Did we ever work out where those little holes come from?

[WellPlaced]

The small ones in the front of t-shirts around belly button height.

Another t-shirt mysteriously developed them today. It’s only a month or so old.

Drives me mad!

Put one of the tops on, then lean against your kitchen worktop, be in the same place- it's buttons behind the top rubbing away the fabric. Never appear on the back or the arm do they!?

I'm pretty sure it's my kitchen worktops that are the problem - I suddenly started getting all these holes at tummy level in my jumpers and I've just realised it lines up with when we had the kitchen done. The edges of ours are sanded granite so I guess it acts like sandpaper. I was puzzled for a really long time though! It's such a strange place for them to wear through.

I only get them in my cotton t shirts, and always the belly button area. If it's bra hooks/washing mc or how I do the laundry, wouldn't they be everywhere? I'd assumed jeans button or belt, but it can't be (because pp nightdress situation). Complete mystery...

Crossed post. Yes, the kitchen worktop theory makes the most sense. Although they're very definite little holes, rather than worn through.

Yep, definitely this. Our worktops are the exact height for this to be a problem for me. OH, who is taller doesn’t get them. Neither does our Nanny who is quite a bit shorter. Vastly improved since I started tucking my t shirts in (when I remember).

Probably all the bleach that mumsnetters use, bleaching the worktops, then leaning on them or getting a bit of spray down the front, I don't use bleach because of this

Just to throw a spanner in the works, I do get the little holes but they're mostly on the chest area. No, I'm not so short that the top of my breasts lean against the worktops.

Belly button mites.

Assuming no naval piercings, l agree that it is bra hooks, zips,trouser/jeans buttons and fasteners etc.and maybe the kitchen work top.

ln addition do tops catch on your rings when you undress or maybe smooth them down?

l don’t handwash bras but l do put them in a delicates bag for washing. I assumed they were to protect the lace etc on the bra, bUt with hindsight, maybe it’s the other way round.

They stop when you start buying better quality T-shirts

I find it's the sticky out corner of my jeans where they fasten. I don't wear a belt.

It's worse when I lose weight because when my jeans are looser the waistband is less stretched and it sticks out more.

It's just the constant friction of it rubbing on a corner of stiff denim all day. Especially with the softer-fabric t shirts.

Granite worktops and jeans buttons for me - when I remember to stand back a little I don't get them, and I never got them in my old kitchen with a laminate worktop. My mum had the same when she changed her kitchen from laminate to stone.

Was just coming on the say this. The 'holè' Jean button covers do stop this.

Quartz worktop for me I think. DH started getting them when he put on weight.

Mebbe it's a shitty washing machine...??

No sane person washes jeans and Tshirts in the same wash...

If you're using biological washing powder that digests proteins and your clothes are natural fibres (eg protein) could that be weakening the fabric at stress points too.

I used to get these all the time.

Then I stopped wearing jeans around the house and they stopped appearing.

I think, in my case at least, it was my T-shirt rubbing against my jeans/jeans buttons when I was standing doing stuff in the kitchen - I must lean slightly against the (stone) worktop.

I don't handwash, but I do chuck them into a mesh bag... it's great as the mesh bag protects things from the bra hooks and protects yhe bras from getting tangled (I hate removing sleeves/trouser legs when they get caught up in straps).

i live in leggings and still get the little holes.

I use mesh bags for bras and still get these little holes.

Oh wow, my man gets this and we’ve never yet figured out why. Could be belt or jeans or seatbelt but wouldn’t be benchtops as he’s tall.

he only wears cotton so definitely won’t be moths 😆

I wash my bras in mesh bags in the washing machine. I absolutely never wear belts. I only get the holes in t-shirt fabric type tops (except weirdly the one I'm wearing today, which is very robust, heavy weight cotton). For me, it's the abrasion of either the jeans button or the thicker part of the waistband of jeans against the top. I bought the button covers mentioned by PPs to try and avoid them. I only get them in the front, in line with button/front waistband. I never get them in tops I only wear with side fastening trousers.

If you tuck everything in you won't get them. It also never happened even 20 years ago, when I think everything was better quality.

I used to believe the jeans/worktops theory, but I’ve been tucking tshirts in for the last couple of years, and have had the holes sprout in tshirts bought since. Not as many or as across the board, but still some.

I used to get this all the time in my old flat, but never had since I moved.

Unfortunately I also had carpet beetles in that flat.