"Sell old washing machine" is searched about 3,600 times a month worldwide, according to Ubersuggest, with "near me" about 590, "sell old washing machine online" about 260 and "where to sell old washing machine" and "how to" about 210 each. Many of the searches are city-specific in India, and the cost per click is only about 70 cents. The searchers have an old washer, often being replaced, and want to know whether anyone will pay for it. The honest answer is that a working machine can be resold, and a dead one is worth very little. This guide explains both cases, what scrap value is made of, why some collectors charge to take a machine away and how retailer take-back works in the UK, where we found an official source. It sits beside our global guide to selling broken appliances and white goods for scrap, and our Australian companion is Sell a Used or Broken Washing Machine or Fridge. We give no prices. ScrapTrade runs a scrap marketplace and has a commercial interest in the scrap trade.
Working or not
Test the machine before you decide. If it fills, washes, drains and spins, it can be sold as a used appliance, and that is the better route, because a working machine is worth more than its metal. Clean it, gather the manual and note the make, model, age and any faults. Sell it through a classified listing or a local appliance reseller, and say whether it is being collected or delivered. If it does not work, ask whether the fault is simple, such as a drain pump or a door lock, because a repairer may want it, and otherwise treat it as scrap or recycling.
What scrap value is made of
Scrap yards mainly weigh the metal, according to the pages we found, which are vendor and content-farm pages and not authoritative. The heavy part is steel, from the drum and cabinet. Copper is the most valuable metal per unit weight, with aluminum next, and the motor is the main source of copper. One page says the concrete or cast weights used to balance some machines carry no metal value and have to be removed, and are not accepted by metal yards. A vendor estimate puts a whole machine at a few dollars, and says you need to dismantle it and sort it by material to earn more, which takes time and tools. We found no reliable current price and give none.
Why some collectors pay nothing
Several pages say that some dealers pay nothing and charge for removal, that municipal programs may offer free or low-cost pickup and that appliance retailers may charge a fee to haul an old machine away. In the UK, one page says a local recycling centre accepts old washing machines free of charge if you can transport them yourself. A machine is heavy and bulky, and the metal in it is low in value, so the cost of collecting it can be higher than the scrap value. That is why a "we buy washing machines" claim should be checked: ask who pays whom, and whether there is a collection fee.
Retailer take-back in the UK
The official GOV.UK guidance says a retailer that sells you a new appliance must take back your old one of the same type, free, on a like-for-like basis, by offering in-store take-back, an alternative free service or membership of a take-back scheme. Collection on delivery is a service a retailer may offer, and it does not replace that duty. In practice some retailers charge for doorstep collection, one retailer asks for the old machine to be disconnected and ready, and several say you must request collection when you order, not at the door. The guidance says businesses are not owed free take-back. Other countries have different rules, which we did not review, so ask the retailer when you buy.
Steps to sell or dispose of it
- Test it. Working or not decides the route.
- Disconnect it safely. Turn off the water and power, drain it and secure the door and hoses.
- Compare options. Resale, retailer take-back, scrap collection and a municipal site.
- Ask about fees. Collection, haul-away or disposal.
- Agree timing. Collection date and who carries it out of the house.
- Keep a record. The collector's details if you hand it over for recycling.
Where ScrapTrade fits
One washing machine is a classified listing, a retailer take-back or a trip to a recycling center, and ScrapTrade is not the right route for it. The marketplace suits volume: an appliance retailer, a landlord clearing many units or a repairer with a yard of dead machines sold as scrap by weight, as our appliances guide explains. It is a scrap marketplace with verified traders in more than 50 countries. Listing is free with no commission, price and terms are negotiated live and an accepted bid places the buyer's 5 percent deposit in escrow. Businesses and individuals can sell once verified. We could not confirm how appliance lots are weighed and collected, so ask cs@scraptrade.com.au first.
What we could not verify
- What any machine is worth. The scrap estimates we saw are vendor pages.
- Retailer take-back rules outside the UK.
- Municipal programs in any country.
- How ScrapTrade handles appliance lots.
Frequently asked questions
Can I sell an old washing machine that works?
Yes. A working machine is worth more as a used appliance than as scrap. Test it, clean it and list it locally.
How much is a washing machine worth as scrap?
Not much. Pages we found describe small payouts, and some collectors charge for removal. We give no figure.
Will a retailer take my old washing machine?
In the UK, a retailer that sells you a new appliance must take back the old one free on a like-for-like basis, according to official guidance. Elsewhere, ask.
Can I list appliances on ScrapTrade?
Verified sellers can list scrap, and we could not confirm how appliance lots are handled, so ask support.
Sources
- Ubersuggest keyword data, global, queried November 2026.
- Appliance disposal and scrap-value pages from vendors and recyclers, as summarised in search results.
- GOV.UK, Electrical waste: retailer and distributor responsibilities, and retailer take-back pages, as summarised in search results.
- ScrapTrade website, accessed November 2026.
General information only, not legal advice. Take-back rules differ by country.