Small Holes In Clothes After Wash

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

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

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 .

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?

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.

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)

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.

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.

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.

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 ..

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.

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.....

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

I'm glad to know I'm not the only one experiencing holes in my clothes due to a front loader. I have a 10 kg Eco bubble smart front loader of a brand mentioned in earlier posts. The machine is causing damage to everything and anything from towels, cotton t-shirts, my daughters tutu dresses, woollen blend socks you name it. New, old, never worn, never used, first wash and I'm finding more holes with each wash.

My machine is under warranty so I have had the manufacturer send out a technician to assess and repair, the technician found "no fault" by the machine but still sent the manufacturer photos of my damaged clothes. The outcome was that I was told to drop the water temperature and spin speed. If I was to experience any more holes I need to document the wash cycle used and photograph the damage.

Well I now use a cold wash with a spin speed of 400rpm and guess what yep you guessed it it is still putting holes in my washing! arrgh

The latest damage was just this morning. I hung on the line a brand new Gym towel only to find not a small hole but a huge rip! Now this item has never been used, it was straight out of the pack and going through its first wash! (Cold wash and spin speed of 400rpm)

I was back on the phone to the manufacturer only to find myself more frustrated than ever when they tried telling me there was nothing wrong with my washing machine. Long story short, I now have the technician returning to assess and "fix" my washer in a few days.

I am determined to not let this big manufacturing company sweep this issue under the rug or drag it out until my warranty is up. I paid $1300+ for this machine and believe that no matter what cycle chosen a washer should not be causing this much damage to clothes. There has to be a fault with the machine and not the user.

I will keep updating as this issue progresses.

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. 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.

Front loader or top loader?

I just found this website after being frustrated with my washing machine. I bought it almost two years ago and thought I was going crazy. After my boyfriend moved in and started using my machine, he also started noticing small holes in his clothes. The holes are all the same size and shape and occur on items like knit tops and lightweight cottons.

I am resigned to the idea of buying a new washing machine, but reading these forums makes me wonder what kind I should buy? Without mentioning a specific brand, can you recommend a specific type like a top loader vs a front loader?

Thanks in advance,

Suzy

Very interesting theory thanks. It can't account for all the holes as there are many different causes but it might account for some. I have a comprehensive help article on checking the pump for blockages

I too have a problem with my Siemens washing machine creating small holes in mainly t-shirt type fabrics. I think I have resolved the problem and would like to share my ideas with you all.

Irrespective of spin speed, the fabric should not be pushed through the drum holes where it can be snagged or caught and my Siemens washing machine which is around 5 years old started to do this a few weeks ago having never done it before, so I knew a fault had developed; but perhaps not an obvious one to an engineer such as a sharp area in the drum etc.

The fabric was subject to an additional force, other than the centrifugal action of the drum spinning, in order to pull it through the hole in the drum and I now believe I have linked this to a blocked vent tube on the water drain hose, that would create a vacuum in the drum area, caused by the water exiting under pressure from the drain pump.

If you do not have the skills to attempt this then please don't, but make this suggestion to your engineer.

With the top of the machine removed, trace back the drain hose and near to where the hose exits the chassis, there is a feedback hose approximately 8 mm diameter and 120 mm long connected to the outer drum casing and also the water drain hose. I assume this allows a small amount of water to enter the drum area whilst the water is being pumped out so a vacuum is not created. Guess what, my hose was blocked with gunge like detergent and conditioner and water could not flow back into the drum so a vacuum strong enough to pull fabric through the drum holes was being created.

I removed the small tube and cleaned it out, blew on one end to ensure that air and water could enter the drum and I have not had the problem since. This hose may not be something an engineer would check as there doesn't appear to be a fault and it is unlikely that he would measure for a vacuum being created in the drum as the water exits.

I would be interested to see if there is a pattern across all machines as I am sure they will all share this design, so please let me know if you or your engineer checks this tube and it is blocked and whether this solves the long-standing mystery of small holes in t-shirt fabrics.

Good luck!

