Holes in washing (laundry)

damianmkv
#2. August 30th, 2007, at 3:10 PM.

Thanks for your reply, Andy. As far as I am concerned, it is definately the washing machine – last week we washed my son’s new school uniform ( he has never worn it before as he starts in September ). The T-shirt came out with a hole in it. The same with a T-shirt that was mine – the holes are around 2 mm in diameter.

We have tried all combinations to eliminate the problem – lower spin speeds, less washing in the machine but all to no avail. We still get holes. Generally there is only 1 hole per item, but very occasionally there are 2.

linda
#4. September 6th, 2007, at 4:53 AM.

Forget the washing machine theory – My son bought a tee shirt wore it once and before he even put it in the wash it had holes –
I have also had many tee shirts destroyed by these holes and the holes are usually on the bottom of the shirt and in group of about three – ( They are near where the zipper or belt would be – but I know there was no belt worn and the zippers are not able to snag it either –
So now what !

Susie Hayward
#5. September 10th, 2007, at 6:13 PM.

I have had this problem for nearly two years, small holes at waist level in fine cotton tshirts and jersey items lyocell and other syntheticsalso, always a small circle of several small holes. It started in my teenage daughters tops from GAP mostly, then spread to mine and my other teenage daughter, we have eliminated the washing machine, detergent, way of drying, etc. From looking on the web I think it is caused be carpet beetle larvae. At the present time we have about forty tops with holes in, some have not even made it into the wash they are brand new, they will be worn and then later the holes appear when you examine them the next day. Antoher theory is that the fabrics are contaminated with larvae in China and the clothes are made up and sold to us with larvae in them with only shows after a short time.

mike
#7. September 16th, 2007, at 9:39 PM.

I have been having this problem and believe it’s linked to wearing a belt in my case however if others are having this problem without wearing belts then I’m at a loss?

joy
#8. September 24th, 2007, at 5:32 PM.

I am having this problem as well, the holes are not limited to the bottom of the garment and has happened only in t-shirts and t-shirt like material. Several of my daughters brand new (washed once or twice) Hollister shirts are ruined. I do not think the dryer is causing this and I have seen no moths. I do not dry mine or my husbands shirts and they have been effected as well. I am so upset by this, I wish I knew what to do. Anyone know who I could show the damage to that would know the cause?

Erman
#9. September 25th, 2007, at 10:33 AM.

I am experiencing the same problem with a 6Kg 1200 rpm. The washer drier is about 5 years old and only now started chewing up the laundry. I have checked the inside and all feel fine. I don’t think is caused by the punched holes in the drums as this would became apparent from new and not after 5 years service. This sounds like a common problem with many washing machines and I suspect that manufactures are not trying to resolve this problem in order to sell more.

Diane Charlesworth
#10. September 25th, 2007, at 8:06 PM.

I have had this washer 5 yrs and never had a problem until 6mths.ago.do you think i need a new washer..? most maufacturers would say YES. Dont you think its really strange or should i say convenient this is happening to a lot of peoples clothes…is it a way of making us all buy a new washer?..i think so . we need watchdog involved..Its a good job people can buy modern clothes with holes already in.

Karen Wilkinson
#12. September 26th, 2007, at 7:47 PM.

I am reading this website amazed. I have been having this problem with my tee-shirts the last couple of years. ALL my cotton tee-shirts end up with a collection of small holes at the bottom of the front of the shirt. Today is the last straw which has lead to my looking it up on the web and finding you lot!! Today I am wearing a brand new white tee-shirt from GAP. I have never worn it before, it is new yesterday. I have just looked down and found 3 holes at the bottom of the front. Can somebody PLEASE explain this to me? It’s driving me crazy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Madge
#13. September 30th, 2007, at 8:20 PM.

Just found this forum after doing a search on Google. I am having exactly the same problem with my washing. Small holes in clothes, mainly tee shirt type material. I have a 6KG machine, 1200 rpm. I am going to write to the manunfactuer about this problem as it’s totally unacceptable, not to mention expensive! Will post the reply, if I get one! :-/

Kristin
#15. October 6th, 2007, at 2:22 AM.

I’m not crazy! We’re currently renting, so I’m not familiar with the life of our current washer/dryer. For several months now I’ve been finding small holes in clothing – mostly in cotton t-shirt type material. At first I assumed it was something I was doing wrong. So, I no longer buy any off brand detergent. I’ve been careful to wash on the right speeds and not fill the tub too full. The holes remain and they appear even in clothing worn only once. I know the holes were not there prior to washing. Some of the holes are small and some almost look like small tear. It doesn’t seem to matter what brand of clothing – Old Navy, Target, Aeropostale, GAP. This is frustrating!

Kristin
#17. October 7th, 2007, at 1:57 AM.

The washer is a Kenmore 80 Series. Where do I find the other info? I’m renting so don’t have paperwork on this.

Andrew
#18. October 7th, 2007, at 11:17 PM.

We have a Hotpoint Aquarius 1200 washing machine, bought from a reconditioner in late 1998. I don’t know the drum size, I would guess it’s a standard small one, and the max spin speed is 1200 although we normally use 1100 or 1000.

It’s been great with no problems at all until a year or so ago when small holes started appearing in the front of my wife’s t-shirts. She stopped wearing a beloved pair of jeans because she thought they were to blame.

Unfortunately the holes kept appearing, exclusively in stretchy cotton but on sleeves and the back as well as the front. Usually it’s one or two holes per garment, each torn and about 1-2mm across. My wife reports the machine has also become noisier, although we’ve also moved it so that may be a factor.

From my very limited knowledge of washing machines, I suspect the bearings have worn, bringing the inner drum into contact with the outer drum – does this sound plausible? In any case it isn’t only new machines. We’re now planning to replace the washing machine and were thinking of a bigger drum to wash duvets, but are worried we might find the same problem with a new one!

Rebecca Noble
#19. October 8th, 2007, at 10:10 AM.

I too have the same problem – mostly with T shirt type clothing and one or two holes in each garment – this is so annoying – lots of decent new tops are ruined – I called the manufacturer today and have arranged a service visit – we have a Bosch with a 6KG drum and 1200 spin speed – have tried all spin speeds and different load sizes – most of the holes are around the bottom of garmetn but not all (some on sleeves). Has anyone else called out a manufacturer and had them agree that the washing machine is at fault ?- I dont want to have to pay for their service visit and can guess that they will say it is not the machine at fault but I have eliminated everything else and know it is.

Sue
#21. October 14th, 2007, at 8:52 PM.

My friend has just pointed out holes in the top back of my t-shirt material tunic. I have noticed small holes in the t-shirts of my sons and husband but thought that they must have caught them or done something to cause the holes. I bought a new Zanussi washing machine 1400 spin with 7kg capacity. I am sure that the washing machine is to blame.

Lisa
#23. October 24th, 2007, at 2:47 PM.

This sounds way too familiar! We are having exactly the same problems, holes in clothing for the last year or so. We actually find items wedged in the gap between the door and the seal, which when released have the holes and snagging. I emailed the manufacturer who said we would need to get a service engineer out as the machine (waher/dryer) is out of warranty. We have decided after the most recent incident yesterday to no longer use our machine, it is almost 10 years old so guess it’s time for a new one, rather than pay to get it repaired. Some basic/cheaper items, like vests and pillow cases have been ruined, other quite expensive tops and t-shirts also. Does anyone know if these items would be covered via home insurance for accidental damage?

Lisa
#25. October 25th, 2007, at 4:27 PM.

Good news, my insurers have agreed an amount to cover our damaged clothing – result! Think we may have to use this towards a new machine. I know you don’t like to specify/mention makes and models, but any advice before we chose a new model would be really helpful. Not sure we really need another washer/dryer, just a good, decent reliable machine that won’t cost the earth!
Thanks for your help and advice so far.

Patricia
#27. November 1st, 2007, at 10:59 PM.

I have an LG washing machine, that I’ve had for almost 5 yrs. I only started experiencing the holes about one year ago or less. Prior to that I never had any problems. I have ruled out anything else that it could be. It’s always cotton t-shirts, from any member of the family, generally one hole per garment. Often at least a couple garments per load are affected. I finally hit the roof this past weekend and stopped using the machine, as I can’t stand to continue to see our good clothing ruined. The machine is 7kg capacity and max spin speed is 1200. I use the “cotton” cycle for all the items that get affected (this never happens on other cycles and with other types of clothing), which on my machine spins at a default of 800, so compared to what I’ve read here, that’s much slower than what most people are spinning at when they experience the same problem.
After reading all these comments, I’m not sure if it’s worth having someone come out to check it or not…

Cara
#29. November 17th, 2007, at 1:17 AM.

We’ve noticed this too – and I’ve found it affecting shirts that haven’t even been laundered yet! I have a GE front loading washer, and it is supposed to be gentler than the standard old-style top loading machines. I really don’t think this is a laundry issue – I think it is something to do with the thin knits of the shirts.

Are your shirts affected 100% cotton, or cotton/spandex blends? So far, ours are both. It’s really annoying, not to mention expensive, when good shirts are ruined by these unsightly holes. In the same place everytime – navel level.

Generally, I don’t wear belts, my daughter NEVER does. So it isn’t being caused by that.

Bob
#31. December 13th, 2007, at 3:00 PM.

