How to Soundproof a Dishwasher

Annoyed by your loud dishwasher? I don’t blame you!

Luckily, the noise can be reduced by quite a lot.

In this article I’ll show you how you can soundproof your dishwasher in an effective and affordable way.

But first of all, if your dishwasher was not producing much noise when you first got it, the most likely culprit are worn down parts that need to be repaired or replaced.

Check out this video for more information on that:

But what if your dishwasher is relatively new or you’ve checked it out and everything is in fine order?

In that case, keep reading.

The first time I used this method was for a client who hired me to soundproof his living room.

While working on the walls, I noticed his old Bosch washer was causing way too much noise. In less than 20 minutes, applying a few standard soundproofing products, I managed to cut the sound in half.

A few months ago I made my friend’s 2 years old Frigidaire exceptionally quiet using the same method, so I’m fairly confident it works for other washers as well.

You can follow these steps at home to get the same results at home.

1. Turn off the dishwasher and then unplug it

Before we proceed, you need to turn off the dishwasher’s water source and power source. This is necessary for obvious safety reasons, so don’t skip this step.

2. Once turned off, remove the front panel of the dishwasher

This is really simple, so if you’re not a handyman by nature, don’t worry. The only tool you need is a screwdriver.

First open the dishwasher door. Use the screwdriver to remove the screws located along the inside of the door.

Once you’ve removed the screws, close the door, and then remove the front panel.

3. Measure the front panel and add soundproof material

Measure the width, length and depth of the front panel.

Once you’ve done that, you need to get a sound-absorbing panel.

4. Cut the soundproof panel to size

You probably won’t find a perfectly sized panel for your dishwasher, so you’ll have to cut it so that it fits in.

You need to cut it to the same size as the front panel.

There are two tools you can use: a standard knife or an electric carving knife.

With an electric carving knife it’s much easier to cut the soundproof panel to match the depth of the front panel.

If you use an electric carving knife, you shouldn’t force the blade. It will do the work by itself.

5. Insert the noise-absorbing panel into the front panel

After you’ve cut the soundproof panel to size, gently place it inside the front panel of the dishwasher.

Once it’s in, screw the front panel to the door of the dishwasher.

6. Replace the sound insulating blanket

Perhaps you’re not aware, but your dishwasher probably has an insulating blanket already attached. It goes over the top and on the sides of the dishwasher.

Over time, this blanket ages and doesn’t insulate sound as good as it did before. With cheaper dishwashers it can be of poor quality to begin with.

Either way, you should replace it with a better one.

But before you start doing this, you’ll need to disconnect all water lines that are running to the dishwasher.

Then slowly and carefully pull the dishwasher away from the wall.

Once that is done, you can remove the old blanket and get the new one on.

The insulating blanket is attached to the dishwasher with a rivet. To remove it, use needle-nosed pliers.

Now it’s time to place the new blanket. This blanket is similar to the ones I used on both ocassions.

You can use the rivets that you removed previously to attach this blanket.

You don’t even have to use a tool. Just push them a little into the frame until they get locked into place.

7. Soundproof the back of the dishwasher

The back end is important because a dishwasher knocks at the wall behind it. By adding some soundproof matting this noise can be eliminated.

You can use a panel like the one I recommended for the front panel to do this as well.

Of course, you don’t need to attach the whole thing. The only thing that’s important is that the matting stands between the dishwasher and the wall.

So you can cut it into two small strips. One should run vertically and one horizontally across the length of the dishwasher.

In order to attach it to the dishwasher, use any stronger adhesive designed for home use. The one that I often use is Permatex Silicone Adhesive.

8. Move the dishwasher back in place

Now that you’ve soundproofed your dishwasher, the final step it to slide it back into its position.

Reattach all the hoses and turn the power and water back on.

You’re done!

And before I go, here is a small tip that can also make a difference.

Bonus tip

An underestimated source of noise from dishwashers are smaller dishes that get tossed around during the washing process.

To get rid of this problem, try using one or two dishwasher baskets.

They can be very helpful. They reduce the racket by keeping these lightweight, smaller dishes firmly in place.

You’ll probably be eager to hear how silent your dishwasher is after going through with these steps.

And you’re not the only one. I would LOVE to know how much of a difference it’s made. Let me know your experience in the comment section below.