In this guide
TL;DR: If the washer is not leaking and its controls and electrical area are dry, a SUD or Sd message can mean it is clearing excess foam and needs time to finish. Whirlpool and Samsung describe automatic recovery for the washers covered by their guidance. Check your model's code before canceling or adding anything. A washer-cleaner tablet belongs in a later, empty maintenance cycle; it is not a treatment for an active suds problem.
Why the wash seems to have stopped
If water is escaping, stop using the washer and get model-specific help. Keep away from wet plugs, outlets and controls. The waiting advice below applies to the documented suds routine with no leak or electrical concern.
The drum can go quiet while the controls still show a cycle in progress. In Whirlpool's top-load SUD guidance, the washer is running a suds-reduction routine and should be allowed to continue. That page also identifies too much detergent as a cause of longer cycles and poor rinsing.
Samsung's U.S. code guide describes a pause while suds dissipate, followed by an automatic restart of the cycle. The code alone does not indicate that service is needed. A quiet machine during that pause is not a reason to pour another product into the drawer.
Read the exact code, including what happens afterward
Whirlpool top-load washers
For the washers covered by Whirlpool's SUD help page, Sd or Sud means excess suds. Let the suds-reduction routine continue.
Samsung washers
For washers covered by Samsung's U.S. code guide, the codes SUd, 5UD, Sd, 5d, SUdS or 5Ud5 indicate excess suds. The cycle continues after the pause. The message may flash again at the end as a reminder.
Those examples are not a universal code list. Match the display to your washer's own manual. Leave a locked door closed and use only the model's controls if you need to interrupt the cycle. A canceled machine-cleaning program has a separate cleaner-removal and rinse decision.
Check the detergent before the next load
A detergent marked HE can still be overdosed. Whirlpool identifies detergent type, amount and accumulated detergent as causes to consider. Concentration matters: the same capful of a stronger formula is not the same dose.
Use the detergent your appliance permits and measure for the actual load and soil level. Samsung requires HE detergent and says not to exceed the detergent compartment's MAX line. If the product's recommended amount would exceed that line, its guidance is to reduce the load size or use a more concentrated detergent. Do not use the drawer's maximum capacity as the target dose.
Sticky material in a drawer needs its own approved removable-part cleanup. Adding more detergent to compensate for poor dispensing can create another problem.
When waiting is no longer the whole answer
If the code persists after the documented recovery or keeps returning despite corrected detergent use, get model-specific support. Whirlpool recommends support or a qualified technician for continuing SUD problems. Water that will not drain, escaping water or a different error also needs its own troubleshooting. The drainage and pump-filter guide explains why owner access depends on the model.
Save residue cleaning for a separate empty cycle
Follow any remaining foam-removal instructions first. Samsung's detergent-residue guidance calls for empty cycles without detergent or any other additives until suds no longer appear. A cleaner tablet is an additive, so keep it out of that recovery.
GOHALL Washing Machine Cleaner Tablets address detergent residue, mineral buildup and odor-causing buildup in a compatible washer. They do not replace the washer's suds-recovery procedure or a repair.
After recovery is complete and the washer works normally, routine cleaning can resume if your model allows a tablet cleaner. GOHALL's directions require one unwrapped tablet directly in the empty drum, used alone without laundry detergent or another cleaner. Follow the empty-washer cleaning guide for cycle selection and finishing care.
Questions about a SUD or Sd message
Should I add a cleaning tablet while SUD is on the display?
No. Let the model's documented suds routine finish or follow its troubleshooting instructions. GOHALL cleaner is used separately in an empty maintenance cycle.
Why does my Samsung show the code again after it finishes?
Samsung says the message may flash at the end as a reminder of excess suds. Check detergent use before the next load; that reminder alone does not mean the machine needs service.
Can the same detergent amount be too much after switching formulas?
Yes. Whirlpool notes that HE detergents come in different concentrations. Measure using the new product's directions and your washer's requirements instead of carrying over the old capful.