This problem is occurring with our 3 month old Miele Machine. Its a 1200 spin and 5kg load and my wife is fastidious in the care she takes with not overloading, closing zips etc. Will contact them to see what they have to say. So far only cotton items have been affected- 2 of my tshirts and one of the wifes new ones!

kim
#33. December 27th, 2007, at 3:57 AM.

Thank you for each of your comments. My sister and I have the same issue and are equally as frustrated. Any additional information would be very appreciated.

Leo
#35. January 1st, 2008, at 6:15 PM.

We have this problem too. Small holes only in cotton sweaters and underwear. We have a brand new Kenmore front-load washing and dryer. We live in Canada.

My theory is the zipper, especially zippers in jeans. When clothing is wet and becomes sticky. Anything has an edge will be able to cause some damage when spinning together.

I want to share how we handled this issue. First, we wash jeans separately and zip up everything that has a zipper on it. (this advice is on our userguide from the manufacture) We even reversed some sweater in order to “hide” the zippers. After doing these, holes become rare. Of course, we can’t be sure it solves the whole issue completely.

I don’t what to rule out the “drum-hole” theory (during high spinning, the clothing contacts the edge inside). If that is the case, just use large washing bag and that should be enough because the bag is acting like a “shell”.

Hope it helpful.

Leo

Karen
#36. January 14th, 2008, at 12:34 PM.

I have had this problem for quite some time now. I had a Hotpoint and noticed that on quite a few cotton tops two little holes appeared after the first wash. The engineers were called out but couldn’t find anything wrong so decided not to do anything about it. I then showed the engineer the damage that the machine had caused, he then decided to change the drum. When he came back to replace the drum, it was faulty so the machine was replaced. I now have a new washing machine that is still making holes in clothes. I am really fed up as it is the same make and is still damaging new clothes. I am thinking of buying a new washing machine, but a different make, but am concerned that I’ll be wasting my money because reading all the above comments it’s not just a fault with one particular make.

Melissa
#38. January 19th, 2008, at 11:09 PM.

Hi there,I live in New Zealand & experience exactly the same phenomena!! My shirts.. not my husbands & nothing has changed ie laundry detergent, washing machine, style of laundering & car for the last few years. So why does it happen to shirts new & old. I feel that the carpet larvae is a very viable answer & why the belly button area??? My t shirts are a lot thinner than my husbands, have a lot of diesel shirts & designer brands. perhaps at this point friction occurs (I don’t have the flattest of tums!!) therefore making the fabric at that point more desirable. I don’t believe in the seatbelt making holes theory… as I said same car, shirts etc & the holes are getting more & more common. I fold my clothes on the floor on the carpet so I am definitely not going to do that. From what I understand carpet larvae are extremely difficult to get rid of

Julie
#39. February 11th, 2008, at 9:05 PM.

Hi,

My husband and i have been having this problem for about 3 years on and off, it started when we lived in the states and now we have been living back in the UK for 6 months and its still happening. In that time we had a top loading US style machine, and have been using other machines since we came back – same issue. Our problem is not the washing machine. We both get small holes only in the front of tops at waist level, our theory is that is is friction rubbing against our jeans (y’know the bit that buttons and you have the little pointy bit of denim that sticks out where your waistband overlaps?) My theory up till now is that items of clothing have been created more cheaply than ever before AND the fact that everyone wears hipster jeans now, which hug your hips at the broadest part rather than the thinner waist where old style jeans hugged. I am getting so frustrated now as more and more of my tops are being affected, its so disheartening to have a top you love ruined after one or two wears! The beetle larvae thing really freaked me out though as i hate all things insect like, but that theory cant really explain to me why our holes ONLY occur on the front at waist level. I hope this helps, if someone could let me know if you think my theory is wrong, what the hell is ruining my clothes please, i am desperate (i even started snipping bits off the waistband of my jeans in desperation!) Thanks.

Fiona
#40. February 17th, 2008, at 11:32 AM.

We have an AEG washer dryer (L14710 vit 5kg , max speed 1400) which is about 1 year old . I noticed small holes appearing in the front of cotton t-shirts about 6 months ago and it is getting more frequent. After finding this site I will definately get someone out to investigate. This is the first washer dryer we have bought and previously had a bosch washing machine which we used for 3 years without any problems. Has anyone else had problems with this make and model.

Karen
#42. February 24th, 2008, at 11:13 PM.

I have been getting these small mysterious holes in my cotton t-shirts for 18 months…some shirts brand new. I went thru all the logical ideas for why this was happening…moths, detergents, HE machines, etc., but I do believe the common link in all of this is that the cotton t-shirts are all made in the far east, mostly China, and they either over or under process the material and when the material comes in contact with an abrasive, such as denim, it breaks down the fibers and the result is small holes. I’ve even noticed that when I lean against my kitchen countertop (made of Silestone) and the edge is slightly abrasive. I have now covered the edge with clear shipping tape. Well see if that helps.

Iaker
#44. March 23rd, 2008, at 12:10 AM.

I have been getting holes in the front of my cotton t-shirts
in the crotch area, about five inches above the bottom of the shirt, for as long as I can remember. This ONLY happens with cotton t-shirts. Some of the
explanations offered seem to make sense, but then again they
typically don’t. It is surprising how many experience a similar phenomenon.
For me the holes tend to appear in the formation of a rectangle, sometimes
only one or two corners of it and sometimes all four, but always the same shape
and size of what appears to be an irregular rectangle about 2in across and
1in high. It’s very weird how it is always the same configuration. I have heard
seatbelt but I don’t drive and rarely find myself in a car, much less the same car,
more often than once or twice a week. And usually I leave my coat or
overshirt on in that situation.

I am thinking it has to be the inside of some pair of pants that I have,
as I often tuck in my undershirt and leave the overshirt out of the pants.
I notice that with shirts that I wear more frequently, usually all four holes
are present.

The other possibility is that my saxophone has a keyguard which
typically rests in that area during seated playing. However this
doesn’t explain the square formation. Still searching for the answer…

Daisy
#45. March 30th, 2008, at 11:46 AM.

Tops only for me too, and around the waist. Have assumed to far it’s from rubbing against the edge of my granite worktops as have caught myself doing this. Assuming t-shirt type material as it’s thinner and the
In my case it can’t be beetle larvae from China (?!) as all my stuff is from Britain, Italy, or France. Unless they bought the cotton in from somewhere else…it’s just happening on cotton.
Washing machine is a Bosch and whilst shortly to be changed to a Miele (yay!), I don’t blame the machine.

Incidentally, when visiting a friend abroad who had an American style washer, I put in a cotton cardigan that had been washed many times on a usual cotton wash on my machine, but it came out of that machine practically shredded at the neckline and I had holes in a couple of other things – I think it was the spin.

Kevin Heyworth
#46. April 27th, 2008, at 12:36 PM.

I rent and repair washing machines. To date I have only had two complaints of holes in clothes. I tested both machines extensively, checking all possibilities and even exchanged one for a new one. We eventually discovered that the cause was moth larvae, which like to eat cotton rich clothing.

Kevin Heyworth
#47. April 27th, 2008, at 12:56 PM.

Further to my post re the clothes being eaten by larvae, one clue was that, when the fabric was placed on a flat surface, there was a hole – some of the fabric was missing, as opposed to a rip or tear which could have been pushed back together. There was also no sign of any fraying or distortion around the edges of the hole, as one would expect with a rip or a tear. On possible cause of small rips in the fabric could be a riser, or paddle, coming loose and trapping fabric between itself and the drum, although this is very rare, it’s worth checking them for movement. Many of these clip in and will slide a little, but you should no be able to pull them away from the drum. If you can, then a clip or locating lugg may be broken. This tends to happen more when training shoes are washed – don’t do it!

Bev
#49. April 28th, 2008, at 8:02 PM.

I too have holes in my t-shirts and tanks. I packed away 11 last year. we had our agitator replaced and the whole machine checked. Now I am starting to think it is not the washer but my clothes. It is always in front at waist level. What can we do about
it? I have bought cheap and expensive brands and it still happens, maybe slower on the thicker cotton. Is beetle or moth larvae invisible to the eye? I don’t see any moths or anything.
I have used all cycles on the washer so it is not that. I thought about going to the university’s ag. dept and asking them to investigate

Jackie
#50. May 5th, 2008, at 10:08 PM.

I posted very early on the forum regarding this subject, I had begun to think I was going mad until I discovered I wasn’t the only one with this problem.
I eventually threw my 4 year old washing machine away in despair and bought a Miele, 1400 spin with honey comb drum, about a year ago. The only time I use 1400 spin is on towels, the rest of the time 1200 is sufficient. For years I had used tablets in the wash, but at this time I reverted back to using Persil powder.
Guess what? The last few weeks I have noticed it has started happening again! So far it is always on cotton t-shirts, but not restricted to the waist or the front. Several holes can appear on one top at a time,some minute and others enough to completely prevent them being worn again.
As has been said, the holes are clean and the material is completely missing, not a jagged rip or a tear. I am at my wits end with this, as others are. There MUST be an answer to it-but what it is I have no idea.

Jackie
#52. May 7th, 2008, at 9:21 PM.

