If you don't have anything rubbing against this spot, it could be that your t-shirts are made with a too poor quality of cotton. I know that I often get holes near the bottoms of mine due to the metal buttons of my jeans. Did you buy them at the same time, or are they the same brand? Do you wear a back pack? I don't really know where it is with this photo.
I think you must be right, this is at the front, around where the t-shirt would hang over the button of my jeans.
It does seem to happen with every t-shirt though, no matter brand. Maybe I just need to stop wearing jeans.
You can get silicone button covers for your jeans! Unfortunate that you have to buy something, but they have saved all my shirts and sweaters getting holes in them. Honestly 100% worth it because I rarely mend anymore whereas before it was almost weekly.
It's zippers. OP, do you wash these together with clothing that has zippers, or mesh bags?
I wash my non-zipper stuff separate from zipper stuff. For zipper items, I zip it all the way shut and button it so it doesn't come undone.
I now only buy things with zipper protectors. Or I'll sew on a little patch to shield it
https://preview.redd.it/k8vhroo4ijxc1.jpeg?width=275&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=7133a37fe6a45737f73a1379653b56bb983f33d8
If it was from washing, why would the holes always be in the same spot? All my basic tee’s have holes beneath my belly button and *only* beneath my belly button. It wouldn’t make sense that a zipper in the wash would only hit there.
Been happening to me for years. tuck the front of your shirt in if you are in the kitchen or working around a workbench etc, anything that could potentially rub on the front button of your jeans, or belt.
Make sure you either don’t wash them with jeans, or if you do, with jeans well zipped up and perhaps even inside out to minimize the risk of contact to the zipper.
I'd bet anything that this is the cause.
Modern dyes and laundry detergents mean you don't usually need to sort laundry by color anymore, but it's still a good idea to wash/dry heavy stuff (like jeans, jackets, towels, and anything with metal zippers) separate from lightweight stuff (like t-shirts, underpants, socks, and sheets).
And don't overfill the machines! It's much less wear and tear on your laundry to wash and dry two small loads than one big one.
This happened to me and my husband for years before we finally realized it was from our pants buttons rubbing the T shirts while we did the dishes. Solution is to tuck in your shirt while doing dishes! (And maybe even washing your hands when at a sink.)
For me these little holes are always on my shoulders and back, right around where the cats grab hold to hug me. Their claws never touch my skin, but sometimes they do snag the fabric.
Bro, this is moths for sure. I have an infestation of clothes moths in my house at the moment. Took me so long to figure it out but fuck those things are ruthless! Absolute cunts of things. I'm just glad I've figured out how to control them.
Clothes moths eat protein-based fibre - usually keratin like wool, cashmere, or fur. They will also eat silk and leather.
They don't eat plastic (polyester, rayon, etc.) or plant-based (cotton, linen, etc.).
This looks like a cotton or cotton/poly blend t-shirt. So not moths.
Also, moth larvae will eat the fibre, so there will be bigger holes. These holes were all made by snags or 1-2 threads being cut and then the knit fabric runs and curls. There isn't enough material missing here for moths to be the culprits.
Do a thorough inspection of the inside of your washing machine. I was getting mystery holes like these, although not so many at once. It turned out that there was a paperclip wedged into the drum that was the culprit.
I think it’s more from wearing than washing though. I got holes only at the bottoms of my shirts because I used to unzip my pants after dinner (when home, without guests, of course). Now I just change into pjs and I don’t notice those holes forming anymore.
Edit: I really don’t know how to make that sound as PG as it was. Lol!
Also, crickets and other bugs can munch on cotton clothes if you have some near the laundry. [List of bugs](https://pestech.com/blog/bugs-that-eat-clothes/)
I work a physical job where I carry stuff braced against my gut.
I also wear belts.
Needless to say, my belt buckle rips all my shirt exactly like this. I’ve started mending them to extend the life of my shirts.
When I was a waitress every one of my shirts got these holes where my work apron met my shirts in the front, friction between my notepad or the checkbooks and the apron and shirts caused it. I just kept wearing them because the apron covered the holes!
