How loud is a washing machine?
A washing machine runs at about 47 to 78 dBA according to the household 'Counting Decibels' table in Environmental Health Perspectives. The low end is the wash cycle; the high end is a fast spin, which is the loudest part of the programme.
- Level
- 47–78 dBAA-weighted sound level
- Daily limit
- No daily limitNIOSH, at the loud end
- Versus conversation
- 1× energyabout 1.0× as loud
What the numbers mean
How it was measured. Clothes washer range from a compiled household table; covers quiet washing through to fast spinning. Distance not stated; figures approximate.
The wide range reflects the two very different phases of a cycle. Washing is mostly the drum turning slowly and water moving, while the spin drives the drum at high speed, so motor whine, bearing noise and any imbalance in the load all add up.
The 47 to 78 dBA figures come from a table compiled from NIDCD, EPA and Noise Pollution Clearinghouse data and published in Environmental Health Perspectives, which says the measurements are approximate. At the top of that range a spinning machine is louder than a vacuum cleaner at the bottom of its range (62 dBA in the same table).
European energy labels give washing machine noise as sound power during the spin, in dB(A) re 1 pW. That is a property of the machine, not the level at your ear, so it cannot be read straight across to the dBA figures here.
How long is safe?
Below 85 dBA, the level NIOSH allows for a full 8-hour day.
| Level | NIOSH limit (85 dBA, 3 dB rule) | OSHA limit (90 dBA, 5 dB rule) | UK/EU 80 dB(A) action value reached after | UK/EU 85 dB(A) action value reached after |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 78 dBA | No limit | No limit | Not reached in 24 h | Not reached in 24 h |
Times are for a whole day’s exposure, with the rest of the day quiet. The workplace limits were written for adults at work, not for children. Work out a mixed day with the noise dose calculator.
Protecting your hearing
No hearing protection needed. To reduce noise, level the feet, avoid overloading or underloading the drum, and choose a lower spin speed when you do not need clothes as dry.
Earplug and earmuff ratings (NRR in the US, SNR in the UK and EU) are lab figures; real-world protection is usually lower. How to read the ratings.
Compared with sounds nearby
Using midpoints of each range. Energy multiplies by 10 every 10 dB; perceived loudness roughly doubles (why).
- Microwave oven (55–59 dBA): this has about 3.5× its sound energy and sounds about 1.5× as loud.
- Neonatal intensive care unit (55–63 dBA): this has about 2.2× its sound energy and sounds about 1.3× as loud.
- Operating theatre (53–78.8 dBA): it has about 2.2× the sound energy of this and sounds about 1.3× as loud.
- Infant sleep machine (50–85 dBA): it has about 3.2× the sound energy of this and sounds about 1.4× as loud.
Questions
Why is my washing machine so loud on spin?
The spin is the loudest phase, up to about 78 dBA in the Environmental Health Perspectives table. An unbalanced load or uneven feet makes it louder.
Is a washing machine louder than a dishwasher?
They overlap. The same table gives 47 to 78 dBA for a clothes washer and 54 to 85 dBA for a dishwasher, though modern dishwashers are often rated below 50 dBA.
Sources
- Decibel Hell: The Effects of Living in a Noisy World, Environmental Health Perspectives (NIEHS). Supports: dB_low/dB_high: 47 to 78 dBA.
Clothes washer 47–78
Checked 2026-11-02.
This page is general information, not medical advice. If you have ringing in your ears, muffled hearing or any change in your hearing, see an audiologist or your doctor.