As you say, the Miele drum is very kind to laundry and it falls away from the sides of the drum at the end of a wash cycle instead of being forced into the holes and needs to be pulled out. That is the main reason I bought the Miele after my experiences previously with damaged laundry.
I too feel it is unlikely the machine is causing the problem. But having worn a t-shirt one day with no holes, then it goes in for a wash-and as I am ironing it I find holes, just doesn’t make sense.
I have dozens of cotton t-shirts hanging in my wardrobe, some only worn on holidays. Today I have taken them all out and examined them carefully, apart from ones recently damaged there are no holes at all in any of the others???
Read your posts re moths and don’t feel that is the cause either, in my circumstances anyway. Very fastidious about cleaning, have no pets and feel lots of other items would show damage if they were present in my home.
One thing that has struck me though is……I have a natural wicker laundry basket that is kept in my bathroom. Obvious access via the weave for any munch-bunch insects to get in, between wearing and washing clothes. I wonder if we could do a survey amongst any of the other posters and see if we have this in common? Actually, I would think ALL laundry baskets have some sort of ventilation holes which would be accessible-maybe that is the answer we are all looking for????

Geoff
#53. May 10th, 2008, at 10:06 PM.

I have experience holes in my Levis after washing. It doesn’t happen a lot, but just when they are getting “broken in” and looking good and feeling comfortable. It happens both with zippered and button-fly. I have a Whirlpool Ultimate Care II, large capacity machine. This was not an expensive washer, all I wanted was a good quality standard washer without all the bells and whistles. My latest theory, is that when I occassionally leave a few coins in the pocket, they could be rubbing holes in the denim.There are never holes in the pockets themselves, but I always find the quarters in the bottom of the washer, when the load is completed. Anyone else experience this?

ali
#54. May 13th, 2008, at 10:35 PM.

I have had this exact same problem with small holes, mostly in the front of thin, sometimes nearly new cotton and cotton stretch t-shirts. I have a Miele washer with a honeycomb drum.
I had a pest control specialist take the garments to some expert who looked at the holes microscopically (holes are the type where fabric is missing) and said that the holes were definitely not from moths or other bugs but from something mechanical weakening a thread in the fabric which then leads to a hole. It cannot be from a belt as my 7 year old’s t-shirts have them and he has never worn a belt.
That is as far as I have gotten in solving the mystery. New holes reappearing daily. Surely SOMEONE knows the cause ?

john
#55. June 5th, 2008, at 8:31 PM.

we have recently moved house and all of a sudden small holes have started to appear in the front (all at waist height) of both mine and my wifes cotton clothes (t-shirts and others) after washing. we have checked all surfaces at the height that may cause a rip, but there is nothing.as others have posted it is most confusing. Some t-shirts i have had for a while others literally worn once…there seems to be no discrimination as to the age of the garment.
i can see from above that there seems to be little or no explanation as to why this occurs…..anyone?

john
#56. June 5th, 2008, at 8:34 PM.

Bev, reading through your comments i see that we have the same problem….did you ever work it out, is it still happening?

Rob
#57. June 10th, 2008, at 9:45 PM.

Ok, this is for everyone experiencing holes at the front below the waistline. I don’t have the definitive answer but reading other comments combined with my own exprerience I think we’re nearer the truth. About 2 years ago (this is significant) holes as described in these posts started to affect only t-shirts in my wardrobe. Always in clusters,always within 3 inches of the bottom seam in the centre of the front. So, what is it?
-It’s not lavae/moths (nothing else affected,girlfriends clothes are fine.How do they know to eat in one place?)
-It’s not solely the washing machine( again girlfriend and lodgers clothes are fine,againm the specific area of holes)
-It’s not recreational cigarettes.
-It’s nothing sharp they come in to contact with.

Initially it was thinner tops but now it includes medium weight cotton. The timing is key here as it’s when I gave up work to become a stay at home dad. I used to wear a suit to work, my lovely tops were worn in the evening in front of the TV or occasional nights out. I will now put a t-shirt on at 7am, do the Dad stuff, including walking 4-5 miles a day and take it off at night.I also cook every meal and after testing I do rub against the worktop when chopping etc .

Reading other reports I’m certain it’s the massive increase in wear and tear combined with the tops all being fairly new. I haven’t checked the country of origin but I’d bet it’s cheaper made and a finer or less substantial knit. It wears thin (once after 3 wears) you wash it, it stretches and bingo-Holes.

A single test of this is a YMC t-shirt. Fairly thin, 10 years old, worn all the time. Still has great shape and colour and NO holes. It’s Italian cotton.My guess is many brands now source from the far east (Even Paul Smith, £120 for a jumper made in China? No thanks!) I also have Evisu jeans (Itallian),12 years old, still fine. Bought some far east made Lee jeans 8 months ago, crotch is through already.

I’ll speak to a couple of fabric manufacturers (I have time on my hands) for there opinion but untill then I’m convinced it’s poorer quality combined with extra impact. Still doesn’t sort my wardrobe out but should I buy a top tomorrow I’ll damm want to no the provenence of the material. We do it with cars, meat, furniture. It’s time to do it with cotton!

Sorry it’s so long. I’m slightly obsessive.

Rob Anderman. London.

Rob
#58. June 11th, 2008, at 9:08 AM.

Reckon I’ve worked ot the front T-shirt holes in my case, maybe it’s the cause in all the others. I cook 3 times a day and have a grained laminate work surface. I wear a metal belt buckle. I f you rub up/down or left /right as I do when preparing food it takes no more than 3-5 “impacts” to put a hole in thin cotton.It seems to be where the fabric is squeezed between the buckle “pin” and the abraisive worktop edge. Even without the belt it will go through after a bit more contact.However I do accept that it’s only tops bought in the last few years that suffer and it’s reasonable to assume they are of a lower resistance/quality compared to stuff I wear from the 90’s. I can’t believe I’ve put up with the smell of moth balls for 2 years when it was simply making dinner that has wrecked my wardrobe.
This solution was suggested by a poster on an American forum so I simply followed his experiment exactly and achieved the same results.That I believe, is science.

Lindsay
#59. June 19th, 2008, at 12:44 PM.

Isn’t it funny that Washing Machine engineers haven’t heard of this problem (yeh right!!). Today, after several phone calls and an email to customer services, managed to get a Zanussi engineer to call to check out my machine free of charge! Of course he couldn’t find anything wrong with it, all he did was run his hand around the drum and the seals, which took approximately 5 minutes. After studying my holey washing, his comment was “it must be the way you’re washing it luv”. After 30 years of wasing clothes this was like a red rag to a bull and ended in a stand up row in the kitchen. He left to send his report back to Zanussi who I’m waiting to hear from with baited breath! Where do I go from here??

phil
#61. June 29th, 2008, at 8:31 PM.

we’ve got the same problem and as spending my sunday evening trying to find the bug responsible, but reading this clearly it’ s possibly something as abstract as wear on worktop or sub-standard cotton – i am going to investigate those options first.

thanks to the great posts on here, particularly Rob (#58 & 59) – this is clearly a wider spread issue than i thought.

Rob, get a hobby!

thanks

Jackie
#62. July 3rd, 2008, at 5:10 PM.

Did a white wash yesterday and one t-shirt came out with a small hole on the back at about shoulder blade level. The material is completely missing but does not appear to be ripped but has slightly jagged edges to it as usual.

I don’t expect Lindsay to get any more joy from Zanussi than I did a couple of years ago. They virtually dismantled my machine on the kitchen floor and couldn’t find anything wrong with it so would not accept any responsibility for damaged laundry.

Doesn’t seem to be any rhyme or reason to any of this and it is driving me nuts!

Helen
#63. July 7th, 2008, at 5:02 PM.

I have had this problem for at least 5 years, maybe as long as 10. It’s always cotton t-shirts. Area varies from the waist to the back, to the top and on the front! The holes are tiny, around 2-3mm to around 5 mm. The material from the centre is always missing. It is VERY ANNOYING when it is a new or favourite top. I have been in tears of frustation over this sometimes. I have had it happen with many different washing machines. My current machine only 1 year old LG direct drive 7.5kg is now doing it, or so I believe! We lived in the States for 3 years and it happened then too. It was happening with my machine (a bosch) before we moved to the States and it happening with the machine before that! (can’t remember the make). It never happens with the kids school shirts, only jersey soft knit type cotton. I have found it on the odd pillowcase too. I am now wondering about the substandard cotton theory too after reading all this. It can’t be all my machines and all my detergents. I am very careful with my laundry, it happens with washes that have had no buttons, zips/fasteners in too. I never wash at more than 1200 spin and never overload. It got to me so much a few years ago that I started washing clothes inside an old duvet cover for extra protection for a while, I think it may have worked but not sure. I may try this again now. I am so glad I found this on the internet I always thought it was just my problem! None of the washing machine engineers I have dealt with over the years acknowledge this problem at all. I will keep checking back now for more comments.

Jim R
#65. July 9th, 2008, at 2:13 AM.

Hi, I’ve worked as an engineer for one of the major washing companies for the last 20 years and have come across this problem from time to time.Initially I think all of us have been guilty of blaming the customer for spinning at too high a spin speed for the type of material washed and although this can still be a possible cause there is obviously other factors we now have to look at.I may be biased but I’m sure that faulty machines are a very small percentage of the problem.If you look at the damaged clothes the customer produces it is normally from the same wearer or the damage is always on the same area of each article so it is very difficult to comprehend how the machine can be so selective.In my experience as others have mentioned it will be t shirts damaged at the waist level or childrens clothes.When it started happening in my own household a few months ago I eventually had to investigate thoroughly to prove to my beloved that it wasn’t the washing machines fault.After weeks of detective work that Jim Rockford would be proud I found that it was always my wifes tops and my youngest sons tops.After a few more weeks we eventually found that a where my wifes jeans buttoned together at the waist there was a definite edge that pressed out onto her tops.It didn’t feel at all sharp but as the holes have stopped since she stopped wearing the jeans I feel this was the definite cause.As far as the damage to my childs tops this was caused by a rough thread on the harness of his childseat in the car.All the damaged articles were of the same type i.e. small round holes that in the past I would have blamed washing machine fault..So I guess the best advice I can give you is look for a pattern to the damage and then check any thing that comes into contact with that particular item while washing/drying/storing or wearing.Hope this helps.