Andy (Administrator) has collated a lot of information from differing view points and experiences in the Forum. So, I went through the content and tried different things out to make sure. I reached a point where in my case there was only one way to solve the problem which was via my bank account. What I can say, is that after I made that decision, I can't tell you how relieved I have been to have things back to normal, and that was worth it. Something else may go wrong down the track, but this time around, my purchase decision was based on country of origin, hopefully parts availabiity here in Australia across a range of brands, and not tying in an engineer to one brand. I can't comment on this aspect correctly though as I am not experienced in the ins and outs of it. The Forum does not discuss machine brands, so I may not comment on the brand you mentioned. I might add, it is kind of funny, my friends have washing machines that have been going on for years and years, and years!

This is happening to me too. It's always my clothes at the front. I rarely wear a belt and it's happened to clothes that I know don't have holes when I put them in the machine and they do when they come out. I do chuck everything in the same wash, so maybe should try putting my clothes in a delicates cycle. But having read everything I'm thinking of just going and buying a Miele. Is that a bit too rash and expensive? It's driving me mad and ruining all my clothes!! Help!!

Thanks Laurie. Researching small holes in clothes has revealed it's a problem with many possible causes, and the washer is just one of them. It seems to have been the culprit in your case though. It's always good to get follow up information

Hi. I bought a new washing machine and no longer have the holes occuring in my clothes. It was the only way I could see to resolve this. Very happy with getting back to normal spin cycles too.

Thanks for everyone's comments on the Forum. There is more to washing than I ever thought :-). Cheers, Laurie

That's pretty shocking about detergents being so harsh. I'll have an update I think in a few weeks. I've used mainly the earth friendly liquids, and years ago I used a powder that made the fabric feel harsher, even though whiter, which is why I ended up on liquid, and the last few months also trying a "baby" soft type liquid detergent. Thanks. Laurie

I live in Toronto, Canada and I used to have the same problem. My hunch is that it's NOT the washing machine causing the problem (small holes), but rather the washing detergent. 30 years ago washing machines had heaters in them to boil the water over 100C and very mild detergent, because the hot water did most of the work. These days detergents are more like acid(s), in Canada they advertise them as being able to wash clothes at 40C.

Take some of this 40C type detergent in your hand, squeeze your fingers, and put your hand under running water. If you hold the detergent more than 2-3 seconds in your hand, you'll get burnt! I might as well use dilluted sulphuric battery acid to wash my clothes.

I also find color fading happening just after 2-3 washes, no wonder...

Try getting a washer that heats up water (like in the old days) and some high quality detergent (Persil or something) and you won't get holes anymore.

Oh, one more thing. Use liquid detergent, instead of powder, if you can. The powder detergent gets washed down right onto the clothes, and stays there for some time before it gets dissolved by water. That's when the damage occurs, in my oppinion.

Cheers

Yeah, I wouldn't take a machine apart - at all - electrical safety in particular, and too much potential for mechanical issues or safety.

I have continued on the tests and looking at a rough matrix of issues, and pitting them against pages and pages of user' s data on the forums. If I exclude genuine cases where holes occur from over spinning, moths eggs, belts, zips, detergents, granite bench tops etc, and valid comments from engineers, poor quality weave etc., I find firstly there is too much evidence to ignore, this is a real issue, and as there is no definitive answer it causes frustration and tears over loss of hundreds of dollars in new clothing damage, let alone attachment to favourite clothes, and that as the cause exists in the machine, it is hidden, that's why we can't capture it.

All it takes is one mechanical part or rough edged hole, or other mentioned possible causes, like worn out bearings to continually destroy garments, just one, and as the mechanisms are all hidden from sight we don't get the answer. You'd basically need a team of NASA scientists to design a machine that produces no holes! What I am therefore saying is the problems won't go away unless the owners, i.e. the manufacturer designers, FIX IT :-) so, in the context of what I mentioned above, I have found no holes if I wash, spin, or dry, at 600rpm. I have by the way a top brand machine. And I suspect my machine has only one tiny piece somewhere doing the deed as it is consistent, and not multiple hole types.