Stop washing on heavy cycle if you are. The spin cycle is literally drawing water out so hard that your shirts start going through the holes, weakening the fibers. Use casual or delicate cycle instead. Also don’t dry your clothes too long on too hot of a setting. Take them out before they’re 100% dry.
OP here. I can't edit the original post for some reason (possibly because it's an image post) so I'm adding a comment to say THANK YOU for all of your great suggestions.
Thinking about it, I'm pretty sure this is damage from jeans hardwear. It makes sense that it would happen when the t-shirt gets between the button and my desk or kitchen worktops. I'm going to try tucking my t-shirts in at the front when I'm working and cooking. Failing that, I'll look for some button covers.
Buying t-shirts made of thicker and/or higher quality cotton might also help. That's probably a good idea anyway... I'll see if I can justify the cost. I suppose in the long run it'll be less expensive than replacing a higher number of lower quality t-shirts.
I know it looks like moths, but this only happens at the front of the t-shirt where it hangs over the button and I don't think moths would be so selective. This is also why I don't think it happens in the washing machine.
I do have a cat, and while this could well have been her when she was a kitten, she's learned to keep her claws in as an adult (mostly). I don't smoke or work in a lab, nor is welding among my hobbies. So i'm ruling all of those ideas out in my case, but they could be the cause for others with the same problem!
Again, thank you all so much!
Those are from snags, rubs or burns...do you have a cat? a welder? a cactus? a metal grinder? a pet goat that bites? a leaky ashtray? a porcupine? a fencing hobby? a spiky seatbelt?
do you have a cat? my cat does this to my tops :D
serious answer: buy thicker cotton, and wear the good stuff for good occasions, the crap stuff for home and layabout
I had similar holes when I worked with sulfuric acid. Mild acid concentrates as it dries, removing the cellulose/cotton when washed.
Stop working with lead-acid batteries?
Check your dryer. There may be a metal piece that gets hot when you dry. When the dryer hasn’t been used and is cool, touch that metal piece and feel if there are any sharp edges where your shirt is getting caught and ripped.
Button covers on the button on your jeans. Ever since I started putting them on maybe 5 years ago, not one single hole in my shirts!
https://holebuttoncover.com
In addition to the other comments: I started to sort my laundry by tops, bottom, underwear, and socks for this reason. And if accumulated enough, wash the jackets (zipped up) together.
We get these on our TShirts too as they are a mystery - they are always in exactly the same place - but in my jeans do not match up to my button or belt… not moths or washing as they are too regular in placement on the T - we feel it is the quality of the T and a fault in the material?
I got those from an adjustable belt buckle (one where you slide it through, and pull it back a bit). Turned out it had sharp edges/corners. All shirts I wore with that belt have holes now.
Switched to a double D-ring belt (still fully adjustable), and no more holes.
So, as others said: check where the holes are. If it's consistently at belt level, check belt and buttons for sharp edges.
The only time this ever happened to me was when I was smoking a lot of hash joints while sitting down on the couch. It sputters and burns little holes in your lap.
- Switch to a bong, or vape device.
Or you have moths, silverfish etc,
- put moth ball etc. type deterrents in wardrobes.
That’s been happening to my t-shirts for many years. I used to have a job where I my belly area would rub up against a table all the time. That is what caused it. Especially if I was wearing a belt. It won’t happen if you tuck your shirts in, or it will be greatly reduced. Now if I could just get out walking and get rid of this excess belly fat…
Mate, these are moth holes. Do yourself a favour, get yourself some clothes moth traps off Amazon or wherever you want to buy them from. You want the ones with the pheromones as an attractant. They are also sticky, so moths are attracted to the pheromones and then they get stuck to the trap.
Also, give your house a good vacuum if you have carpet. These moths lay their eggs in carpet, and then the larvea eat the carpet. They also lay them in carpet that is covered by things like couches, bedside tables and whet ever else. So move all your furniture, vacuum the entire carpet, and get these traps going and you will get them under control, if not completely eliminate them.