Jackie
#66. July 10th, 2008, at 7:00 PM.

Well I dispute that theory! All of my family, including my son’s girlfriend have items of clothes with holes in. they are not restricted to any particular area, front/back/top/bottom/sleeves have all been damaged over time.
Several years ago a top manufacturer was on WatchDog every week because of this problem-I had one of their machines at the time. An independant engineer told me what the problem was and I insisted the manufacturer sent a supervisor and an engineer to my house to test the idea. Lo and behold when they stripped my machine down there was the evidence! Clothes were being pushed through the holes in the drum during spinning, catching on a spindle at the back and then going round and round at speed until eventualy the material broke away. There was a huge bundle of multi coloured material wrapped round the spindle and they were as amazed as me. To their credit they gave me a voucher to go and purchase a machine of my choice for considerably more than I had paid. Then came the Zannusi that had the same problems but they wouldn’t accept it. Now I have a Miele but still getting holes in my laundry!! These big boys should invest some of their profits in trying to solve this problem-it really isn’t good enough.

Helen
#67. July 11th, 2008, at 8:19 AM.

Jim, I have looked for a pattern (I’ve had this problem for almost 10 years – different machines etc). It has happened to articles in my light wash many times which just consists of light t-shirts and underwear socks etc. No buttons, no zips or fasteners, not even rough or thick clothing. it’s happened to all our t-shirts and not just in the waist area. You answer is not the answer to my problem, unfortunately, but I’m glad you found the solution for you. As I said before, I’m going to go back to using the old duvet cover for some of my washes now! I’m just disappointed that I seemed to have been free of the problem for a few months (during which my machine was new) and now the problem has returned.

Leigh R
#69. July 11th, 2008, at 4:07 PM.

I did my laundry at my mothers and a sock got ripped to shreds1 I can’t find any snags in the drum, but a second wash was covered in back dots and fluff from the sock.When i put the machine on a rinse cycle with no laundry in, the bits of sock were still coming up! How can I clean the drum to stop this from happening again?

Bridget
#71. August 11th, 2008, at 11:03 AM.

Related topic – a pair of knickers ripped to shreds – I know why; it’s because a drum lifter on my Hotpoint WF340 broke and I had to do a load of washing with a missing drum lifter. I have now located what I think is the correct replacement parts. But I can’t find any detailed instructions for fitting them (the sort of instructions befitting a total amateur like me!). Can anyone help? Or do I have to get a professional repair person in?

Stylishlady
#73. August 25th, 2008, at 9:48 PM.

I have been finding small holes, very similar to many people have said on this forum. Always in T shirts and always at the front about 5″ from the hem of the T shirt, and always T shirts. The baby’s clothes or bedding jeans etc have not been affected. It is driving me crazy!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I have checked the inside of the drum and cannot find any sharp obstruction, I have also checked for moths, and have not found any. I am pulling my hair out, and my husband is bored ridged with me blathering on about it!!
Has anybody got any further with this?

Hugh
#74. September 2nd, 2008, at 8:11 PM.

Well done, Jackie ! What a cracking entry – if only more people …..
We have had an excellent Miele washing machine in regular family use for 14 years with no complaints – until about 2 months ago when it started to make a noise like a main bearing going. Then surprisingly, the noise stopped – and the m/c continues to function.
However, in the last month it has started to chew random holes in all sorts of cotton garments. Nothing else has changed in the wash regime, so the cause has to be some sort of mechanical damage (outside the drum, which I have checked internally) in the m/c – as was evidenced by the noise mentioned above. This would confirm Jackie’s findings and experience.
To avoid the problem, we will be using a washing net until the m/c finally packs in.
I am not a lawyer, but would suggest if you are having this problem with a new m/c, the m/c sold to you is “not fit for purpose”.
So, use a washing net to gather the evidence that it is the m/c causing the problem, keep a written record (m/c model, dates, load contents, powder used, articles damaged {take photos}, etc) of your damage experience (with/without the net), and, if justified by the results, submit a claim via the Small Claims Court. The amount of claim should be for the cost of the m/c, plus for replacement clothes, plus for the inconvenience and distress, plus for your time to rectify the problem at say 30 pounds an hour.

Andrew
#75. September 4th, 2008, at 11:06 AM.

Following up on my earlier post (#19)…

We changed our machine for a Hotpoint Aqualtis late last year and as far as I’m aware are no longer getting holes in clothes. The bearings on the old one had definitely gone and given that the holes were “random” it looks like this was the cause.

That said, after reading the entire thread I’m willing to believe that not all holes in clothes are the fault of the machine. I will keep an eye out for any recurrence in our household.

Janet
#76. September 9th, 2008, at 5:15 AM.

I have been experiencing holes in my clothes as well for the last year. They have been mostly cotton. The holes randomly appear in various places on the garments and not at waist level. Most of the clothes are mine, but a couple were my husband’s cotton shirts. The holes are usually uniform, but sometimes it looks like acid was spilled on the garment with big sections missing on the front and back sides. The fabric sometimes just seems to have rotted. I can’t find any rough spots on my washer or dryer and removed the spindle to check if properly seated. I have no problem with clothes catching between the dryer door and the drum. What is strange is that my old cotton shirts that never seem to wear out have never been affected.

My washer and dryer are older but have never caused me any problems and there is no trace of cotton “pieces” floating around. I never overload,and I wash on gentle cycle and dry permanent press. No trace of moths or carpet larvae, either. My carpet is 8 years old and laundry problem just started a year ago.

Jo
#78. September 12th, 2008, at 1:24 PM.

I have just read the comments on this website with amazement after searching google for answers as to why holes are appearing in my washing. Its been happening to me on and off for the past 3-4 years and my latest washer (Bosh) is only 2 years old. After consulting friends, one of whom was having the same problem and phoned for an engineer to check her washer, she told me that he had suggested she started washing on the ‘easy care’ cycle as it could be to do with the pressure of the water when its first released into the wash. I disputed this as I have watched mine fill up empty to test it (isn’t my life boring I hear myself say – but only cos I am nuts with this problem too….!!!) and the water in mine dribbles out. Needlesstosay, I am now washing all my clothes on the easy care cycle (40) as a precaution but adding the ‘wash plus’ button to whites as the programme is a bit short. To date, we seem to be ok so his could be worth a try. I have also reduced my spin to 900. Good luck everyone

washerman01443
#80. September 16th, 2008, at 7:20 PM.

re article – random holes in clothes

A friend of mine with many years experience as an engineer has advised that it is caused by a combination of the following, overloading iniatialy then spinning mostly at high speed which then forces the clothes to partially protude through the small drain holes in the drum, the outer part of the drum having sharp edges due to being machine punched then snag the clothes and as the spin speed reduces and fall away from the drum and then cause small tears.

Jo
#82. September 17th, 2008, at 11:59 AM.

its a mystery to me – I have just chanced a white wash with kids clothes that were stained that needed a long wash (not easy care), plus some of my own but kept spin to 900. It wasn’t a full load. My nice new white cotton t shirt came out with 2 holes. I couldn’t believe it – I don’t know what to think – other that get a laundry bag to protect certain items.

susie M
#84. September 27th, 2008, at 7:19 PM.

like so many others who have commented here, I have similar experience of holes in clothes:
just in last year or so
only cotton t-shirts (GAP, Oasis, Zara..ie cheaper – though one was whistles)
always in front, about 3 inches from bottom of t-shirt

i’m doubtful that it could be the washing machine or bugs/ moths, due to the consistent pattern of the holes….I would agree it might be something to do with belts or waistband of jeans..

also I’ve washed really delicate clothes in my machine (a 2 year old Bosch – and I use woolite for most washes) but the holes are only in the t shirts i wear with jeans..

also I checked cotton T shirts I wear to into work, and these had no holes (would never wear these tops with jeans)

supermom
#86. October 12th, 2008, at 2:51 AM.

I have the same problem and it is driving me mad! I use Dreft and Seventh Generation and I think it is the enzmes in the detergent that is causeing the problem. Either that or the washing machine itself. I have a Maytag.

Jo
#87. October 15th, 2008, at 12:31 PM.

Have been using washing nets for my cotton tops and t shirts and so far ok so I think this could be the answer.

Heather
#88. October 16th, 2008, at 1:38 PM.

I thought I was going nuts, but now I know I’m not alone. I have had sooooo many t-shirts with holes at the bottom front. The shirts are from Gap, Old Navy, Target, and even Boutiques. I have felt around in my washer and dryer and have not felt anything sharp. I wonder if front load washers have the same problem?

Jackie
#91. October 20th, 2008, at 3:54 PM.

Well I hope Brian has better luck than I did with my Zanussi machine a couple of years ago. They also replaced my drum/seal but it didn’t stop the problem of random holes in laundry.

Karen
#92. October 30th, 2008, at 1:54 PM.

Since my original note ot you in 2/08, I am glad to say I have had some success…I removed the metal button (no easy task) on my jeans and replaced it with a regular plastic button and the holes have stopped!!!