I believe certain fabrics are weaved in a way to be more susceptible. Even a firm cotton weave of a business shirt can eventually get one of these ripped holes. The holes always have the same shapes in my case in particular directions with the weave, and holes to the side of the garments near stronger areas of the shirt's construction are always a bit smaller. I have two cheap T-Shirts that actually have a finer stronger fabric weave, and one has a hole located to the side join area, rather than the general area of the shirt.

I can see where fabric patterns are maintained with the rip, rather than eaten by a hole. My new jeans at 900rpm show an attempt at a hole, but I can't prove that, and somehow parts of the shirts are more frequently in the zone for a hole, which suggests to me we don't really understand the way clothes tumble according to weight distribution and shape and what happens during the "destruction" process. As it is in my view the machine at fault, it is not correct to say that because holes aggregate in certain areas of garments that it is not the machine.

I have one example where I can see threads actually pulled, and I think this is where the fabric resisted the rip due to the location with a second layer of fabric underneath it.

My matrix basically indicates shows the following.

Mostly T-Shirts, but also other fabrics and garment types.

Usually in similar areas of T-Shrts, but not so with other garments.

I suspect it happens to sox. I've had almost new high quality sox with suspect holes that don't make sense.

Have not seen it with my brand of u-wear.

I did not notice holes in the initial life of the machine. It seems it has escalated to an unusable point now.

Will occur on expensive brands without me wearing the shirt first, as I wash first after purchase.

I thought it possible for friction on surface and effect of spattered cooking oil, but the holes on night shirts are also present and they are only worn when I go to bed, and on new shirts washed before wear, all purchased from differing department stores.

As said, holes on new shirts not worn first, so that debunks unfortunately the idea of the friction at the gym with weights etc.

We obviously are not imagining this.

My current conclusion is to put up with 600rpm which I really do not like, until I can afford to replace the machine. I am too hesitant to get an engineer to replace seals, font door, and drum, and bearings, or to expect resolution with the supplier after all the customer testimonials on that aspect. The forums provide very helpful suggestions, but even after all that, there is this ongoing category of damage. If your neighbour doesn't have it, simple, it's mechanical. I learnt in computing after many years experience, if it is hardware, the problem never resolves itself by itself, and grows worse.

I don't see a fix to this without consumer enforcement on the manufacturers. Statistically, a certain number of machines will behave a certain way, just the same as any other commercial product. If anyone has holes within the first week of a purchase I would personally consider asking a full refund or exchange on the grounds of dissatisfaction, rather than guessing, hoping, or extending a discussion with a supplier. The damage to my few amount of clothes would be up towards $1,000. There is nothing in my "matrix" to show this is just one thing or another, other than the machine, and because we can't see it with cameras! we have the many many consumers who have statistically proven it, but who can't visually prove it. This is why the forums reach a stale mate, reading the same frustrations over and over. If I learn any more I'll add a post. Cheers, Laurie

Hi - found this forum while looking for help with same problem.

My washer has been putting little holes in everything and fraying things with hems such as sheets, towels and teat-towels.

This is a different model han what the others have mentioned here.

A stackable unit. Definitely the washer as it is hurting the things I air-dry .

Mst of my clothes are of tshirt material and the latest casualty was just washed one time.

Seems to occur whether on regular, permanent press or delicate.

I'm looking online for a manual so as maybe to take the drum apart and try to fix it.

Anyone here having any luck ?

Have been doing some reading about this and one of the suggestions is that the material gets forced through the holes by the centrifugal force. Whilst the inside of the drum is smooth, the holes are produced by punching, thus the outside of the drum is like a cheesegrater! Higher speeds and bigger drum holes can mean that more fabric gets pulled through.

Whilst you have checked the holes in the drum, check the welds for sharp parts. Also check the rolled edge where the drum meets the rubber seal.

Try eliminating a few things. Check the filter for foreign objects and also check round the seal. Next, I'd by some £2 white t-shirts and run them through the machine a few times by themselves, without any detergent, to see if any damage occurs.

