Small Holes In Clothes After Wash

[Whitegoodshelp (Andy)]

It's interesting that the holes still continue even on 400 rpm spin, which is extremely slow. It does sound to me though the the manufacturer is taking it reasonably seriously, despite believing there's no fault they are still trying to get to the bottom of it. Try stretching an old pair of tights over a hand and rub it all over the drum and paddles so see if you can find something it snags on which might account for it. Please keep us updated.

[Joshbicky98]

If you have a Miele honeycomb drum or any machine with a drum like that, no holes appear even at 1600

[Whitegoodshelp (Andy)]

Miele should be the gentlest of washers, especially models with their honeycomb drum, but even the odd Miele owner has complained of holes in laundry and I know of at least one who had honeycomb drum. However, we don't know if they were caused by the washing machine or one of the other causes not related to washing machine or not. I wouldn't expect a Miele honeycomb drum to cause holes.

[ladana]

So happy I found this site as I have been going crazy for the past year trying to figure out why my husbands t-shirts (pretty durable material) has holes after washing. Actually synthetics are ok, but cotton t-shirts are the victim here. I will try some of your suggestions, however, I wanted to chime in to tell everyone this is also happening with Miele washers as well....with the super smooth honeycomb drum. It was very expensive and has been eating our t-shirts since the very beginning.

[Whitegoodshelp (Andy)]

Hi Lovyan, unfortunately there isn't a specific "answer" because the problem seems to have multiple causes, and it's not always the washing machine. All the possible causes I'm aware of are listed in my article about small holes in laundry plus there's useful information in all the comments. Some have reported changing the washing machine and it stopped the problem but others have changed theirs and it didn't. Some have found it eased by using slower spin but others haven't (It would be worth trying reduced spin speeds though) and many have found that the fabric is being weakened by friction - especially when the holes always appear in the same place on something.

[rb8762]

I dont normally reply to blogs but this really has me angry.

I had a front loading machine for years. No problems. Changed to another front loader, no issues. I am in an apartment now and it is a top loader and my clothes are shredded. Favorite COTTON t-shirts with numerous holes.

This is a wide spread problem. It is my belief it is with top loaders. Do you have any advice? The office says there is nothing wrong with the machine and the holes must have been there before. Grrr.....

[Whitegoodshelp (Andy)]

Most of the people commenting on this topic and on my article have front loaders so I don't think it's related to top loaders. Also the article is about quite small holes, if you are getting large tears you'd have to suspect snagging on something. Thoroughly check all around the drum for any sharp bits (old tights spread across a hand is a good method). Failing that the only other thing that can really tear clothes is if they are catching on something stuck inside the outer tub when expressed through the holes in the drum on spin or somehow catching on the top of the spinning drum if maybe it's overloaded.

[Nasreen]

I am currently facing the same issue with my Samsung washing machine .. what was the outcome with the supplier ? They refuse to admit that it is caused by their machine ..

[vICKIE]

I have a Frigidaire Gallery front load washer 3.1 cubic foot. Bought it in 2004.Started getting small holes in our cotton clothes shortly after I bought it.I thought it was from the holes in the drum. years later I found out my sisters were having the same problem with there clothes, 2 of them have top load washers and the other has a front load washer like me. The bearings are going out of my washer now. I"m so glad to get rid of it. I just don't know what kind and make to get, don't want the same issues.

[Lorraine]

Hi.  I have the EXACT same situation.  It's been driving me crazy.  Contacted Samsung last year after noticing holes.  Having just bought the machine I was noticing it more and more but thought to myself that surely a high spec machine shouldn't do this.  So convinced myself that it could be moths and threw out clothes.  Noticing holes again. Just bought a new tshirt (very soft cotton).  Washed it on its own after wearing it once on a 20 degrees or 30 degree quick wash.  It now has holes in it.  Contacted Samsung today and they have opened a case.  I have sent photos of that tshirt and others.  I await their response.  Been interesting to hear it's happening to others. 

[RobC]

Well, frustration abounds. Every time we think we have identified the cause of the small holes in clothes, something changes. Yesterday, a brand new, worn once shirt washed in a laundry bag came out with holes. So far, we've had the technician/engineer out (3 times), reduced the spin speed and washing cycle time and still holes appeared, put shirts in t-shirts in laundry bags and only once have we seen holes in a shirt (yesterday) and the material was very thin, changed laundry detergent and pulled our hair out constantly. 