Angelkeeper
#93. November 2nd, 2008, at 10:09 AM.

These hole’s are mostly made by buste holder’s/bra so buy a special bag for it that will protect the rest of your laundry for getting holes in them.

charlotte
#94. November 17th, 2008, at 2:24 PM.

I too have been experiencing holes in my clothes, mainly mine put also a couple of my husbands & kids polo shirts. i have a john lewis washing machine (made by electrolux) which i purchased around march 08 so a new machine. The holes started to appear straight away & at first i didn’t realise it was the machine. After investigating all the possiblities e.g belt or bra wires i realised it must the machine and had an engineer call. He knew what the problem was and cut or a piece of rubber mould on the inside of the rubber of the door seal (he called it the paddle) and since this has been removed the holes have stopped.This is a design that alot of makes & models have & is causing problems with hole in clothes,( that is what the engineer told me. ) Electrolux have admitted liability & i am now in dispute with them over a compensation claim but not having much success. so check your machines for the “paddle” & good luck !!!

R Badham
#95. November 19th, 2008, at 2:37 PM.

This has been happening to most of mine & my family’s t-shirt type material clothes for a while now.
What i don’t understand though is, why is it 99% of the time at the front, waist area of the item of clothing? If it was random it would happen anywhere on the item, but it doesn’t, it’s almost always at the front, waist area.
I have a Bosch 1200, about 7/8 years old now.
I think what the previous person (Charlotte) said was very interesting, that it could be the ‘paddle’ although i’m not sure where abouts to find it in the machine. But again surely the holes would be more randomly placed, not just at the front?
To be honest were thinking of getting a new washer as we are also suffering with the ’smelly washing’ syndrome too
(where the clean washing comes out smelling musty)
Anyway, i hope the manufactures deal with this problem soon & stop sweeping it under the carpet, as its obvious there is a problem with ‘holes in washing’
Mrs B.

problem solved
#97. November 27th, 2008, at 3:24 AM.

I have had the same problem for the last year. Holes in cotton shirts at belly button area. Only my shirts, no one else in house. Cause = wearing cotton shirts with jeans and rubbing against countertop (soapstone/granite/laminate – doesn’t seem to matter). The light weight cotton shirt, combined with friction against jeans(metal button and fabric protruding), and countertop causes holes. Try it and you will see. Put on your jeans, and your light weight cotton shirt, and rub against the countertop for less than one minute and you will see wear immediately and may also get holes right away. I did. Happening more to women than men as women are typically in the kitchen more. Going to wear an apron in the kitchen from now on. For some that are not in the kitchen much, maybe it is the same concept, but instead of the countertop it is friction with a seatbelt.

Karen
#98. November 27th, 2008, at 7:36 PM.

I have been experincing this for 2 years now, only in 1 particular area at the bottom of the garment, cotton and cashmere, I am going to try the friction test.

Karen
#99. December 1st, 2008, at 7:37 PM.

I have tried the friction test, and that is what causes the small area of holes always in the same place at the bottom, my worksurfaces are granite, after the rubbing of this against the button at the top of my jeans small holes appeared, not straight away but about 1/2 – 1 hour later. I will never have a granite worktop again it has cost me a fortune.

Andrea Lustig
#100. December 2nd, 2008, at 6:41 PM.

Has anyone found a solution to the hole in front of shirt problem? I see that you were going to contact manufacturers last December and wonder if there was a resolution? I am a writer for Glamour magazine in the US having this problem and did a google search and found your article. Any help appreciated. Thanks. Andrea

Rob Anderman
#102. December 13th, 2008, at 12:20 AM.

Hi all, posted at 58 and 59 and have enjoyed seeing how the hole quandry has evolved. I concluded as have others that the front ‘waist’ area holes are indeed caused by friction between a belt buckle pin and a kitchen worktop. And since posting I have had a new kitchen installed with a lower worktop (NOT to avoid holes! I guess I’m just pants with a tape measure) and hey presto no more holes whatsoever. So, get a new kitchen or wear heels and or braces. Could be a hot new look.
Rob Anderman, London, still too much time on my hands.

Anonymous
#103. December 29th, 2008, at 4:10 PM.

I am so glad I found your site as I thought I was going crazy. People telling me that washing machines can’t be making holes in clothes and that they must have been there before being washed. Well my washing machine too (a Bosch 1200 spin, 5 KG drum) is making holes in t-shirts. Its four years old and I don’t think it did it from new however its definitely been happening for the past year! I’ve had an engineer out who told me that there was nothing wrong with the machine or drum – no bra wires, or sharp edges. I’m pretty sure its due to the fabric being pushed through the holes in the drum as the holes in the t-shirts are a similar size. I think my only solution is to buy another but what to buy? If spin speeds and drum size are to blame then things are only going to get worse. I am so reluctant now to put my clothes in the washing machine as they are quite expensive. My dad’s suggestion was to hand wash everything. Great! so in the world of washing we are actually going backwards. I have used a lot of cheap, old washing machines in my time and never got holes in my clothes so it definitely is something to do with newer machines. I will contact Bosch and inform them of the problems I have been having as manufacturers need to put some research into this. I’d much rather have an older, smaller, slower spin speed washing machine that didn’t ruin my clothes. I was shown an older drum design in a shop the other day which was tear drop shaped and was told that the newer design was supposed to be kinder to clothes. Did the tear drop shaped drums actually put holes in clothes though?

Sally HOlland
#105. February 20th, 2009, at 2:24 PM.

I can’t believe that its not just me. Its defo the washing machine as my clothes don’t have holes before washing and have them after I washed a top I had only worn once and it came out with a hole. Gutted it’s right at the front where everyone can see wasted cash

Barbara Lewis
#106. March 2nd, 2009, at 10:02 PM.

I have 7 cotton jersey tops all ruined with little holes in the front just below waist. One of them was brand new never washed. It has only ever happened when i have worn the top with jeans. I have monitored the situation and can guarantee it is caused by jeans. The holes are always in the same area. I don’t usually wear belts. I buy all my jeans at the same store so took the issue up with the store. They say I am the only person complaining about it and they cannot find a manufacturing fault so won’t accept responsibility although they say they feel it is caused by friction. There is no warning on the jeans about the possibility of friction with cotton jersey tops causing these holes!! I think I should be compensated for the damaged tops. I am very keen to make contact with anyone who feels this is only happening when these tops are worn with jeans!!

Anonymous
#107. March 29th, 2009, at 10:48 PM.

I’m reading all the articles above and can’t believe it all!!! I’m so fed up.
I understand I’m not the only one, but NO ONE suggest any solution.
I would be so greatfull for an advice. How to stop that, it drives me crazy.

Sandra
#110. April 1st, 2009, at 10:57 PM.

Me too. Same problems, small holes in the front of cotton tops. My husband wears tee shirsts that have a pocket in front. I have found holes in the pocket too. I too can’t believe it’s my washing machine. I have a two year old front loader.
Has anyone tried cedar balls?

Jackie
#111. April 8th, 2009, at 10:58 AM.

And the beat goes on! We can’t all be wrong can we? There is something going on with our laundry and it seems the manufacturers are turning a blind eye to it all.

Have emailed some pictures to Andy of t-shirts that have been ruined in my Miele machine. Not at waist hight at all, mainly top, front near the neck line. But have quite a few ruined items of clothing with holes in completely random areas,back/front/top/bottom/sleeves- no rhyme or reason to any of them.

chris
#112. April 19th, 2009, at 10:20 AM.

I used to work for a cosmetics company who make aerosol deodorants and one of the golden rules is never spray these on when you are wearing clothes as this will cause the material to breakdown and when the aerosol mixes with a bio washing powder it reacts and cause tiny holes to appear. I realise you may all say you don’t do this but so does everyone I know and yet I have seen them all do it, maybe because they are in a rush or something but I think everyone does it now and again. This may not be the cause for many items as I an sure you don’t all use these products but this maybe the cause for many.

Ladfromoz
#114. April 24th, 2009, at 12:33 AM.

So that’s what’s doing it.
We have a Fisher and Paykel Aquasmart WL80T65C that is going back for a refund after 7 months.
Some of my wife’s tops have had holes in them. We’ve been taking them in for repair, assuming they were being caused by cat claws. Yeah, blame the moggy. But we have had cats before (same breed), and we have only noticed this problem since having this machine, capable of 1000RPM spin speeds.
That’s not why it’s going back, by the way. See the customer reviews at http://www.productreview.com.au/showitem.php?item_id=16501
Very interesting reading, thanks for the info!

Ladfromoz
#115. April 24th, 2009, at 2:19 AM.

And then I found this in post # 3…
The drum capacity
The top spin speed
Is it a washing machine or a washer dryer?
The type of laundry affected – then describe as accurately as possible the exact nature of the damage
The detergent used

8KG
1000RPM
Machine
Delicate tops made from synthetics and cottons, and they get small holes in them, typically the size of the hole in the drum of the machine.
Dynamo Liquid low suds front loading detergent.
It’s an upright machine, but the blurb on the machine claims it works like a front loader.

Jackie
#116. April 24th, 2009, at 3:38 PM.

Have sent quite a few photo’s in of damaged clothing but they have yet to appear on the gallery.

Need more people to take some photo’s so we can all compare what is going on, and hopefully the manufacturers will sit up and take notice!

AJ
#117. April 25th, 2009, at 3:53 PM.

