How to Unlock a Whirlpool Washer

Co-authored by Homer Flores and Janice Tieperman

Last Updated: August 1, 2022 References

Whirlpool washing machines make laundry day much simpler—until you realize you forgot to add a few items of clothing to the current cycle. It’s not difficult to unlock your washer door, but depending on your model, it could take a few minutes. If you have a front-loading washer, add clothes while the “Add Garment” light is on or cancel the cycle altogether. If you have top-loading washer, all you have to do is pause the cycle.

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Opening a Front-Loading Washer

1
Hit Cancel to stop the load and unlock the door. Press and hold the Cancel button to turn off the load and cancel the cycle. This bypasses any locking mechanism, including the Control Lock. Once the machine is turned off for several seconds, press the Power button to turn the machine back on.^{[1]
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- The Control Lock button freezes your control panel so none of your settings can be altered during the cycle. While this lock is effective when the washer is turned on, it turns off when the machine is powered off.
- If your machine doesn’t have a Cancel button, press and hold the Power button instead.^{[2]
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2
Select a new cycle and start the load as normal. Wait several minutes for any remaining water to drain out of the machine before selecting your cycle settings again and restarting the load. Make sure that all of your clothing is in the washing drum before starting the new cycle or selecting Control Lock.^{[3]
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- Control Lock won’t activate unless the button is held down for 3 sequential seconds. If you remember to add something before those 3 seconds are up, then the lock won’t activate.
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3
Open the door while the “Add Garment” light is on to access the washer. Check to see if the “Add Garment” LED is lit up on the control panel of your washing machine. If this light is still on, then your washer might not be locked at all. This feature gives you a few minutes at the beginning of the cycle to throw in a few extra items. It can save you some time in the long run, especially if you were going to cancel the load.^{[4]
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- The “Add Garment” light will be on for about 8 minutes.^{[5]
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Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Accessing a Top-Loading Washer

1
Push the Start/Stop button to unlock the washer door during the spin cycle. Pause the machine by quickly pressing the Start/Stop button once. After a few seconds, the washer will halt and you’ll hear the door unlocking. Add any extra garments into the washing drum at this time, if necessary.^{[6]
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- Since a top-loading washer is upright, you don’t need to cancel and drain the current cycle to add in new clothing.
2
Hit the Start/Stop button again to resume and finish the cycle. Throw in any extra linens or clothing that still need to be washed and close the washer lid. Make sure that the lid is securely closed before hitting the Start/Stop button to unpause the cycle.^{[7]
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- Wait a few seconds and listen for the washer door to relock.
3
Open the lid during the agitation process to pause the cycle. Lift the washer during the early stages of the washing process to automatically pause the load. The clothing and other laundry will be agitated by the spinning drum before the spin cycle begins. It’s safe to open the washer at this point, and the machine will pause as soon as it senses the lid opening.^{[8]
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- This occurs in the first few minutes of the wash cycle. An LED near the Start/Stop button will indicate once the door locks.

Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Unlocking the Door Manually

1
Power down the washer. Press and hold the Power button to turn off the machine. This is especially important if you’re trying to unlock your washer door mid-cycle. Once the machine is completely off, remove the three-pronged plug from its adjoining socket in the wall.
2
Seal off the faucet. After the washer is completely unplugged, close the water faucet that feeds into the machine. If you can’t find the faucet, try looking for the water line that connects to your washer.
3
Get to the drain pump access door by unscrewing the cover. Kneel down and look for a small compartment on the bottom right corner of your machine. Use a Phillips screwdriver to remove the single screw connecting this compartment to the washer. Be sure to keep the loose screw nearby once you’ve removed the cover.
- If your washer was in the middle of a cycle, wait until the water has cooled off to prevent any burns or injury.
4
Tug on the plastic cord in the compartment to unlock the washer door. Pull on dangling plastic cord or strap on the top right of the access compartment. This unlocks the door and allows you to access the washer. Once you’re finished with the washing machine, be sure to put the screw back into place.
- Make sure the access compartment is securely closed before plugging in and powering on the washer.

Community Q&A
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Question

How do I take the child lock off my Whirlpool Washer?

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Turn on your washer, then hold down the child lock button for 3 seconds. This should turn off the child lock feature!
Question

How do you bypass a Whirlpool Cabrio lid lock?

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This isn’t recommended, since the lid lock is meant to prevent injuries caused by the washer running with the lid open. However, if you’re really interested in bypassing the lock, turn off and unplug the washer, then disconnect the wires that are attached to the lid switch and reconnect them to themselves. When you turn the washer back on again, you should be able to operate it without the lid lock.
Question

Why does my Whirlpool washer say “Locked”?

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This means the control lock on your washer is on. To deactivate it so that you can use the controls again, hold the control lock button down for 3 seconds.