How To Replace A Washer Door Boot Seal (With Video!)

Tired of dealing with puddles on your laundry room floor every time you do a load of laundry? It’s likely due to a faulty washer door boot seal. Dive into our step-by-step guide complete with a how-to video below, and learn how to replace it with ease, saving you money and hassle.

Need a replacement door boot seal for your washing machine? Search below using your specific washer model number to identify the exact part needed:

If your washing machine door is leaking, you may need to replace the door boot seal. Today, we’re walking you through how to do it! This rubber hoop, sometimes called a door gasket, seals the space between the drum and the washer’s front panel, protecting the appliance’s inner machinery and your laundry room floor from dirty water.

This is a quick and easy job. With a few basic tools, the right replacement part, and quality instructions like the ones in our repair video below, you should have your washer back in order in no time! Let’s get started!

When To Replace A Washer Door Boot Seal

The door boot seal on your washer can be damaged by hard objects left in the laundry, like change, keys, or small stones. Using too much detergent or bleach when washing clothes can also potentially cause it to deteriorate – so be sure you’re always using cleaning agents in the correct amounts! Usually, this part gets replaced because the seal is damaged and water is leaking out of the front of the washer, particularly at the door. A visual inspection should be enough to spot damage on the boot, but you can also feel for punctures or tears to be sure. If your appliance is leaking, don’t let it go too long! Exposure to soapy water will quickly damage the washer’s other internal components, making this repair a whole lot pricier. If you’re getting a mold or mildew smell, the boot may need a good cleaning. Use some white vinegar on it. If that doesn’t do the trick, the boot may need to be replaced.

Finding The Right Replacement Part

To track down a compatible part, you’ll need the full model number of your appliance. If you don’t have access to the manual, the model number will be on a label sticker somewhere on the appliance. Check behind the washer door, either along the wall of the front panel or on the door itself. You may also find the washer’s model number behind the kickplate at the bottom of the washer or behind the front access panel.

With the model number in hand, you can search  to find the right part at AppliancePartsPros.com. We’ve got genuine OEM parts for every major brand, and they’ll be delivered to your door in just a few days. While you’re there, you can check out tips and advice from both our experts and other do-it-yourselfers.

How To Replace A Washer Door Boot Seal

For this tutorial, we replaced the door boot seal on a front-loading Frigidaire washer. Our model had a wire clamp and a spring clamp holding it in place. Most front-loading washers are disassembled and their boot seals removed in much the same way, so you should be able to use this guide to help you, even if you have a different brand or model of washing machine.

If any of our steps don’t line up with what you have, you can consult your appliance’s manual for diagrams or head on over to our YouTube channel, where we have a variety of helpful tutorials for several different brands of washing machine.

Tools for the job

Make sure to gather the following tools before you start:

• A compatible replacement door boot seal
• Phillips & flathead screwdrivers
• 5/16-inch nut driver
• Pliers & needle nose pliers
• One zip tie
• Scissors
• Small, sturdy piece of wood
• Spring clamp retainers, if necessary
• Work gloves

Before you begin…

For safety, be sure to disconnect your appliance from power before beginning any repairs! For this job, you should also shut off the hot and cold water supply to the washing machine, and only work on the appliance if it’s dry.