I ad this problem before and it was the agitator arms were not fitted correctly, loose or missing. This causes the clothes to snag and tear

Ladfromoz
#118. April 25th, 2009, at 11:52 PM.

I found this interesting link on the Miele USA site, looking at the way holes in the drum affect clothes when spinning…
http://www.miele.com/products/benefits.asp?nav=20&snav=180&tnav=185&oT=147&cat=4&subcat=21&benefit=52
Might have something to do with it…

Jackie
#119. April 26th, 2009, at 6:23 PM.

Think that has EVERYTHING to do with it in my experience! By far the most obvious explanation for the damage to our laundry.

Ros
#121. May 23rd, 2009, at 7:03 AM.

Hi there,
I’ve had holes appear in laundry twice, both in cotton goods and in both times when I’ve hung it out to dry. I have an 8 year old simple Bosch machine and have used the same detergent throughout (Ariel either for whites or colour). If the washing machine was to blame then surely I would see these goods damaged during the winter when I don’t hang them out. It is weird. Last summer I hung out a cotton voile nightie. I didn’t notice anything wrong when I hung it out (on a whirly) but when I brought it in there were two holes, one in the bottom of the frill, about the size of a 10p coin and a small one in the body. Yesterday it was included in a wash with other cotton items and hung out…now it is peppered with small holes. The other items were fine. The first wash of the day was the kingsize cotton duvet cover and when I ironed that last night that had three small holes, two in the tail (it is an envelope style cover) and one near the edge at the top. It has been washed once before and was fine. Is there something outside that is causing the problem – is there an insect that settles on washing and likes a cotton munch? I just can’t see the washing machine to blame as I would find the problem in washing that isn’t hung out.
Has anyone else noticed that the holes appear after they have been hung out to dry?

Anonymous
#122. May 25th, 2009, at 3:07 PM.

I should think its probably acid

Angel
#123. June 8th, 2009, at 2:24 PM.

I was surprised to find a blog dedicated to a problem I’ve been having for over a year now… these holes in cotton t-shirts, exact location, near the middle of the stomach! I don’t typically wear belts, do not have a bellybutton ring, limited time spent at kitchen counters… and some of the shirts have only been worn once! Yet the holes are always in the same exact location. It’s only my t-shirts affected… not my kids or my husbands so far. I see a lot of comments related to washing machines, beatle larvae, etc… but I have to believe the holes caused by these would be far more random. I’ll keep reading, but at this point am so frustrated and would love to find out what’s causing this!

John honeyman
#124. July 16th, 2009, at 11:39 AM.

I have had this issue for about a year now and all my expensive cotton only T shirts are ruined.

I done a test last week to try and rule out Larvae or other ‘bugs’. So I went out and bought a brand new £30 T shirt and put it straight in the washer. Low and behold when the wash was finished the T shirt had tiny holes in it on the front in the belly button region. (I didn’t wear it)

My theory is ; The quality of cotton used and how it is made.
I have other cotton T shirts I have had for years and these have NO holes. NEW expensive T shirts after one wash seem to be the problem here.
So I am putting it down to the Quality and origion of the Cotton.

Whats your thoughts?

ripped
#126. July 18th, 2009, at 5:30 PM.

how come no one is blaming the detergent and fabric softener companies? i mean working for a huge well known corporate manufacturer i know how much they like to cut back and find cheaper alternatives so as to get bigger profits, i see some sort of pattern here, most people are saying this has started since 5 years ago”5 YEARS!” give or take a few and it would take a % of time for this product to hit the shelf’s since it will remain in storage for some year(s) as it has no life expectancy
it will be now that we will see the effects since the rotation will be hitting the shops on a mass scale
maybe we should now attack the detergents and softener companies for compo and explanations

Michelle
#127. July 25th, 2009, at 10:02 PM.

I agree with ripped, I think it may be the washing powders, not the washing machines.
I found this article:
http://isbibbio.wikispaces.com/biological+washing+powders+and+enzymes
which says that an enzyme called cellulase is a recent additive to biological washing powders. Cellulase destroys cellulose, which is what plant cell walls are made of, such as cotton. Quote from the article:
“° During use, small fibers are raised from the surface of cotton thread, resulting in a change in the texture of the fabric, and the brightness of colors is lowered.
° Cellulase removes the small fibers without damaging the major fibers and restores the fabric to its former condition.”
My tea towels have been falling to bits at a rate of knots, which never used to happen, so I’m going to switch to non biological powder to see if that stops their deterioration.

John Howard
#128. July 26th, 2009, at 6:26 PM.

I was interested to read the letters regarding holes in laundry.

I had the same problems approx. 9 years ago with my new hotpoint.

The engineer tried to convince me I had loaded the machine wrongly.

However with persistance it was found rough edges arround the holes in the drum were to blame .

My machine drum was also off balance which caused clothes to be
trapped and be torn.

Holes and tears caused by machines was taken up by Watchdog and hundreds of viewers were involved.

I hope this may be of interest.

Paul I hate granite
#130. August 9th, 2009, at 11:44 AM.

So happy i found this site, instead of moving we had a new £50,000 kitchen/conservatory fitted in March 2008 it is really nice with all Miele appliances and an island with a huge granite top on it. my wife started to notice holes appearing in the same waist location, after months of wondering where this problem is deveoping we found this site, the granite over the sink is higher than the island and we believe this is where the probem is. I am considering legal action as my wife has holes in approx £1000 worth of tops. can anyone give any help on how to combat this problem or any comments on my chance down the legal side would be most appreciated. granite company say its nothing to do with them! and kitchen company are saying stick selotape on??

Shari
#131. August 15th, 2009, at 8:06 PM.

I’m from the U.S. – I had been having the small hole mystery for over a year – just me – not my husband. I checked, cleaned, changed everything and finally decided it must be some kind of mite that only likes me. And then I thought, that’s ridiculous but it is just me – what’s different about me or my clothes? It finally hit me. There is a product called cellfood. You’re supposed to add a few drops to water and drink it. I was using it straight out of the bottle – just a drop or two on problem skin areas. I looked it up and it had a caution – avoid contact with cotton, silk, linen – it will cause small holes. I doubt if many or any of you are using cellfood on your faces but there are some pretty strong solutions out there. I had someone stay at my house a few years ago and noticed my green towels seemed to have bleach spots – and we all know bleach weakens fabrics. It turned out to be the Proactiv solution she was using. Hope that helps someone out there.

Aine
#133. August 19th, 2009, at 1:18 AM.

I’m from Ireland and have been experiencing the same problem with tiny holes at waist level on my cotton tops and t- shirts. I noticed it happening when I moved into a new house two years ago with guess what … granite worktops in my kitchen! Its been happening to mostly my stuff but my husband hasnt escaped either. In a way, I’m delighted to think that I have finally found an explanation to this problem as it was driving me insane. The solution seems to be an apron, have to say I never thought I’d end up wearing one but if it saves my clothes who cares? Thanks so much for the advice, espesially rob the stay at home Dad, and to everyone else. Slan!

Jackie
#134. August 19th, 2009, at 3:21 PM.

Sorry-but I think that theory is rubbish. All of my family have holes in many items of clothing-not just t-shirts and certainly not restricted to waist level at the front. And I don’t have granite work tops either!

Only yesterday as I was ironing one of my husbands t-shirts I noticed a fairly big hole on the back at shoulder blade level-it wasn’t there when he was wearing it the day before!

Dieter
#135. August 21st, 2009, at 4:34 PM.

I have the problem of holes ONLY near my belly button on my T’s. I dont believe any of the wash machine theories, or detergent theories are the root cause of the problem. Why don’t the holes appear anywhere else on the t’s, and why do my wife’s undies not have holes?

I think fibers are being torn during my normal wear and tear, such as rubbing up to my wood workbench. These tears are being made larger by the washing cycle.

That’s my 2 cents…

Ian
#136. August 24th, 2009, at 9:33 PM.

Blimey ! How can a washing machine be the blame for holes in the front bottom of peoples t-shirts…..arrggghhh…its not !! It would have to be a clever washing machine to pick out you t-shirts only and then work out which is the front of the t-shirt and then work out where the bottom waist of the t-shirt is !!!….get a grip peeps.

I have the same problem of holes in t-shirts at the waist. Again, I wear no belt and believe it must be the button on the top of my jeans. At first I thought it was a belt I was wearing and stopped using that. Then I thought it was the zip on my fly of my jeans, then found out the other night that wearing just button up fly jeans the same happens. So to my conclusion it is the button at the top of my jeans. It happens when you sit down and your gut traps your t-shirt under the button and causes friction to make the holes.

Does this problem happen to anyone who does not slouch? Probably not. Does it happen to anyone who has a nice slim waist ? Probably not.
I think the only cure for this is to start doing many sit-ups and obtain a six-pack so our bellies don’t hang over the top button when we sit down.

STOP BLAMING THE WASHING MACHINES

Anne
#137. August 28th, 2009, at 6:11 PM.

I had this problem with my Hotpoint about 7 years ago, I recieved compensation and my machine was replaced. It wasn’t easy but I got there. In this case my clothing and bedding had a combination of small holes and very large snags. In the meantime I have moved twice the first time to rented accomadation with a machine in situ, a bosch classix which after 4 years had no issues with. I then moved again purchased my own Zanussi and three years on I have the problem back. So far I only have small holes in random places and on all the families clothing. I also have a dog and a cat so am not ruling out a bug issue. The detergent may be a factor as I try to use non bio. I recently had an issue with Black Mold in the drawer whilst waiting for someone to take my machine appart to get access to the whole drawer I started using a 2 in 1 detergent which is biological I don’t recall seeing new holes then. I also try and wash my clothes on 30 deg althou my son who has allergies has his sheets washed at 60. I have just read a link about washing at low temps and with non bio. Does this give anyone any ideas?
I am now using persil gel and comfort. My machine is a 6kg Zanussi front loader. If i’ve missed anything let me know.