Thanks. I did a check on clothing symbols and washer documentation on settings as per your note on standards, and they are all ok, and have had simple mixes of just whites. So that all seems to check out ok, but I have had other clothes lose shape at times and wondered why. On the hole in the trim of a shirt I mentioned, one can clearly see how threads have been pulled, as the hole is smaller and not as developed where the cloth only has a single layer. I'll add to this post if I discover more, or what the outcome is. I am happy to follow through on tips as they arrive in the forum here. Cheers.

Well it is easy & very helpful to wash cloth with washing macine but some time it is giving bad result like clothes are get shrink, holes in the clothes, lastic get larg & clothes are take large shape which give ugly look. so for preventing all these problem it is necessary that we should chek all the clothes stander & wash them according to their standard.

Thanks Andy. I'll know in a couple of months how the slower speed performs. I hadn't thought of your suggestion which is good. I read a lot on the forum but sounds like I haven't seen all the links. I was wondering too why the manufacturers don't come to the party, resolve it and take advantage of holeless clothes for their sales pitch or why consumer authorities don't get them to fix things like razor sharp edges on the underside of drums. I'll see how things go before getting feedback from the local distributor and an engineer etc. Cheers, Laurie

Hello Lovyan. It's a very difficult problem because the holes tend to be so intermittent you can't just try something different on a wash and see if it cures the issue. Whatever new thing you tried it would have to be over a long period to see if the holes stop. If you can turn down the spin speed it would be worth a try but it would mean putting up with wetter laundry for a long time. If it only happens on certain things though you may not need to reduce spin speed for everything. Have you read the article I linked to and the comments? There's a lot of information on there.

I've almost been going insane on the holes. New $50 T Shirts with holes after one wash. Appears to be on outside of fabric, edges to the little rips at times rather than just a hole. Today, a new T Shirt with the hole on the back along the bottom edge where the cloth is folded for the trim, but the hole did not go through to the folded cloth under it. Holes are on front or back, most often front, and anywhere up to several inches up the height of the fabric, not up the top. $3k washing machine, 5.5kg, well known brand. I've read all forum, blog notes, and cannot locate the cause. I had one night T Shirt - good brand, first wash a hole, so it was not caused by belt buckle, kitchen tops etc. Have eliminated silverfish etc. Did not happen on previous front loader. Appears on any reputable quality of cotton, and spin speeds below 1000. I am trying 500 speed just in case but that won't be the cause. Not related to overloading or other fabrics in the wash from my tests. Eventually holes on good quality business shirts when cotton is fairly light weight. No detectable sharpness on drum outer holes. I don't see how drum door would do this, but who knows. Loader includes dryer, so have tested it is not the separate tumble dryer that came with the apartment. I'll do further tests to see if the dryer function is doing it. The continual loss of clothing is just at breaking point of tossing the machine, but the thing is, something is causing it. Thanks for all the tips, will update if I discover a cause.

A bigger diameter drum would develop higher centrifugal forces for a given spin speed.

Also, I'd be interested whether the offending machines have bigger holes in the drum, thus allowing clothing to get through?

This is a great topic. It is clear this is happening more often, across all makes. I would always check the gap between the drum and door seal first, that is often the cause, as clothes can be forced in to it and snagged / ripped. Over loading can be the cause of the gap being too large as it applies weight and forces it over. I've seen some really badly deformed seals and am amazed the user has not noticed.

As Andy also says, foriegn objects can be the cause, especially coins, pins and hairgrips. Imagine one of these being forced against the clohing whilst being spun at 1200 or above .There is an estimated 4G's of force applied to clothes at around 1200 rpm spin. I once went to a machine where they were experiencing holes all over and imagine my 'surprise' when I checked the filter and pulled out about 40 small pins !

The drums often don't seem to be the cause and as Andy suggest can be tested by running tights over the drum surface, any snags will show up.