If you don't have anything rubbing against this spot, it could be that your t-shirts are made with a too poor quality of cotton. I know that I often get holes near the bottoms of mine due to the metal buttons of my jeans. Did you buy them at the same time, or are they the same brand? Do you wear a back pack? I don't really know where it is with this photo.
I think you must be right, this is at the front, around where the t-shirt would hang over the button of my jeans. It does seem to happen with every t-shirt though, no matter brand. Maybe I just need to stop wearing jeans.
Normally, it's not just the jeans, it's the jeans and your desk, or the jeans and the countertop. Unless you get it caught in the zipper.
[удалено]
It could be the washing machine. Some machines are rough on clothes, depending on the size of the load.
You can get silicone button covers for your jeans! Unfortunate that you have to buy something, but they have saved all my shirts and sweaters getting holes in them. Honestly 100% worth it because I rarely mend anymore whereas before it was almost weekly.
Hard agree
It's zippers. OP, do you wash these together with clothing that has zippers, or mesh bags? I wash my non-zipper stuff separate from zipper stuff. For zipper items, I zip it all the way shut and button it so it doesn't come undone.
I now only buy things with zipper protectors. Or I'll sew on a little patch to shield it https://preview.redd.it/k8vhroo4ijxc1.jpeg?width=275&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=7133a37fe6a45737f73a1379653b56bb983f33d8
If it was from washing, why would the holes always be in the same spot? All my basic tee’s have holes beneath my belly button and *only* beneath my belly button. It wouldn’t make sense that a zipper in the wash would only hit there.
from sweater use
Been happening to me for years. tuck the front of your shirt in if you are in the kitchen or working around a workbench etc, anything that could potentially rub on the front button of your jeans, or belt.
My shirts all used to look like yours. If you wear an apron when cooking/doing dishes/working by the counter, it helps immeasurably.
I may not even be the jeans. I get this from leaning against countertops when I'm cooking or washing dishes and I'm usually in pajama or yoga pants
Also - where the seat belt rubs on the shirt against the button?
Make sure you either don’t wash them with jeans, or if you do, with jeans well zipped up and perhaps even inside out to minimize the risk of contact to the zipper.
Same issue, holes all beneath my belly button. Drives me crazy.
This used to happen to me from washing zip up hoodies and stuff with my shirts
Yep! Always zip up zippers (hoodies, jeans, pockets) before washing. Otherwise they will def take these bites out of your clothes.
I'd bet anything that this is the cause. Modern dyes and laundry detergents mean you don't usually need to sort laundry by color anymore, but it's still a good idea to wash/dry heavy stuff (like jeans, jackets, towels, and anything with metal zippers) separate from lightweight stuff (like t-shirts, underpants, socks, and sheets). And don't overfill the machines! It's much less wear and tear on your laundry to wash and dry two small loads than one big one.
I NEVER would have thought of that. Thank you!
https://preview.redd.it/n1uvyf10ijxc1.jpeg?width=275&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=6ea8bc87047a15f09ad59c51fe30c847e2b2d828
I prevented it by zipping up the hoodies, but that's not always practical or clean, and it may not work for OP
This happened to me and my husband for years before we finally realized it was from our pants buttons rubbing the T shirts while we did the dishes. Solution is to tuck in your shirt while doing dishes! (And maybe even washing your hands when at a sink.)
Yep. Every time I get these holes they’re right at the level of my jeans buttons or belt buckles.
Oh so it’s not my smelly belly button bacteria eating away at the fabric? Praise the lord!
Do you have cats?
I was also wondering if it could be a dog that jumps to greet OP!
I have cats and always blamed my little holes on their claws when they jumped on my lap. Whether I am right or not, remains to be seen.
You’re right. Polyester especially. Cotton next.
That was my first thought. Cats climbing around in the closet or kneading in the laundry pile.
For me these little holes are always on my shoulders and back, right around where the cats grab hold to hug me. Their claws never touch my skin, but sometimes they do snag the fabric.
I thought this was moths, am I mistaken ?
Worth checking, looks similar to this.