The machine is a Miele front loader. We changed to the Miele powder from a liquid detergent and the problem still exists. 

Now I am faced with a tough decision and that is to replace the machine. The fear is that if I do, then will it have the same issue? So infuriating and what's worse, is I have to live with a very unhappy wife.

[Whitegoodshelp (Andy)]

Very frustrating. It's hard to imagine how holes could appear whilst inside the laundry bag. Are there matching holes in the laundry bag? Or is it a net bag? Also, have you studied my article and comments on the subject? (Holes in clothes after washing)

[Beatriz]

Hi. I ended up here searching the same problem. I live in Brazil, and here is much more common to have top loader machines, and it's much harder to find information about the front load ones. I got a Samsung Eco Bubble 8kg washer and dryer, with the honeycomb drum (they call it diamond drum, but as I'm aware it's the same thing). And it started making little holes in all our shirts, towels, beddings, most of them are top brands. It's really annoying, and as you said, when you try a fix you can't even know if it's really working, since the holes kind of 'randonly' appear. Some washings I have them, some I don't. I found with very low spin cycles (400rpm) they barely show up, but the clothes come out really wet...I've been using the laundry bags, but it's really annoying that I paid so much on this machine and I can't just sort-and-throw like I did with my top loader- and I bought this front loader cause I thought it would be even gentler with my clothes! So far I didn't found any faults in my drum, and I've got no silverfish, nor I use belts. I always check for zippers and pins, don't mix light with heavy clothes. It happens with clothes I've used once and inspected before wash, so I'm really convinced it must be the washer. Also, sorry for any mistakes, english is not my main language.

[Whitegoodshelp (Andy)]

On 25/03/2012 at 10:49, Lovyan said:

As an update I have happily been using laundry bags for my more delicate clothes, but my washing machine has overstepped the mark today and put a hole in a perfectly good pair of jeans. I'd thought them too thick to be pulled through the drum holes. The jeans are a slightly stretchy material.

I've done the tights test and they don't snag on anything. What can you do to locate problem drum holes? Do you have any suggestions for that please?

I know that denim jeans should not be spun very fast at all, but cotton should be okay on full spin. However, if you say they are stretchy I'm just wondering what material are the jeans made out of? What does it say on their wash label regarding suitable wash cycles and spin speeds? 

["Hole"y Mother of...]

  I'll drop my comment here but probably won't be back because I will never remember the password it forced me to create to join.   I have an extra-large capacity front loader washing machine here in the US.   About one out of every 40 or 60 loads an article of clothing is ruined .    I don't know how my machine is able to single out my favorite pieces to eat holes in, but it does     I thought I was overloading it but it still is happening on occasion .   I'm beginning to believe that I just need to buy a completely different style of washing machine .   And I'm beginning to understand that we as consumers just need to spread the word so people stop purchasing these to force the manufactures to change the design . 

[PenelopePitStop]

I have had a Samsung Eco Bubble washing machine for 2mnths at a cost of approx. £800 and I am now noticing small tears in washing,  First it was a cotton pillow case (washed at 40 degrees on 1400 spin)  now it is fitted sheet (washed at 40degrees 1200 spin)

I am going to contact Currys and see if they can give me a refund as this is unacceptable.  This bedding is brand new, I'm so annoyed it has ruined the pillow case and now looks awful sewn up!

The holes are around 10cm, freyed around the edges

I don't want to wash everything on a 600 or 800 spin, whats the point in buying a 1400 spin machine if it can't be used for anything?

Ive heard people own Miele honeycomb drum machines and still have the same issue?

Is there a resolution to this? Apart from washing on 600 or 800RPM? As even this has caused rips

[Whitegoodshelp (Andy)]

Hello Penelope. There is no resolution as such. Holes can be caused by many different things. Some holes are blamed on the washing machine but it isn't the washing machine causing them. It seems from studying this issue over many years that there is no single cause. However, you should try to spend time reading my article on the subject and the comments after as this will give an idea of the total public knowledge about the problem of holes in clothes so far. Also, if you haven't already, read all of the contributions to this topic that you have commented on. There may be closed within all of these articles and comments that might potentially help Holes in clothes after washing