Samsung Washer Door Locked and Not Opening: Here’s How To Fix

Forgot to add a shirt or two to the wash?

We’ve all been there. 

Once the washer door locks, you can’t simply add or remove laundry items inside the drum. You have to wait for the water to drain and for the washer to cool down before you can open the door again.

Here, we’ll show you different ways to unlock a Samsung washer door before and after cycles. Just follow our step-by-step guide and you can get back to your laundry in no time.

How to Unlock a Samsung Washer

To unlock your Samsung washer door, click the Pause button within five minutes of starting a cycle. Wait for the click and simply open the door.

If your washer isn’t running a cycle, but the door won’t open, check if Child Lock is on. Just deactivate it to unlock the washer.

Causes	Solution	Steps
Child Lock is activated.	Deactivate Child Lock.	• Press and hold the right button combination to deactivate the Child Lock function on your washer. • Refer to your user manual to be sure.
The washer is running a cycle.	Pause the cycle.	• Pause your washer within five minutes of starting a cycle. • Click on the Start/Pause button, and open the door. • Add or remove laundry items. Then, close the door once you’re done. • Tap on the Start/Pause button to restart the wash or change the cycle.
	Use the Add Door.	• Press the Pause/Stop to stop operations. • Gently push the Add Door until you hear a click. Then, pull the Add Door handle to open it.  • Add laundry or softener inside the drum. Or, take items out. • Carefully push the Add Door to close it shut. • Push the Pause/Stop button to restart operations.
	Use the Spin Only function.	• Press the Spin button for three seconds to turn on the Spin Only function. • Tap on the Spin button to select your desired spinning speed. • Click the Start/Pause button to confirm.
	Drain the water using the emergency drain hose.	• Open the debris filter cover. • Place a towel under the cover to absorb water and protect your floors from damage. • Pull out the drain hose and remove the cap. • Drain the water onto a container. • Put on the cap and reinstall the hose after the water stops draining. • Close the cover and turn off the washing machine. • Push the Power button to turn on the washer. • Open the door.
The washer is still hot after a cycle.	Power cycle the unit.	• Unplug the washer.  • Plug the washer back in after an hour. • Open the door.

Child Lock is activated.

Child Lock is a safety feature in your Samsung washer, which prevents curious little hands from tampering with the settings. It keeps your children and your washer safe from inappropriate operations.

On some models like front-load washers, Child Lock automatically locks the door to prevent potential injuries. Other models will let you open the washer door but will trigger an alarm once you do so.

After 30 seconds of opening the door, your washer will begin to drain water. However, if you close it before 30 seconds, it won’t drain. 

When Child Lock is on, you can’t use the buttons on the control panel, except for the power button. You’ll see the CL code or the padlock symbol on your washer’s display(Samsung washing machine symbols) when the function is activated.

It also stays activated after you turn your washer off and on again. You must deactivate it to open the door and use other functions.

No Navigational Dials

The steps for activating or deactivating Child Lock will vary per model. On washers without navigational dials, you must press the right button combination on your unit to turn the function on/off.

Solution: To deactivate the Child Lock function, push the right button combination for your unit. Press and hold these buttons for three seconds or until the padlock icon on the display disappears.

Here are different button combinations that work for washers without navigational dials.

• Press the Spin and Temperature buttons for three seconds.
• Push the Rinse and Temperature buttons for three seconds.
• Press and hold the + and – buttons for three seconds. Then, tap the Start/Pause button.

Has Navigational Dials

Some Samsung washers have navigational dials. Instead of pressing buttons on the control panel, you can turn the dial to activate or deactivate functions like Child Lock.

Solution: To deactivate Child Lock on a Samsung washer with a navigational dial, follow these steps:

• Step 1: Click on the Additional Functions button.
• Step 2: Turn the dial to select Child Lock.
• Step 3: Tap the select button to confirm.

The washer is running a cycle.

