Comments on: Holes in washing (laundry)

By: Geoff

Geoff — Sat, 10 May 2008 21:06:41 +0000

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?

By: Jackie

Jackie — Wed, 07 May 2008 20:21:12 +0000

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????

By: Washerhelp

Washerhelp — Wed, 07 May 2008 11:41:10 +0000

Jackie: thanks for revisiting this topic and for sharing your experience. The Miele honeycombed drum is reputed to be the most gentle on laundry available. I took some photos of it for my washing machine review ( Miele honeycomb drum )

Anyone interested in it can see that instead of having punched holes which are usually sharp at the other side of the drum it has a sculptured surface with quite small drilled holes. Miele say that because of the way the drum is designed during washing there is a thin film of water created between the laundry and the drum which cushions the laundry. I also know from experience that my own Miele washing machine does not leave the laundry stuck to the sides after spinning, whereas normal washing machines force the laundry (especially towels) through the holes during spin.

I think it is unlikely that your problem is caused by the washing machine.

Kevin posted a comment earlier regarding some larvae eating the laundry. He described how the material disappeared, which of course would be conducive to having been eaten away. Laundry damaged in a washing machine should have tears and cuts and not have smooth round holes with most of the material “eaten” away.

I hope someone can relay their experience on how to detect for sure, or how to at least get rid of any insect infestation that could be eating cotton clothing. Maybe there’s a case for trying some old fashioned moth balls?

Here’s the result of a quick bit of research on the subject -

By: Jackie

Jackie — Mon, 05 May 2008 21:08:58 +0000

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.

By: Bev

Bev — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 19:02:57 +0000

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

By: Washerhelp

Washerhelp — Sun, 27 Apr 2008 13:10:49 +0000

Thanks very much for your useful addition to the debate kevin

By: Kevin Heyworth

Kevin Heyworth — Sun, 27 Apr 2008 11:56:35 +0000

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!

By: Kevin Heyworth

Kevin Heyworth — Sun, 27 Apr 2008 11:36:50 +0000

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.

By: Daisy

Daisy — Sun, 30 Mar 2008 11:46:30 +0000

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.

By: Iaker

Iaker — Sun, 23 Mar 2008 00:10:59 +0000

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…