Mel
#138. September 6th, 2009, at 1:56 PM.

This problem has nothing to do with our waistlines ( Iwear a size 4) nor do I believe our washing machines (too many people are experiencing this problem and they don’t all use the same washing machines and detergent) and unfortunately, I have to rule out the zipper on jeans explanation since I just found two holes on my pajama top (thin cotton). I wish I had an explanation, and I will keep searching, but I don’t think we are on the right track so far.

ShellsWells
#139. September 9th, 2009, at 12:41 AM.

First- for anyone suffering from holes in the front of shirt (belly-button area) we are in the wrong forum! Ours is a completely different problem than people who are getting random holes which may or may not be caused by the washing machine. Sure, the washer may eventually weaken a cotton fabric that already has holes.. but to blame the machine for such specific patterns? Whatever…

I am interested in addressing the patterned front hole problem… (this was one of the few sites where anyone discussed this subject in such detail) I find myself intrigued with all the various answers/solutions to this and why its happening…

However, LOGIC over rules all the scare tactics… Please.. get real- Moths and other fabric bugs are NOT PICKY. They dont go up to a shirt and say- hmmm, let me JUST eat the front. So, if this is happening to you- dont get freaked out by all the other posts. If you had moths- ALL your clothes would show signs of it- and the eating patterns would be totally RANDOM.

As far as the friction theories- I give them credit and are very probable. CHEAP COTTON is also a definite part of the puzzle as well. I think that the people who have decided to wear aprons (yes, our parents did it- and survived) are on the right track. If you’ve lost some really expensive shirts (like I have) maybe an undershirt may help with the jean friction thing. It doesnt matter what weight, sex you are- it seems this problem can effect anyone. I purpose a web site forum set up specifically for this issue- as I do believe that as consumers we have the right to expect higher quality products (especially when we are PAYING higher prices for them)

Whether it be buttons, jeans, belts, granite/surface rubs or any other source- shouldnt our clothing be able to withstand everyday wear and tear? If not- shoudnt they be labeled in such a way to warn us NOT to wear this product when cleaning your kitchen? Comical- I know… but does anyone else have a better idea?

For now- if your COTTON is of a lesser quality or the material is extremely thin- we have to use common sense and beware of the elements that may damage it. Ridicuous- considering everything else we have to worry about it the world.

Although I am SURE that there are some clothes eating machines out there- let’s give the washer a break on this one, shall we?

PAT CHALKLEY
#140. September 12th, 2009, at 12:49 AM.

I FOUND A HOLE IN A PAIR OF JEANS BUT I DID NOT DO UP ZIP OR TURN THEM INSIDE OUT! I ALSO PUT THEM ON A HIGH SPIN!!
THANKS FOR YOUR COMMENTS…..THE HOLE WAS PROBABLY DO TO MY NEGLIGENCE. I DO FEEL BETTER AS I AM GLAD IT IS NOT SOME FAULT IN THE DRUM OF MY WASHING MACHINE.

Daniela
#141. September 13th, 2009, at 9:08 PM.

Guys and gals, through several tests I have drawn the conclusion that it is not bugs, not moths, not the deodorant spray since I never used it since I use roll-on, not the granite (since the holes are front and back of the t.shirts), not overloading, not over-spinning and I doubt that it is the washing machine since many machines of different brands seem to be reported. What I realised is that the softer and thinner the fabric is, the more holes appear. Since the holes are tiny non-stretched well defined holes (as though a drop of acid fell on the garment), I beleive that the holes are being caused by either the detergent or the softner. I am using Persil and Comfort. If anyone agrees with me, or has found a concrete solution, please let me know. I am fed up of throwing out clothes.

Jimmy
#142. October 5th, 2009, at 8:00 PM.

Zanussi washer/7kg/1400rpm spin

Have had the same problem with holes in cotton T shirts for a long time. Wifey wanted to replace the machine so checked for snags in the washer and bugs in the wardrobe but found nothing. Then read this blog and found the idea of work top edges and belts interesting as I often lean on the worktop with a beer and a fag. Just a thought, a few years ago it became fashionable to wear T shirts outside your trousers rather than tucked in,causing more contact between belt/button and worktop.Could this be the cause of the recent increase in hole formation? If so do we need a fashion change?

whitedogalaska
#143. October 6th, 2009, at 5:34 PM.

Hello everybody, I’m in the US and have been having the same problem of tiny holes appearing on t-shirts on or around the belly button area. It is frustrating to see so many t-shirts go to waste! The t-shirts have been of various quality cotton, not just the cheap t-shirts produce holes, the expensive heavy t-shirts also produce holes. And all in the same belly button area!
I do not have granite counter tops. I do not have a belly button ring. I wear a variety of jeans and pants. I wear different belts with my jeans from time to time.
I am wondering if the seat belt in the car is causing this phenomenon???
I purchased a ladies t-shirt from a gaming website, it fit nicely but was made from very thin cotton. Holes appeared so I threw it away and ordered the men’s t-shirt. Heavier cotton, but not a feminine fit. I have worn it several times and I discovered holes in the same area today! Bugger!
Maybe the holes are made by aliens testing our quality of clothing. (lol)

ShellsWells
#144. October 9th, 2009, at 6:33 PM.

I am back one more time to tell you all that I did experiment with the granite/hard surface rub theory. Rubbed a low quality cotton shirt (that had a high price tag by the way) side to side and a few up and down movements against the edge of my granite.

YES—> tiny holes formed. After a delicate wash and air dry the holes were larger in appearance. These are the SAME holes that have been cursing all my shirts for some time now. Friction against a hard surface (whether it be rock or other material) weakens the already thin cotton fibers.

Since this area (the lower stomach, or belly button- or sometimes even on the backside) is exposed to the most friction-
it is easy to see that the problem is NOT bugs. Nor some mysterious worm.

We are just consumers plagued with a lower grade cotton that cannot withstand the abuse of regular wear and tear. Why is this so hard for us to believe and accept? Think about how everything else in our present day society has been “downsized, downgraded- made in a more economic fashion.” It’s easy to see that we are now purchasing lower quality cotton products since we’ve been conditioned to do so.

For anyone serioulsy searching for the real answer to holes in the front of your shirt- have no fear- it is simply science. Cause and effect. Even a higher grade (heavier cotton) shirt will eventually break down to friction damage.

I’ve been wearing an apron in the kitchen for the past few months now- adn NO NEW HOLES have appeared. Save your hard earned $$ and buy and apron! You will not regret it! And you can stop worrying about your washer being a monster~!

Jackie
#145. October 9th, 2009, at 9:09 PM.

Still doesn’t “WASH” with me!!! So how do you explain the holes in the neck/back of lots of my t-shirts-see the photo’s!

Ladfromoz
#146. October 9th, 2009, at 10:54 PM.

So if your problem is with inferior cotton shirts, buy Australian cotton. I don’t know where you’re getting your shirts from over there.

http://www.csiro.au/resources/Changing-Face-of-Cotton.html
One example -
The industry initiated a study to accurately
quantify the degree and sources of cotton
contaminants as well as a campaign to
increase industry awareness of the causes of
contamination. The study revealed
contamination in Australian cotton during
2006–2007 had decreased to 0.6 grams per
tonne one of the lowest cotton contamination
rates in the world.

Shannon
#147. October 10th, 2009, at 5:01 AM.

Does this seem to only be a problem with top load washing machines or does this happen with front loaders like the whirlpool steam washer? If it’s the top load washing machine then I may buy a front loader. This is happening to all of my husbands shirts. I’m guessing b/c he has lots of cotton tshirts.

ShellsWells
#148. October 12th, 2009, at 3:09 AM.

Jackie: In your case- large holes that can and do appear in various places on ALL your families clothes may indicate moths or some other pest. OR- you may actually be one of the few people who REALLY DOES have a BAD WASHER. Sorry you havent found any conclusive answers yet!

karen hammant
#150. October 13th, 2009, at 4:43 PM.

i wanted to get in touch as i am also experiencing small holes in my mainly cotton clothing after washing in machine. I have a brand new hotpoint aqualtis which was heavily advertised on telly for its larger drum. I purchased mine in february and noticed small holes appearing in my washed clothing immediately. To start with i thought the odd items, being older peices of clothing had just worn through, but as it started then to happen on brand new items, which had only been worn once i began to question the machine. The holes are very small and often a few appear in the same patch at the same time.

I thought it was the spin being too vigorous and have since turned this down as an option when i now wash, but this does not seem to help as today once again another brand new item of clothing has come out with several small holes in. On further investigation i can feel that when i push my finger onto the drainage holes in the machine and the skin is pushed inside i can feel that there is a sharpness there a bit like a cheese grater which appears to be on the other side of the drum. I also have a friend with the exact same machine and guess what? Yep she also has holes in her clothes too. I think that the larger drum is the reason for the fault as there is little space between the outside of the drum and the machine itself. I am now in touch with my retailer and will be seeking a replacement machine (not the one i already have) and compensation for half of my ruined wardrobe. I will keep you posted to the outcome.

