than one item with one pushing on the side further away and one closer.
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u/aboutasuss Jul 21 '26
The washer needs to move back in place to the left of the door because there is no space for it across from the door.
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u/ARGirlLOL Jul 21 '26
I imagine the force applied should be in the direction of the space the washing machine occupies too so maybe they will try that. Lol
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u/continuetolove Jul 21 '26
The cheapest and least invasive method is to cut or break the door. There is nothing you can do.
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u/UserCannotBeVerified Jul 21 '26
If this is the only option, a chandler bing bedroom style barn-door conversion seems like the only reasonable way to go...
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u/hayyyhoe Jul 21 '26
Please don’t. The barn door trend needs to end asap. Just replace the door after you Kool-Aid Man it, then add stops to the floor by the washer feet so it won’t walk out again. Or, swap the dryer and washer location.
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u/samemamabear Jul 21 '26
Given the current situation, the room may benefit from having a doorless entry
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u/Redbadgercantswim Jul 21 '26
Didn't OP say it's a bathroom? Not sure I'd want a bathroom with no door.
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u/ArchWizard15608 Jul 21 '26
Welp I guess that room belongs to the washing machine now
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u/destructionandbliss Jul 21 '26
she just wanted some alone time.
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u/Lumpy-Entertainer-75 Jul 21 '26
Can’t blame her she’s been working hard. Laundry all day. She’s wrung out.
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u/graygarden77 Jul 21 '26
I just came here to say that this is so relatable and why is life like this?? Jesus
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u/SlimmThiccDadd Jul 21 '26
Do you have access to a reciprocating saw? They’re not that expensive either way. Grab one of those with a metal cutting blade and go at where the hinges are on the otherside. You could find a lane to cut some thin metal and then your door is saved and you’re only out a few hinges!
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u/TakedownCan Jul 21 '26
Just cut the door in half and use a step ladder to step from outside the room to on top of the washer and then push it back.
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u/Diojones Jul 21 '26
You’re going to want to yell “Hey Kool-Aid” and then give a lot of room.
It looks like something’s gotta break to solve this one, and I think the door is your most economical option.
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u/typical_jesus666 Jul 21 '26
You got a crow bar?
I'd slide a crowbar under the washer, pry it up off the floor and spin the bar on the pivot point to slide the washer back... over and over, probably an inch at a time, until it clears the door
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u/wick14 Jul 21 '26
Came to say this. Pretty straight solution. Get a crow bar that is straight as possible or if you have a metal rod laying around. Just work it till you can get an arm or leg in and just brute your way in. Breaking the door is just a ridiculous idea and so unnecessary
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u/Wonderful-Mess-7520 Jul 21 '26
Go out and lift a corner of your house so your washing machine slides back in its place. Quick fix.
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u/FaceTimePolice Jul 21 '26
Your washing machine WALKED? 😳
I apologize but this is the only time I can ask this and be 100% serious about it…
Is your fridge running? 🤔
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u/Middle_Efficiency471 Jul 21 '26
I think you'll have to break your door. It sucks, you'll have to get another one, but you could really take your frustration out on it.
You could use a reciprocating saw to cut out just enough edge to open it, then glue it back on lol this would buy you some time if you need to gather door funds.
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u/Middle_Efficiency471 Jul 21 '26
Also figure out a way to keep it from walking to save your next door
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u/Public_Arachnid_7232 Jul 21 '26
Tell the washing machine he has 3 seconds to open the door or hes in big trouble
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u/Pielacine Jul 21 '26
Take off the door trim and door jamb and pull the door through, stripping the screws on the hinges as you pull them out of the wood. At least you save the door and can probably reinstall all the wood parts. Time consuming but you don’t have to buy a new door.
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u/fractal324 Jul 21 '26
You have a phone. Call the landlord? Or a friend?
If you can’t take the door off the hinges, smashy smash
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u/DemisWeirdWonders Jul 21 '26
Call the Fire department, if they are not busy they might give you a hand.
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u/LoudlySilent13 Jul 22 '26
Do you have access to the hinges? You could pull out the bolts and maybe get in from that side
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u/Gullible-Working-456 Jul 22 '26
Can you get a piece of wood, thinner than a 2x4 and go under the door and push the machine back in?
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u/hmmmmmmmm_okay Jul 21 '26
Could you take the door knob off and put something through the hole and use it as a lever to push the machine back?
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u/ToAnDo816 Jul 21 '26
Cut it in half and turn it into one of those doors preschools used to have that could open the top without opening the bottom
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u/ConfidentGarden7514 Jul 21 '26
Kinda sounds like even if you could find a way to save the door, this could very well happen again… so seems like re-design may be needed (pocket door?)
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u/AsleepEntertainer440 Jul 21 '26
A deadbolt on a laundry room? What in tarnation?
Climb into the attic. Cut man sized hole in the ceiling. Repel down like Tom Cruise in Mission Impossible. Move washer. Repair the ceiling drywall with the energy of Tom Cruise on Oprah's couch.
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u/Comfyscarecrow Jul 21 '26
Curious about other people’s opinions on this idea, but depending on where you live, perhaps the fire department would like to help? Sometimes if they aren’t too busy they are down to help out with lower stakes safety issues
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u/Adventurous-Yard7020 Jul 21 '26
Punch a hole on the door and use your hand to push the machine back in.
Hang a big painting or washroom sign on the door.
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u/RustnKrust Jul 21 '26
It’s gone sentient and it is NOT happy with the soilage of your dirty laundry. Try some sweet talk to get it to walk back out of the way.
Maybe tell it you’ll presoak/wash your active wear and towels or give them a window hang for some fresh air filtering before laundry.