Once your washing machine starts a cycle, it will automatically lock the door to prevent water from spilling all over your floors, especially for front-load washers. It will also lock the door to prevent potential injuries.

The washer will stay locked after a cycle if the door is still extremely hot and water is still inside the drum. After the door cools down to a safe temperature and the water is fully drained, it will automatically unlock.

Thus, if your washer is locked because it is running a cycle, you can simply wait for it to end. There are other ways to unlock your washer door, which we will show below.

Pause the cycle.

After starting a cycle, you have a five-minute window to pause it. Once paused, you can open the door and add or remove items from your washer.

However, if the water level or temperature of your unit is too high, the door will stay locked and the Door Lock indicator light will turn on. After a minute or two, the light should stop blinking, and you can pause the cycle.

Solution: To pause a cycle before it starts, follow these steps:

• Step 1: Click on the Start/Pause button. 

Wait for the clicking sound and the door will unlock. On older models, you might have to wait up to three minutes for the clicking sound.

• Step 2: Open the door. 
• Step 3: Add or remove the desired laundry items.
• Step 4: Close the door.
• Step 5: Tap on the Start/Pause button to restart the wash or change the cycle.

Use the Add Door.

Samsung AddWash models have a small hatch built into the main door of the washer. 

During a cycle, you can conveniently add laundry items that you’ve missed. You can also add hand-washed pieces that you want to rinse or spin dry.

If the AddWash indicator light is on, you can stop the washing machine and open the door.

Solution: To use the AddWash function, follow these steps:

• Step 1: Press the Pause/Stop to stop operations.
• Step 2: Gently push the Add Door until you hear a click.
• Step 3: Pull the Add Door handle to open it.
• Step 4: Add laundry or softener inside the drum. Or, take items out.
• Step 5: Carefully push the Add Door to close it shut.
• Step 6: Push the Pause/Stop button to restart operations.

Applicable models: • WD85T654DSE • WW85T554DAB • WW12TP54DSH • WD85T554DBW • WD95T754DBT • WD85T984DSH • WW95T754DBT • WW85T754DBT • WW95T654DLE • WW85T654DLE • WW85T984DSH • WW85T554DAW • WW75K54E0UW

Use the Spin Only function.

If you want to open the washer door during a cycle, you can activate the Spin Only function. This cycle drains excess water and spins your clothes to extract as much moisture as possible.

Solution: To turn on the Spin Only function, follow these steps:

• Step 1: Press the Spin button for three seconds.
• Step 2: Tap on the Spin button to select your desired spinning speed.
• Step 3: Click the Start/Pause button to confirm.

Drain the water using the emergency drain hose.

If you own a front-load washer, you can manually drain the water inside the tub using the emergency drain hose. It is located at the bottom right corner of your unit.

After pausing the cycle, you can manually drain the water inside the tub to open the washer door.

Solution: To manually drain water on a Samsung front-load washer, follow these steps.

• Step 1: Open the debris filter cover.
• Step 2: Place a towel to protect your floor from water damage.
• Step 3: Pull out the drain hose and remove the cap.
• Step 4: Drain the water onto a flat container.
• Step 5: Put on the cap and reinstall the hose after the water stops draining.
• Step 6: Close the cover.
• Step 7: Turn off the washing machine.
• Step 8: Push the Power button to turn on the washer.
• Step 9: Open the door.

The washer is still hot after a cycle.

After running a cycle, your washer will usually stay locked until it cools down. This is a safety measure to prevent injuries.

Never forcefully unlock your Samsung washer door. Wait for the unit to cool down and for the alarm to stop before opening the door.

If there is no load inside, but the door is locked, you can power cycle the washer. 

Solution: To power cycle an empty Samsung washer, follow these steps:

• Step 1: Unplug the washer. 
• Step 2: Keep it unplugged for an hour.
• Step 3: Plug the washer back in.
• Step 4: Open the door.

Frequently Asked Questions

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