Quieting a 10-year-old washing machine with anti-vibration rubber
We have a 10-year-old Haier washer. It used to be impressively quiet even during spin, but over the years it began to rattle. I slipped random 100 yen foam pads under the feet, but they barely helped.
The shaking got worse, so I tried anti-vibration rubber for washing machines on a whim. I did not expect much, but it became much quieter. We can now run it at night.
The rubber I bought: “New Shizuka”
Plain industrial-looking package; the name is odd, and the material name is odd too: Hanenite. Feels like the main ingredient is wordplay.
You see things like this in hardware store rubber aisles. With this package I did not expect dramatic change, and paying 700-800 yen for “just rubber?” felt steep, so I had ignored it.
The back has graphs, but they did not make the effect obvious, so my expectations stayed low.
Installed results
It is just firm rubber, yet spin-cycle vibration dropped sharply. I was shocked. What was the point of those old pads?
Wash and rinse were already mild, so no change there. But during spin, the “gagagaga… gatatatata!” sound and shaking disappeared. Not as silent as brand-new, but much tamer.
We keep a small shelf beside the washer that used to rattle from the vibration; now it does not move at all. We used to brace the washer by hand—no more. Items on top of the washer no longer bounce off during spin, either.
A quick look at Hanenite
Hanenite | Naigai Rubber Co., Ltd.
The package omits the material name, but Amazon lists it. It is a dense, firm rubber—reminds me of the rubber mats used for punching holes in leather craft, which also absorb hammer shock. Maybe it is the same stuff.
Because it is rubber, it is easy to form and seems to be used widely: printer and washer feet, golf shoes, baseball gloves, rock drills, pachinko ball stoppers, PC keyboards, vending machine coin slots—you name it where shock absorption helps.
Promo video: the bouncing stick shows normal rubber; the one that lands with a thud is Hanenite. The bounce reminds me of a superball—soft rubber.
This video is noisy but fun—shows strong micro-vibration damping. Makes me think of audio gear, speaker feet, etc.; could be good if your gear slides or buzzes from vibration.
Searching “speaker anti-vibration rubber” led to this sheet version from the same maker (Tokyo Bon On). Audio gear vibration is light, so thin sheets seem enough. Could also go under a desktop PC, especially a DIY build.
Other washer anti-vibration candidates I considered
This one uses urethane foam plus EVA. EVA sometimes compresses and does not spring back, so I skipped it.
Our 100 yen EVA pads looked like this—another reason to skip. Once it caves in, it stops cushioning.
Gel type common in disaster-prep gear. Feels aimed at office equipment. Gel can get sticky over time and collect dust, so I skipped for this location.
The name and review count tempted me—Fumbaru Man! This one adds height plus damping. We did not need the lift, and extra height would make unloading harder, so I passed. It supports up to 150 kg (50 kg more than New Shizuka), so it suits heavier setups.
Takeaways
If you live with family, the washer runs almost daily. Its built-in rubber likely degrades from daily use, so noise creeps in after 5-10 years, even if the machine itself is fine. Anti-vibration rubber is perfect for that in-between stage. Around 1,000 yen with big payoff.
New Shizuka lists 100 kg load capacity. Washers usually weigh 40-60 kg; at max water level (“bedding wash” etc.) some may exceed 100 kg, but normal use fits within it. At this price it is worth a try.
Around-the-washer storage
If you have unused space beside the washer, here’s how I found the perfect board to add storage. I am very happy with it.
