Door Gasket
The flexible seal around an appliance door that prevents air or water leakage.
Definition
A door gasket (sometimes called a bellows on front-load washers) is the flexible rubber or magnetic seal around the perimeter of an appliance door that prevents air, water, or steam from leaking when the door is closed. Refrigerator gaskets use embedded magnets to pull the door tight against the cabinet. Washer gaskets must withstand water at high pressure and tumbling load contact. Gasket inspection — looking for tears, compression set, or trapped debris — is a critical part of routine appliance maintenance. Replacement gaskets are typically affordable but model-specific.
Where this term appears
Door Gasket comes up in product spec sheets, service reports, and troubleshooting documentation across most major appliance brands. If you encountered it in a manual or a service description and want context for how it fits into the larger picture, the related articles in the sidebar drill into the practical details. The glossary as a whole is intended as a quick lookup reference; for a deep dive on any specific topic, jump to the related buying guide or troubleshooting article.