With an increase in complaints, I had recently decided to start checking my shirts over and low and behold there are holes! Small but there, I am convinced it's not my 20 year old Miele and I genuinely believe it's poorer quality fabrics, cotton particularly. I've looked at the most of the wash labels and despite saying 100 per cent cotton the ' bucket symbol' is stating that the wash should be synthetics or in some cases delicates! The spin on these programmes is always a) reduced speed and reduced in time, therefore the mechanical stress on the clothing will be reduced, therefore reducing the likelihood of damage. I know check them all properly and wash in the appropriate programme.

I also know that we do a lot of walking and with the kids we scrub around in bushes, up trees, getting blackberries and are regularly getting hitched on things and I'm sure this is where a lot of holes start. I've bought some replacement shirts identical to the others and am washing them in delicates to see if they last longer.

So my advice would be make sure the 100 per cent cotton can be washed in cottons, if it can but the fabric is 'thin' reduce the speed if you can. Always check for foreign objects in the pockets. Think if the clothing has been any under mechanical stress outside of the wash (cat claws?) and check the gap between the drum and door seal, if you can get a finger in there without forcing it, it's too big!

It depends what's causing it. If it's definitely the washing machine the holes should be random and not always in one specific place. There could be some damage to the inside of the drum from an obstruction (carefully examine all of the drum and holes, use tights stretched over your hand to see in anything in there is snagging). It could be something like an underwire from a bra stuck between the outer tub and inner drum.

As far as I know all possible causes are eventually mentioned in my Blog article so if you haven't already I'd put aside an hour or so to read it and all the comments as the answer may be in there somewhere.

I have had my fair share of washer/dryer problems.I had the original Whirlpool washer the forerunner to the Cabrio. That plate washer machine. Holes in the clothes all the time,and lint all over my clothes. No matter what I washed,lint over all the clothes. I just gave up,gave the washer to my DD,for her new house. She said it washed great. The matching dryer,was awful. Had the repair man out every week fixing that dryer. I purchased both at Lowe's. Lowe's took back the dryer after the 14th call for repairs.

I had a washer front loader GE. It was a fabulous washer,but I had to ditch that washer too. I had to give it away. The house that I am living in now,the floor (1st floor)was not strong enough for the spinning. The machine would not spin the clothes. I was up all night trying to get the clothes to spin dry,and it wouldn't.

DH purchased me my Whirlpool washer agitator machine in 2008 and it is still going strong. Agitator machine is the only way to go. I have spent a fortune on washer/dryers that have been a big fat bust.

Hi

I keep finding these little holes randomly in cotton t shirts and tops too. My machine is a Zanussi with a 7kg drum and 1200 spin speed.

I wonder if it is worth contacting the manufacturer (I've had it almost a year) as stumbling on this website has made me realise it may be the machine making the holes and not something in certain washes. It has ruined some first time washed t shirts in the process which is very annoying.

Jeans can get caught in the front of the drum between the drum and the door seal, especially if overloaded.

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?

We had a new kitchen and white goods installed 2 years ago. In the last 3-4 months our washing machine has started to put holes in our laundry, most notably a very expensive set of high quality bedding. Fortunately it is in the underside so doesnt show. hat is not the point though. Initally I thought the fault was mine, either I had overloaded the machine or was using it on the wrong cycle but given that I have not changed the cycle I use for 2 years I cannot see how this can be the cause now.

Today one of my husbands shirts has come out with exactly the same holes. We do not have T shirts affected (as most commonly reported on the forum) but definitely the lighter cottton items are being damaged.

I will post photographs of the damage in due course and in the meantime intend writing to the manufacturer for their feedback.

If the holes look "tugged" they may well be catching on something sharp. The main suspect has to be some object in between the outer tub and inner drum. When spun, some fabrics get pushed through the holes in the drum and can potentially scrape against something. It's also possible for one or more specific holes in the drum to have a sharp bit, not necessarily on the inner side (which will show up with a tights check) but either inside the hole or on the other side of the hole. This could be the result of poor manufacture or even damage caused by an obstruction that got inside at some time.

