There appears to be a problem with many washing machines routinely “causing” small holes in laundry. Judging from the correspondence I’ve received so far it is happening to a lot of people, with different makes of washing machine and with various drum sizes and spin speeds. Therefore, finding a pattern and identifying a definite cause is proving difficult. However, almost everyone is blaming the washing machine. This article has attracted many comments and they tend to indicate that many of the holes may not be caused by the washing machine after all, though washing machines can clearly cause holes in laundry. There is no one simple answer to the cause of holes in clothes but a detailed look at this article and its comments may help.