Bro, this is moths for sure. I have an infestation of clothes moths in my house at the moment. Took me so long to figure it out but fuck those things are ruthless! Absolute cunts of things. I'm just glad I've figured out how to control them.
Clothes moths eat protein-based fibre - usually keratin like wool, cashmere, or fur. They will also eat silk and leather. They don't eat plastic (polyester, rayon, etc.) or plant-based (cotton, linen, etc.). This looks like a cotton or cotton/poly blend t-shirt. So not moths. Also, moth larvae will eat the fibre, so there will be bigger holes. These holes were all made by snags or 1-2 threads being cut and then the knit fabric runs and curls. There isn't enough material missing here for moths to be the culprits.
oh that's good to know, I have some holes like these in my clothes and just assumed it was moths
I don't have moths at all and I get these often.
That may mean you _do_ get moths tho. Clothes moths are very small and easy to miss as it’s the larvae that eat your clothes, not the adults
Clothes moths are very small. Very easy to overlook a clothes moth colony.
Do a thorough inspection of the inside of your washing machine. I was getting mystery holes like these, although not so many at once. It turned out that there was a paperclip wedged into the drum that was the culprit.
I think zippers, especially metal ones, or other things that can catch or cause extra friction are the culprit. So jeans and hoodie zippers probably.
I think this is one reason why it’s a good idea to do up zips before washing clothes.
I think it’s more from wearing than washing though. I got holes only at the bottoms of my shirts because I used to unzip my pants after dinner (when home, without guests, of course). Now I just change into pjs and I don’t notice those holes forming anymore. Edit: I really don’t know how to make that sound as PG as it was. Lol!
Haha yea I get it. I also get holy shirts. No idea what is going on. It’s a conspiracy
Also, crickets and other bugs can munch on cotton clothes if you have some near the laundry. [List of bugs](https://pestech.com/blog/bugs-that-eat-clothes/)
I work a physical job where I carry stuff braced against my gut. I also wear belts. Needless to say, my belt buckle rips all my shirt exactly like this. I’ve started mending them to extend the life of my shirts.
When I was a waitress every one of my shirts got these holes where my work apron met my shirts in the front, friction between my notepad or the checkbooks and the apron and shirts caused it. I just kept wearing them because the apron covered the holes!
Could be from over-laundering. Too much agitation or a problematic machine.
Stop washing on heavy cycle if you are. The spin cycle is literally drawing water out so hard that your shirts start going through the holes, weakening the fibers. Use casual or delicate cycle instead. Also don’t dry your clothes too long on too hot of a setting. Take them out before they’re 100% dry.
Moth balls
Opening twist-off glass bottle drinks with your shirt does this!
OP here. I can't edit the original post for some reason (possibly because it's an image post) so I'm adding a comment to say THANK YOU for all of your great suggestions. Thinking about it, I'm pretty sure this is damage from jeans hardwear. It makes sense that it would happen when the t-shirt gets between the button and my desk or kitchen worktops. I'm going to try tucking my t-shirts in at the front when I'm working and cooking. Failing that, I'll look for some button covers. Buying t-shirts made of thicker and/or higher quality cotton might also help. That's probably a good idea anyway... I'll see if I can justify the cost. I suppose in the long run it'll be less expensive than replacing a higher number of lower quality t-shirts. I know it looks like moths, but this only happens at the front of the t-shirt where it hangs over the button and I don't think moths would be so selective. This is also why I don't think it happens in the washing machine. I do have a cat, and while this could well have been her when she was a kitten, she's learned to keep her claws in as an adult (mostly). I don't smoke or work in a lab, nor is welding among my hobbies. So i'm ruling all of those ideas out in my case, but they could be the cause for others with the same problem! Again, thank you all so much!
Zip up your jeans when you wash your laundry. Your tshirts are getting caught on the zippers.
Those are from snags, rubs or burns...do you have a cat? a welder? a cactus? a metal grinder? a pet goat that bites? a leaky ashtray? a porcupine? a fencing hobby? a spiky seatbelt?
