I can't believe how many people have these holes in shirts. I have tried a few things but none have worked. Sorry, I can't go along with the seatbelt theory because my husband's t-shirts are the worst and he doesn't wear a seatbelt. Thanks for all the suggestions, keep them coming and hopefully someone will figure this out.

When they are washed if there are pants in the load and the zippers aren't zipped maybe that is doing it. I know I have some this way but I found that I was getting the small "belly" holes at work with no fault at all of the washer. Desk or tabletops some times will have a rough place on there we don't even notice. Also maybe even on the steering wheel when we are getting in and out and turn and hit it or maybe your watch will hit your shirt. A lot of things we just don't realize it could be and don't notice it when it happens.

I like the zipper theory. Many garments have instructions saying zippers should be zipped when they are washed. I can also imagine a t-shirt contacting a zipper when it's tucked in. A belt buckle is another potential culprit. And such holes can result from the shirt being stretched, perhaps by an agitator.

Have you explored the possibility of increased acidity in the navel area? A simple litmus paper test should do the trick.

IMO, not wearing a safety belt can result in far more serious issues than a few small holes in an inexpensive and rarely-seen garment. I hope you don't follow your husband's example.

Any chance we can narrow this down to a brand name of wash machine ?? Thanks.

Please read carefully, because this "fenomena" is yet much harder to understand and believe.
I have 2 children, 6 (a girl) and 4 (the little boy) years old. For more than a year now all their cotton clothes get these holes in the same place, the front of the right shoulder. T-shirts, pijamas, sports clothes, sweters, absolutly everithing made of cotton. They have each their own room, own closet, etc.
We have checked for bugs of all sorts, we have bought new Mielle state of art washing and driying machines, we have changed 3 irons, we have had 3 different people carying out the washig/ironing process, we have tiled the walls of the laundry room to make sure no bug is there, we have changed the place where clothes are stored during the whole washing process, and still, piles of clothes get their mysterious holes on the front of the right shoulder. For those that support the seatbelt theory, we have one bmw x3 and one x5, one takes the left side (sofia, and the other the right side, lucas, and none of them hace ever worn a pijams in any of these cars.
I have taken more than 20 pictures of some of the clothes that we still have at home, used to share with frinds and family that are willing to solve this mystery. They are available for who ever wants to check them out. Its incredible, and up to a point, it is getting scary...
Untill now, we have had to throw away more than 50 clothes, and we still keep around 30, considering they don't last more than a week before they get ruined.
Please let me know if anyone can help us, i am ready to share all details.
Thanks
Pablo.

There isn't one particular brand of washer that this is unique to Darboydoughboy. I have an LG, but I have read this complaint about nearly every front loader out there. My personal theory is that at ultra high spin speeds, areas of the clothing get sucked into the drain holes which weakens or tears the fabric. I never noticed this phenomenon in my old top loaders, but then again, my top loaders never spun clothes out at 1000 rpms.

MISTERY SOLVED!!!!!!!!

10 minutes before midnight, 31st dec 2007, we found the answer!!!
It's the staricase handle. it has a paint used for metal bars that is rought. My two children would always come down the stairs hanging their right arm over the bar, and that is why all their cotton clothes broke on the same place!!!
hopefully this experience will be of some help to any of you guys!!
happy new year with no more holes!!!

Pablo.

We successfully replicated the infamous bellybutton holes. It is caused by our granite countertop in the bathroom, under the mirror. It wasnt perfectly smooth so we rubbed my cotton shirt and got the same holes at bellybutton height. We found that Kam's shirts had the same holes in the belly button area. Only the shirt's which she wore out to nice places were affected so we looked at her routine on the nights we go out. Turns out she leans against the bathroom counter to put makeup on. The holes or weakness seem to be caused by the rubbing of the counter, and the washing machine is the catalyst, or accelerator, that speeds the tearing of the threads. Hope this helps and let me know if it does!d

I had the same problem with small holes in knit shirts at the belly button area. It was caused by my shirts rubbing against the counter in the lab where I work. A coworker noticed the same problem. I wear a lab coat now and the problem has stopped.

I have also been suffering with holes in shirts near belly button area¨ It just happened to a new shirt that has never been put in the washer. My daughter also gets the holes but my two sons and husband do not. We live in Austria and all of the clothing items were purchased over here. Very strange! Has anyone got any new theories besides the seatbelt, counter-top, or laundry detergent one. I also feel it can't be bugs or moths or everyone in my family would have the holes.

I also get holes in the front of my shirts, as do my friends. It is not just cotton becuase the shirt I am wearing has these holes and it is 100% polyester (Under Armour shirt). None of the theories above make sense.
1.) Not just cotton shirts affected
2.) I typically do not wear shorts/pants w/zippers with these shirts
3.) can't be the washer or other shirts/clothes would be affected and it would not happen to the exact same location on each shirt
4.) Can't be seat belts - it would happen to other shirts - my seat belt is is in good shape( new car) so no rough edges
5.)I do not rub against counters in these shirts - again, even if I did, why would it not happen to dress shirts or golf shirts??

I have no explanation for this phenomenon and it it driving me crazy!

Okay, these holes are not from bugs, or washing machines or, granite counters. They are caused by the little, sharp, protrusions on the brass zipper made by the holes cut in the zipper pull and folded outward. Some persons have a more pronounced belly (of course, I'm not one of them). When we lean against something with our favorite shirt out, regardless of the material of the shirt or the counter, our stomach presses the sharp zipper pull into our nice shirt and grinds it into the granite or even formica, and voila, the mysterious holes. When your shirt is tucked in, the shirt is behind the zipper and the zipper placket is completely smooth, so no problem. Persons who are not leaning against the counter with their shirt out, will not have this problem. I suspect taller or shorter persons will not have zipper destruction either.So it seems like if one is a short person doing the dishes, your shirt is going to be ruined.Housework or lab work in the nude would be the answer.

Same here...all my nice knit shirts...and now a brand new one worn twice! lots of little holes same place. I have no granite countertops. I typically am wearing an apron every day for painting. I sometimes wear jeans and sometimes knit pants....there doesn't seem to be one common denominator and I have ruined so many blouses - some only worn once or twice! I guess we could all start a new fad since so many of us have it!!

I believe the holes are from silverfish! I don't understand why the holes are only in my clothes even though my husband uses the same closet! He has mostly golf shirts which are nylon. Could the bugs go for cotton only?

How do you get rid of silverfish?

Call an extermanator...these are difficult to get rid of. They love protein of all sorts glue in books, food, clothes just to name a few. Search at night for them as that's when they are up and at it. look under sinks, in closets, food pantrys, bathrooms, kitchens, laundry rooms. Once you get silverfish your home is a virtual feasting ground. and they lay eggs daily so the multiply fast.