For a top-loading washer, go ahead and skip this section. You don’t really need to worry about water spilling out since none of the solutions involve tilting your machine over. If your washing machine is empty or it hasn’t filled with water yet, go ahead and skip this section.
This may not work if your drain line is blocked or the machine’s settings are locked in the mid-cycle settings. Your door may unlock as soon as you drain it. Some washers automatically lock if there’s a lot of water inside. Check to make sure that the drain hose is not inserted too far into the drain pipe at the wall.
Be careful to not put your feet or hands under the machine while it’s raised up. You can use a brick or wood block to raise the machine up and set it on something stable. Lifting the machine can be pretty dangerous. If your machine is too heavy for you to raise on your own, you’re better off simply dealing with problem while the water is still inside the drum.
This is going to be the solution for most top-loading machines. The latches on top-loaders are typically heat-activated and only lock when the machine is running. This feature is designed to give you access to your wet clothes in the event of a power outage or electrical failure. If your washer is on the older side and doesn’t have a digital screen, the lock is probably manual. If you’ve ever noticed a hook or ridge on the piece that enters the lock, it’s definitely a manual machine.
You don’t need to slap the machine so hard that you hurt yourself or damage the door. A little vibration and abrupt pressure should be plenty if your door can be unlocked this way. This is less likely to work on a top-loading machine since the lock hooks around a loop inside of the machine.
If your handle seems loose, this is the best way to open the door. Sometimes a lose handle can’t trigger the lock to open because it isn’t connected to it. You need to tie the line on the side of the machine that is opposite to the lock. If you have a top-loading machine, pull it out from the wall. Go behind it and loop the fishing line around the seam where the lid closes. Tie it near the backside of the machine.
When you’re doing this, you’re physically pulling the lock out of the slot where it’s locked in place. If this doesn’t work, try using an old gift card or credit card to slide into the seam instead. Push the credit card into the lock to open it. On a top-loading machine, pull the string parallel to the lid, towards the backside of the machine.
On some machines, the “start” button functions as the pause button when the cycle is on. If your washer is newer and has a digital screen, the odds are really high that your lock is electronic.
This is the most common solution for top loaders. Washing machines that are loaded from the top typically rely on a heat-activated sensor that locks the door when it’s running a cycle. This is why it usually takes a few seconds for top-loading machines to unlock when you pause them. Like manual machines, some electronic locks automatically flip into the unlocked position after 5-10 minutes so that you can get your clothes during a power outage.
You can start on the left if you’d like. It really doesn’t matter so long as you don’t start in the center. If you do that, you may crack the panel since the tension is strongest in the center.
If this isn’t working, consult the washing machine’s instruction manual. There may be a switch or a latch under your machine that you need to use to get this panel off.
This tab is connected to the lock directly. It’s a safety measure designed to manually unlock the electronic lock on the machine in the event that the computer in the washer fails.
If your door still won’t open, contact a washing machine repair company. There may be a physical defect in the lock holding it shut.
If unplugging the machine didn’t resolve the problem for your top loader, the lock may be magnetic. This is common on digital machines. If you have a magnetic lock, you can’t pry it open or trick it into unlocking. You’ll need to lift the entire panel up.
