What to Do When a Washer Spins But The Clothes Are Still Soaked

There are washer problems you can expect, like it to stop spinning altogether one day. Then there are washer problems you don’t quite expect like it works just fine except that your clothes are still soaked after the spin cycle. However, there are certain problems that can manifest which will result in clothing still being wet after the spin cycle was supposed to dry it out. Instead of just wringing out every t-shirt you own before putting it in the dryer, consider investigating these issues to make sure that it gets diagnosed and fixed quickly.

Drain Hose Issues

The most likely culprit for a washer that spins but still turns out soaked clothing is a drain hose problem. It could be clogged, kinked, or even positioned incorrectly if you had to remove the drain tube to make another repair already.

You should start with a visual inspection of the drain hose in the back of your washer, it should have smooth curves, but it shouldn’t have any areas where it looks overly crowded in the area behind the washer. Furthermore, it should not be all twisted up either as it will affect water flow. Often with this issue, whatever is causing it to not drain during the spin cycle means the water isn’t draining off fast enough and is essentially flowing back into the washer drum, re-soaking your clothing.

If the visual inspection checks out, you will want to remove the washer drain hose. It is secured onto the back of your washer by a clamp that can be removed and you can pull the hose out of the drain pump. It may be a good idea to disconnect the washer from the water and power source when you do this. You may also want a bucket underneath the hose area to catch any water that may be in the tube from the previous cycle.

Next, you will want to check for clogs. While most lint comes off in the dryer, washing clothing can produce lint and if you were washing items like pet bedding, excessive hair could have clogged the hose. To check for clogs, typically it is as simple as running water through the hose in a sink. This large influx of water can also work to remove some clogs as well. However, it may be wise to simply replace the hose itself with a perfectly clean new one if you find a clogging issue.

Finally, if you already had to remove the drain hose for any reason, such as to make a different repair, it is possible that the drain hose was not replaced in the correct position. If the drain hose is connected to the standpipe in a way that is too high or too low, it will not drain properly and you will get some back flow.

Drain Filter Clog

If the hose checks out, you now need to look deeper into the drain assembly of your washer. Start with the easiest option – the drain filter. The drain filter, sometimes also called a coin trap, helps prevent items from entering your drain pump, causing damage or clogs. This will catch items like lint and pet hair as well as larger items commonly left in pockets like coins, keys, pins, or even small socks. When the drain filter is clogged, as the water gets passed through it, you will find less water makes it through. It essentially gets sent back into the drum because there is nowhere for it to go.

The drain filter is typically found on an access panel on the front of your washer so it is easy to get to. If you have never checked it, then it likely needs to be cleaned out pretty well. This should help your drainage issues.

Drain Pump

If the filter has checked out, next is to check the drain pump. It may have become clogged with debris itself or it could be malfunctioning and needs to be replaced. You can check the drain pump by removing the drain hose and as well as the back panel of your washer. You can inspect it for debris, which should be obvious to see. If you find no blockages, you will want to test the drain pump to make sure it is actually working properly.

You will need a multimeter to test for proper drain pump function. You will want to take the wire connectors off both terminals on the drain pump. Next, test each terminal. Depending on your washer, it should read between 5 to 10 ohms. If you get any other reading, the drain pump will need to be removed and replaced.

Washing Machine Belt (if it has one)

Over time, the belt that helps spin the washer drum can become stretched and will affect how fast the washer can spin. If the belt is stretched out, it can slide around during the cycle and will not allow the washer to reach the speeds that it needs to in order to remove all excess water.

Depending on your washer, the belt may be accessed from the front or the back. You can check it for visible damage. The belt should sit snug and won’t wiggle when you turn the washer drum. If it appears visibly stretched or moves when the drum turns, it needs to be replaced.

Door Lock Switch

This is least likely to cause this issue, but it can be possible. This is considered least likely suspect as often if the door latch has gone faulty in any way, the washer will not start the cycle or will not drain at all. However, if you use water conservative cycles or are washing particularly absorbent material, often you might come back and think the washer is done, but it hasn’t even really started. The clothing will be soaking wet, but you might not see standing water because it was all absorbed up.

You can test the door latch assembly with a multimeter to assure it is working, but testing all of the above issues is more likely to get you to the solution faster.