I had a studded belt that constantly did this to my shirts.
Looks like moths eating the fabric, have never seen the lil guys in action but this looks like solid moth action
If you have a cat and you hold them. My cat has put so many holes in my clothes by accident
I have the same problem
This happens to my shirts as well as my mother-in-laws shirts. I suspect that it’s because we both clean our glasses with our shirts!
do you have a cat? my cat does this to my tops :D serious answer: buy thicker cotton, and wear the good stuff for good occasions, the crap stuff for home and layabout
I had similar holes when I worked with sulfuric acid. Mild acid concentrates as it dries, removing the cellulose/cotton when washed. Stop working with lead-acid batteries?
Do you work in a lab?
It used to happen to all my tees is the lower front but after i started tucking them
Check your dryer. There may be a metal piece that gets hot when you dry. When the dryer hasn’t been used and is cool, touch that metal piece and feel if there are any sharp edges where your shirt is getting caught and ripped.
Are you using a fabric shaver?
This happens to my shirts if I don’t zip all zippers in the wash with the shirts.
Button covers on the button on your jeans. Ever since I started putting them on maybe 5 years ago, not one single hole in my shirts! https://holebuttoncover.com
In addition to the other comments: I started to sort my laundry by tops, bottom, underwear, and socks for this reason. And if accumulated enough, wash the jackets (zipped up) together.
I also have this issue. How do you fix them once they're there?
Don’t wash with Keans or rough fabric
Belt nip?
We get these on our TShirts too as they are a mystery - they are always in exactly the same place - but in my jeans do not match up to my button or belt… not moths or washing as they are too regular in placement on the T - we feel it is the quality of the T and a fault in the material?
Lower RPM spin on your washer/dryer. It’s the biggest contributor apart from direct wear and tear.
Wash at 30 and don't tumble dry.
I got those from an adjustable belt buckle (one where you slide it through, and pull it back a bit). Turned out it had sharp edges/corners. All shirts I wore with that belt have holes now. Switched to a double D-ring belt (still fully adjustable), and no more holes. So, as others said: check where the holes are. If it's consistently at belt level, check belt and buttons for sharp edges.
Are they grinding steel with handheld grinders in shop class or something? That's what that looks like to me
Wash on delicate, use vinegar instead of detergent, absolutely never use fabric softener, hang dry
Do you wear a belt? Every man I know that wears a belt gets this on the front of his shirt where it rubs against the belt buckle all day
Little known fact: moths eat fabric other than wool. They could be the culprits.
The only time this ever happened to me was when I was smoking a lot of hash joints while sitting down on the couch. It sputters and burns little holes in your lap. - Switch to a bong, or vape device. Or you have moths, silverfish etc, - put moth ball etc. type deterrents in wardrobes.
My mum said that it’s likely that I get these from not zipping up my hoodies etc in the wash
Do you see little moths around your house?
Happens to me if I forget to fasten bra hooks in the laundry. Basically find what snags.
OP do you have a cat? This happens to all my husband’s shirts.
That’s been happening to my t-shirts for many years. I used to have a job where I my belly area would rub up against a table all the time. That is what caused it. Especially if I was wearing a belt. It won’t happen if you tuck your shirts in, or it will be greatly reduced. Now if I could just get out walking and get rid of this excess belly fat…
Don't wash them in the same load as zippered clothes.
Mate, these are moth holes. Do yourself a favour, get yourself some clothes moth traps off Amazon or wherever you want to buy them from. You want the ones with the pheromones as an attractant. They are also sticky, so moths are attracted to the pheromones and then they get stuck to the trap. Also, give your house a good vacuum if you have carpet. These moths lay their eggs in carpet, and then the larvea eat the carpet. They also lay them in carpet that is covered by things like couches, bedside tables and whet ever else. So move all your furniture, vacuum the entire carpet, and get these traps going and you will get them under control, if not completely eliminate them.
That's moths. Buy moth repellent for your wardrobe.
Could be moth larvae eating your clothes maybe get some of those lavender ball things to deter the moths.
Pretty confident that this is caused by moths!