Graham s
#151. October 18th, 2009, at 3:20 PM.

My wife and son were always having problems with small holes in the FRONT of their cotton t shirts. After Reading most of your articles it is now clear to me that whilst wearing jeans rubbing has caused these particular holes together with seatbelt friction ruining a few of my wifes finer tops after only one wear. With all this observation going on I haven’t read anyone checking for these holes prior to washing. It is likely they are only discovered when been ironed. Others who are complaining about larger tears in various areas of clothing then there is the obvious cause of the drum snagging clothes which I would suggest would be easy to notice owing to the frequency with which it happens. I would like to thank the contributors as it was only after Reading there comments that the cause became apparent. Aprons whilst cooking and eating are the way ahead.

Diane
#152. October 20th, 2009, at 6:14 PM.

I FOUND THE ANSWER TO THIS PROBLEM:I also had tiny holes in all my t-shirts. I believe that it is a combination of all new washers
( mine is a Maytag Centennial) which spins at an accelerated speed that older washers & the new rage 2x detergents.
I found a detergent that was not 2x concentrated & I do not have that ” tiny holes problem” since I made the switch to a regular detergent.

Good luck! I experienced that problem for months but no more!
Enough wasting clothes!!!

Diane
#153. October 22nd, 2009, at 4:07 AM.

We have the prob. of holes in the back/bottom of our T shirts.
It only happens to some of them…and are ALWAYS in the back on the bottom. This leads me to believe it cannot be the washing machine because why would it always be on the bottom of the back of the shirt? They are perfect round, small holes, and there are usually many of them making the lower back of the shirt look like swiss cheese. Does anyone have a logical explaintion of why this is happening? One that makes sense…we aren’t near bleaches, acids, and do not rub against grainite…so what else can explain this? HELP!!

ShellsWells
#154. November 2nd, 2009, at 12:43 AM.

Diane-
The problem is with FRICTION. Doesnt have to be granite. Something you are regularly doing without realizing it (of course) is creating friction against the cotton material (whether front or back) some holes may not be apparent at first- but after a wash and dry they show up (exactly as described) “cottage cheese” like was a good description once it gets so bad. Usually starts with just a few small ones at first. It’s not rocket science to figure this out- and I feel for anyone who is worrying over it. Hang in there!

April Tea
#155. November 8th, 2009, at 4:13 PM.

Recntly our washing machine has been making tiny holes in all our new t-shirts at the bottom of the front. The holes are appering in exactly the same positons and place in all new garments despite us all being completely different heights. My family has been gatting really annoyed and freaked out thinking it’s a ghost that all our new clothes have holes in bottom front in the exactly the same places and so I decided to go on the interne to see if anyone else is experiencing this same problem. I don’t see how the washing machine could be making these holes as surely the holes would be random not EXACTLY the same (i think it’s bout 6 holes if i remmeber righty so), it cannot be a work surface or something we lean on as we are different heights and why is it just on our new clothes? If you have any logical explanation for this lety me know. Please help thank you x x

dappyblonde
#156. November 10th, 2009, at 10:05 PM.

We had a Beko machine. Small holes started to appear in an assortment of washing but yes mainly cottons. Thinking it was the washing machine, we shelled out and purchased a new machine. Again a Beko, 1400 spin 7kg drum. To my dismay clothes have again started appearing with holes in. Only usually one hole but enough to damage the item.

It has happened to my daughters swim costume which was only in with soft towels, so clearly not a zip or anything.
Also on fully and low loads. Dont know what to do as i have two small children and washing on all the time but cant afford to keep damaging clothing?? Help ??

jeff
#157. November 12th, 2009, at 7:47 PM.

i thought i was the only one having this very bizarre and very frustrating problem. for several years i have had the small-holes-in-the-lower-front-of-T-shirts problem. interestingly, i also get these holes in the front of my boxer shorts – and the position of these holes is essentially in line with the holes on the t-shirts when the clothes are on.

as others have mentioned, the non-randomness of the holes rules out bugs, detergents, and washing machines as the culprits. the friction idea seems to be the best so far, but it’s just hard to imagine that there is that much more friction in the low-stomach area than in other areas of the shirt. my t-shirts do not come into contact with buttons, zippers, or belt buckles.

after the last round of replacing the t-shirts, i decided not to store them folded up in a drawer, because at that time i thought that possibly some bug could be the culprit. so for the last few months i have been hanging up my t-shirts after laundering, and since then i have not seen any holes in these t-shirts.

with that said, i recently noticed a small hole in one of my boxer shorts (in the usual place) and a small hole on the backside of a pair of thermal underwear pants (which i have always kept hung up).

99.9% of the issue with the holes has been as i described: on the lower front of cotton t-shirts and the front of poly/cotton boxer shorts, whith only a couple instances of holes that deviated from this pattern: i had one printed cotton t-shirt get these holes in the armpit area, and the hole on the backside of the thermal underwear pants (98% polyester, 2% spandex) was also anomolous.

i really wish there was a satisfiying explanation for this probelm, as it has caused me so much aggrivation.

Ros
#158. November 13th, 2009, at 12:12 AM.

There have been many accounts of holes in laundry and many feasible reasons put forward. The positioning of the holes on clothing in some of the comments does suggest damage caused by products we often use (in front of us) in our homes (or gardens) a spray of some sort for cleaning, bleach or other chemical. Clothing does not appear to be affected until it is washed, when water and detergent come into contact with the site of the splash causing a reaction. I had used a very powerful drain cleaner in my shower and even though I was very careful it is possible that a splash caught the bottom of the garment I was wearing.

I didn’t notice any holes until after the garment had been washed and hung out on the line. At that time I thought the damage had been done outside. On another occasion where I used some acetic acid in the lab, a very slight splash must have occurred but didn’t appear to affect the tee shirt I was wearing until after I had washed it and then found small bleached patches. There are many household cleaners that claim to possess magical cleaning powers but some of these may be potentially dangerous to our clothing, damage of which is not apparent until after washing.

Darren
#159. December 20th, 2009, at 12:03 PM.

I am experiencing the same problem holes in the front bottom part of the t-shirts. One theory I’ve thought of is, could this be the shape of the t-shirt and the baggiest piece of material that allows itself to be pulled into the drum ?

Liz B
#161. December 30th, 2009, at 3:44 PM.

Interesting – we were just discussing holes in laundry. I thought I’d share the outcome of our wisdom!

There are two main reasons that you get holes in laundry.

1) In sufficient rinsing – detergent particals get caught in the fabric – don’t get washed out and will simply rot the fabric. Ofter caused by too much detergent added for the cycle. Those of us with sensitive dispositions and who have ‘extra rinse’ know that this is a fab choice to add in as it will remove nearly all the problems caused by detergents.

2) Wrong wash / spin cycle. The latest complaint was that the washing was being sucked through the holes in drum and holes appearing. When the cycle was checked; delicates were being washed on cotton with a 1200 spin cycle – the scientist in me wanted to shout ‘no brainer’. To prevent this use the instructions on the garment and wash at the temperatures shown.

The reason that more delicate cycles only allow you to have a lower weight of garments delicates need more water per kg of clothing to craddle them in the machine and to prevent stress of the fabric. (And yes, your mother was right – a really good washing machine will cause less stress to your clothes than to handwash them).

Now for the 2 caveats.

a) If you buy a lesser quality washing machine then the drum may not be double punched so it could be less smooth and so catch the clothing. If you have a double punched drum then holes are more likely from the above than the drum itself.

b) some fabrics are not uniform in their construction – linens do not have the same thickness in the whole length of the thread so if they have inherant weaknesses which detergent / wrong cycle can exploit.

c) if there is a weakness in the garment then a washing machine will eventually find it and it will get worse. So the initial damage may be random but it will just keep getting bigger and bigger.

Liz B
#162. December 30th, 2009, at 3:48 PM.

PS – if you consistantly fold tee-shirts in the same place you can weaken the fabric and holes may start to appear on the fold lines – think of how shirt collars start to go through rubbing – it’s the same thing.

Also, ironing can expediate weakening and most iron manufacturers will not recommend fagranced water for steam irons for the same reason (and it can mess up your iron)

Liz B
#163. January 4th, 2010, at 3:27 PM.

Just been given a great tip on how to check if it’s your drum snagging your clothes – take an old pair of tights and rub them round the inside of the drum – if they snag – then you have a problem with your drum.

L

Paula S.
#164. January 24th, 2010, at 7:18 PM.

For the past few years only, every shirt I buy ends up with holes in the very same spot. It is at the bottom of my shirts and I thought they were snagging on my zipper but it happens to shirts that I wear with pull on pants also. I recently moved and have a new washer and it happened with the old washer too. I had quartz counters in the old house and have laminate now. Still happens. I bought a t shirt the other day and it had the same series of about 5 small holes in the same spot within hours.
I have bought shirts from 3 or 4 different stores and it happens to all of them. It does not happen to any other member of my family. All of my shirts are hung in the same closet where my husband’s clothes are. None of his are affected. I am going nuts with this ridiculous mystery!

Ros
#165. January 25th, 2010, at 1:45 AM.

Paula, as it only happens to your things then maybe your clothes are coming into contact with a product you are using perhaps for cleaning. I wrote about this in November. If you do not already protect your clothes when involved in chores at home, work or even the garden then try wearing protective clothing and see if that makes any difference. Good luck.