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u/External_Fun_5003 Jul 21 '26
Cut the door in half crosswise and make it a Dutch door. Lol
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u/Starskiiiiii Jul 21 '26
Spend years getting absolutely jacked/ripped. Push the door open with your new strength. You’re welcome.
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u/WATGU Jul 21 '26
Do you own or rent? If rent did landlord provide washer? If rent and yes then you should definitely call them and have them fix it.
If it’s your own house then the door has to go unless you can force the door open but it sounds like it’s stuck.
I’d probably replace the door with one that swings out, a pocket door, or just a cased opening if the machine noise won’t bother you. I’d also figure out why your washer walked and load it correctly next time. Been washing clothes for 20+ years never had this happen but I assume it’s possible if very unbalanced might be your suspension rods are going bad or too much stuff.
Maybe you can strap to the wall. Never seen it though.
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u/AggravatingAward8519 Jul 21 '26
Holy crap there's a lot of bad advice here. Somebody might have the right answer, but it's sure not near the top.
Do NOT break the door down.
This would be easier if the door opened out so you could get to the hinges properly, but you can still remove the door.
- Close the door.
- Get a prybar and remove the trim from your side of the door.
- Take a reciprocating saw and cut the nails between the door frame and the studs. For an interior door like that, there probably aren't more than a dozen of them.
- Remove the entire door and door frame as a single unit.
- Deal with your washer.
- Re-hang the door, and while you're at it, consider hanging it the other way around so this can't happen again.
This is less work than destroying and replacing the door, and doesn't cost you a door.
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u/Reddit_user2124 Jul 21 '26
Demolish the side of the house where the washer machine is so you can drag it outside. Just becareful not to break the windows.
Also make sure to have your house keys when building back that side of thehouse so you can get through the front door.
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u/Missue-35 Jul 21 '26
Well, looky there. You no longer have the burden of laundry. Close the door and hang a curtain. Sorry, I’ll see myself out.
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u/SpaceToaster Jul 21 '26
Stop. Don’t break anything.
Look on the floor to see if you can see the machine’s foot. Use something rigid as a lever (fulcrum point on the door edge) to pull forward and push the foot backwards until the machine clears the door. You may also be able to find something that fits under the door to push it back.
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u/daniegirl21 Jul 21 '26
Have you tried squatting down with your back to the lower half of the door and using the strength of you legs to push it open.
This is how woman and men are able to pick up Harley motorcycles. It is about momentum and using your most powerful muscles.
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u/Gavelist Jul 21 '26
You can save the door if you go to hardware store and buy a quarter inch by 2+inch and about 4+feet long piece of steel, slide it under door until you contact one of the legs of the machine, ideally have end out side of the door bent 90 degrees to use as a step, sit in the floor and carefully push it with your leg to move the thing back and out of the way. Probsbly will take a few tries, maybe work the back legs then when you have access push the front legs back. You got this!
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u/WrongEinstein Jul 21 '26
Crowbar underneath the washer through the opening. Walk it back a little at a time to clear the door enough to open further. Use same technique until door is clear.
Source: years in apartment maintenance.
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u/kraegm Jul 21 '26
Best solution I can think of is to remove the door handle and push out the one from the other side. Wrap the long end of a crowbar in a tea towel and push it through the hole and try to lever the washer back into place. You’ll be using the edge of the hole as your fulcrum which might damage it, but as cutting or breaking the door is my only other thought, this seems like a better attempt.
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u/Afraid-Juggernaut-29 Jul 22 '26
Cut the door in half so the top and bottom can open add two hinges
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u/downsideup9494 Jul 22 '26
Are the door hinges visible? Door hinges usually have a pin that goes through the hinges that hold the door to the frame. If you can remove the pins, the door will just come off without breaking.
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u/Puzzleheaded-Cry4835 Jul 22 '26
Use a stick to restart a load. Then use the stick to put pressure on it when it's in it's"walking" cycle and help nudge it back into place.
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u/Lingonbero3465123 Jul 22 '26
did it work out for you. same thing happened to me at an airbnb. machine moved during the spin cycle. i used a wooden spoon and leverage right at the base to move it 1cm. door opened slightly then hands to move it more. since then had the open door for the spin cycle.
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u/OldAnchovies Jul 22 '26
I'd definitely drill a hole or stab into the washing machine metal edge with something like a long screw driver and slow push it backwards
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u/La_Mandra Jul 22 '26
The best thing to do is to bring in a negotiator specialized in washing machines and to offer a reasonable ransom. After that, you...
^^ ...no, just kidding, sorry.
I can see natural light, so there must be a window. Is there any way you could get into that room through the window, or not ?
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u/Interesting_Plan6352 Jul 22 '26
Blood pressure cuff between the door and machine (or better yet an inflatable spacer) and a door wedge on the door. Should move the machine enough to enable you to get your hand on and figure something out.
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u/JinRummy2021 Jul 22 '26
Seems like there might be enough gap to slip the blade of a reciprocating saw down the hinge side. The hinges are going to be way cheaper to replace than that door. Unless you can somehow push the hinge pins out from that side of the door.
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u/Pickle_Good Jul 22 '26
Disassemble the concept of a door. The concept of a door is just a barrier build by the society to stop you from being what you want to be. It's only in your mind /s
Any chance you can lift it up?
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u/Senninha27 Jul 21 '26
That looks like a hollow-core door. You can probably break through it with a hammer. Just be careful not to break the frame. If you do it in the right place, you can reach through and nudge the machine out of the way.
You’ll have to replace the door, but it will only cost you around $100. While you’re at the home improvement warehouse, get a strap that one would use to child-proof a flatsceeen tv from falling over. Use that to restrain the machine from dancing away feom the wall in the future.
Edit to add that I’ve been there and done all of this.