How to remove an old dishwasher

Getting rid of old appliances is a necessary part of upgrading your home or freeing it up when moving. It’s a tiring task that requires a lot of different skills and some serious muscle. Since most dishwashers aren’t really dismantlable, unless you have the required tools and knowledge (and even then it’s a burden), you will have to either somehow squeeze it through your doorway or take it out through a window. Luckily for you, we are here to explain the whole process of removing an old dishwasher step by step.

Step one: Figure out how much space you will need and how much space you actually have

This step has some extra smaller steps to it. In order to get a better understanding of how to get through with the process, you will have to first:

• Measure the dishwasher
  • Measure the doorways of your home
    
    Note that If the two measurements above are not compatible with each other, then proceed to the last resort.
    
• Measure the windows

Measure the old dishwasher

First of all, you will need to know the exact size of the appliance. It usually has a cuboid-like shape (which makes it easy to measure) and is pretty heavy. Here are the dimensions you will need in order to get a good idea

• Height
• Length
• Depth
• Diagonal depth (Sometimes in order to get it through a door, you will need to tilt it a bit and move it at an angle just to make it a bit shorter. That’s why you need the diagonal depth as well.)

It’s a good idea to write the dimensions down for later, so that you don’t forget them.

Next up is to figure out the optimal path you will take, while carrying the dishwasher. If you have a bigger home and multiple ways you can take it out, choose the path with the widest possible doors and do your best to avoid tight corners and corridors, as well as sloping ceilings. If you have to take your old appliance down a flight of stairs, measure that too (don’t forget the railings). After picking the desired path to take it out through, comes the next step:

Measure the doorways

Grab your measurement tool again and get to work. You pretty much need the exact same measurements except the depth (since obviously, a door doesn’t have depth). This is how you should approach this task:

• Get the exact measurements of every single doorway along the path.
• Don’t forget to write them down so that you remember them.
• Compare all the measurements to the dimensions of the old dishwasher.
• Decide if the process is possible or not.

If carrying it out doesn’t seem doable, bad news – you will have to use a window and risk the appliance breaking, the window breaking or you getting a serious injury. If that’s the case and you still wish to proceed, then…

Measure the windows

Desperate situations require desperate ‘measures’. Measure all of the windows in the same way you did with the doorways and then choose the closest possible compatible one. If you are on the second floor or higher, the risks become way bigger and honestly close to impossible. You will either have to somehow suspend it and then lower it down or just drop it through the window and hope for the best.

Now that you have chosen your method of removing an old dishwasher it’s time for…

Step two: Removing the doors or windows and freeing up as much space as possible in the rooms

This is going to make the whole endeavour a whole lot easier if done right. Removing a door/window can be tedious or quick and easy, depending on the door or window. Each one has its own different mechanism and removal method. We advise you to look up how to remove yours online.

After you’ve removed the doors, you should have acquired around half an inch of extra space to each dimension of the doorway. To follow this up, do your best to get everything else out of the way. If there are tables, chairs, etc. try to move them away so that they won’t interfere with your task. 

You’ve come this far, which means you are very close to finalising the removal of your old dishwasher. Warm up and get ready for…

Step three: Preparing and carrying your dishwasher out of your home

Bear in mind that an average dishwasher weighs around 88 pounds or about 40 kilograms, meaning you probably shouldn’t do the carrying all by yourself unless you are a powerlifter or willing to get seriously injured. Let’s suppose that you aren’t either of those. In that case, you should…

Ask for a hand

Two people usually do the trick when it comes to removing an old dishwasher. You can walk in front of each other, meaning that you won’t take extra space through doorways and staircases. In fact, having a friend help you can even reduce the total area taken in terms of width, which is the most important dimension in this case.

Prepare the dishwasher

In order to prepare your old appliance for moving you should first unplug everything. Then, do your best to make it as light as possible, which usually means removing the rack if you don’t have the knowledge and tools to disassemble it.

Slow and steady

Don’t rush it. Lift the old dishwasher with your backs straight to avoid injury. Coordinate your movement carefully and strategically. Here are some tips that will surely come in handy:

• Use gloves or anything that can protect your hands from getting cut on the steel edges or to prevent the dishwasher from slipping off.
• Take breaks. If you find it too heavy or hard to carry/uncomfortable, feel free to put it down and rest for a bit.
• Decide who is going to be in front. Usually, the stronger person should be in front, especially if there are stairs, since they will carry most of the weight on the way down.
• Lower, lift, and rotate to fit and squeeze it through the doors or windows.

Now you know how the whole process of removing an old dishwasher works from start to finish. It’s not easy, but it is certainly doable if you have the willpower. In the end, it’s up to you if you want to do it yourself or…

Leave it to the pros

We, at Rainbow Rubbish Removals, offer various appliance removal services, including dishwasher disposal. Feel free to give us a call or request your own personal quote. We would gladly take this burden off your shoulders and help you. All you have to do is sit back and watch as our team of professionals disposes of your item/appliance of choice in no time and in the most eco-friendly way possible.