Replacing a door boot seal

1. Remove the top panel. It’s held in place by two retaining screws at the back. Once those are out, slide the top back and lift it up to remove it.
2. Remove the detergent dispenser assembly. Pull it out until it stops, and then press the release tab in the back of the assembly to free it up for removal.
3. Remove the two screws that were behind the detergent dispenser.
4. Loosen and remove the two screws on either side of the top of the frame. These are two of the mounting screws holding the control panel in place.
5. Take the front control panel off. Lift the three plastic tabs across the top that are holding it in place. Roll the whole panel back so that it’s out of the way.
6. Remove the front boot seal clamp. Open the washer door and lift the door boot seal up slightly at the bottom to find the wire clamp holding it to the frame of the washer. Look for the spring. Use a pair of needle nose pliers to grab onto the wire near the spring and pull it out of place.
7. Push the boot seal away from the body of the washing machine. This should be as simple as pushing it away by hand.
8. Shut the washer door and prop the front of the washer up on a sturdy piece of wood. Don’t tip the washer back too far. You just want enough room to easily access the four screws across the bottom of the appliance. Make sure it’s stable and won’t tip backward before moving on to the next step.
9. Loosen and remove the four retaining screws along the bottom of the washer.
10. Carefully remove the wood block and lower the washer back to the ground.
11. Remove the front panel. There are a few screws left to remove at the top of the front panel. After, lift the panel up to clear it from its mounting brackets and rotate it away from the frame of the washer. Don’t disconnect any of the wires, just set the front panel to the side of the washer for now.
12. Remove the white vent tube at the top of the boot seal. This tube can be removed by hand. On some washers, this white plastic tube is held in place by a zip tie or clamp. Cut the zip tie or loosen the clamp before removing the tube by hand.
13. Remove the inner boot seal clamp. There is a clamp holding the old boot seal to the washer drum. Like the outer clamp, you will need to lift up on the boot seal slightly to find it. If your washer model has a wire clamp, repeat the steps to remove the outer seal clamp for this one. If your washer has a flexible spring clamp, use a flathead screwdriver to pry it out of place and remove it.
14. Add a small dab of liquid soap, like dish detergent, to the edge of the drum so that it’s a little easier to slide the new boot into place.
15. Start installing the new boot on the washer drum. This can be a little tricky, so be sure to watch our how-to video for a detailed look at installing this part! The boot is seated in a particular way. There is a triangle or arrow on it that will need to be pointing up at 12 o’clock. Directly beneath this triangle is a divot that must be seated on a tab on the drum, also at 12 o’clock on the washer’s face. Work the seal around the outer edge by hand. This may be a little tricky, but take your time. Don’t use any sharp tools to help shove it into place, as these could damage the new boot.
16. Reinstall the inner clamp. If your washer has a wire clamp, start by working it in by hand. You may need to use a flathead screwdriver to steady it, and your pliers or a pair of vice grips to pull the spring into place, locking the clamp. If your washer has a spring clamp, start by working it in by hand on one side. Push spring retainers into place to hold the clamp – these are plastic tubes that assist in installing this component. Then, gradually stretch the clamp around the boot, pushing it into place.
17. Reinstall the vent tube on the top of the door boot seal. Once it’s on, put a new zip tie in place to secure it. Don’t forget to cut off the excess plastic from the zip tie.
18. Reinstall the front panel.
    1. Lift it up and align it with any brackets or tabs before putting it back on the frame of the washer.
    2. Next, reinstall the four mounting screws across the top of the front panel.
    3. Tip the washer back and set it up on the wood block again to reinstall the four bottom mounting screws.
    4. Remove the wood block and lower the dryer to the ground again.
19. Pull the new door boot into place on the front of the washer. There is a ridge on the back of the door boot seal that needs to go around the edge of the front panel. Need a better look at what we mean? Don’t forget to watch our tutorial video!
20. Install the outer retaining clamp, working it into the ridge by hand before stretching the spring into position. You can use your pliers if this is giving you difficulty. Just take care not to damage the boot.
21. Test that the dryer door closes. Open and close the dryer door a couple of times, making sure it latches and isn’t too hard to open or close.
22. Reinstall the front control panel. You will have to lift up on the top edge to get the top tabs into place. Press forward until the panel clicks into place, then reinstall the two top mounting screws.
23. Reinstall the two screws that go in behind the detergent dispenser and then reinstall the detergent dispenser. It can just be slid into place.
24. Reinstall the top panel. Set it in place a few centimeters back from the front, then slide it forward until it clips into place. Once it’s on, you can reinstall the two mounting screws.
25. Time for a test run! Plug your washer back in, turn the water supply back on, and either run a test cycle or a wash cycle with no laundry or detergent. Check for leaks and unusual noises, and if it’s all clear, you’re done!

Wrapping Up

If you need any replacement parts for your appliances, you can enter your model number at AppliancePartsPros.com to locate and order them quickly. Most orders arrive in just two business days, and we have tons of great information in our repair help section and YouTube videos to help you troubleshoot.

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