The major problem with this issue is the number of different possible causes. Good quality detective work is often needed but engineers are unlikely to spend much time on the fault if it isn't anything obvious. They are very unlikely for example to strip a washing machine down speculatively looking for a possible cause unless they themselves have become convinced of the necessity or a customer is putting a lot of pressure on them to do something. The only way to solve this issue is to do extensive detective work and tests, with test loads etc so that if you become convinced it's the washing machine you can then put pressure on the engineer to get to the bottom of it. Without convincing them they are not likely to spend the time stripping it down and are likely to say it could be one of the many other possible causes - which anyone following this thread and my blog article [ holes in washing (laundry) ] will know about.

To reiterate, for anyone with this problem, if the holes are always on a specific area of specific laundry such as tops or t-shirts - especially only from some members of the family - then suspect external causes such as friction from something during use (rubbing on granite worktops, car seatbelts, belt buckles etc). If the washing machine is the culprit the holes have to be in random places although they may only appear in certain fabrics such as cotton. For more possible causes such as silks and woollens getting holes caused by biological detergents and other causes read my blog article linked to above)

Finally, remember it is possible for holes to appear after washing but only because previously weakened fibres give way under the stresses of the wash and spin. Old and dirty curtains were renowned for this when a combination of sunlight and dust damaged the fibres which when washed resulted in holes.

Thanks for the response....well I thought it was just on the front of clothes and so blamed my belt for a few years, bought some new belts, gave up wearing belts etc, to no avail. The most recent top I know hasn't ever been worn with a belt. Also I had spilled food on this top before washing it so had inspected it closely before and after washing it which is why I noticed the new holes straight away. The 2 holes looked puckered like they had been tugged by something. There were no bra's in that wash. Also I've been noticing more and more holes in other clothes so they aren't just at the front. E.g. on the sleeve and back of cardigans, random places on duvet covers

I've ordered some laundry bags so I'm going to see if using them will save my clothes.

I've read quite a few posts now and have been over the drum with some tights over my hand but haven't found any sharp parts. I think nearly every item of clothing I own now has at least one hole in it. I'm currently wearing a top with a cardi over it, the cardi has one hole in it (on the front, but the front hangs by my sides, there are no buttons or zips etc to do the cardi up) and the top has 2 both lower front. My trousers don't have any holes, but I wonder if that's because the material is thicker. I'll have to buy some cheap t-shirts and do the test of washing it and never wearing it.

Hello Lovyan: 1000 is pretty slow and should not damage anything at all. The reports from my blog article on the subject of holes in laundry seem to show that many small holes are not caused by the washing machines. If yours are they should be random holes in different items and on different parts of the clothing. If they are always on the front of items then some other cause such as friction whilst wearing is more likely. All details in the article and comments on the above article. If yours are caused by the washing machine it's could have something like an underwire from a bra stuck in the tub but as I say, it should not only put very small holes only in tops and nothing else.

I just found this thread from performing a search on exactly this problem. I have been puzzled by the appearance of small holes in my tops for a few years now and have finally narrowed it down to being my washing machine which is a Zanussi and came with my apartment when I bought it new nearly 6 years ago. It's a new build and so the washing machine was new. Is the answer to turn the spin speed down? Mines currently on 1000. Will 900 be better or even lower? The last wash I did was a half load and I am really quite upset that my brand new top now has 3 holes in it. I really liked this top and it wasn't cheap!

I'm still investigating this issue and will post new information on my White goods Blog. My Blog article on the subject of holes in clothes is here - Holes in washing (laundry)

Prior to my currect machine I had a Hotpoint Aquarious Washer Dryer purchased in 2000 which made small holes in all our T shirts, if it happened to catch one at an outer edge it would often tear a whole strip of the material and leave the holey drum imprint on it.

I'm pretty sure it was a 5kg 1200 spin.

An engineer who visited for another problem told me it was common with this make.

Mrs M

Hi everyone

Glad that I have found this thread as recently I have been suffering from "smallhole-itis"...all are appearing in cotton T-shirts ( my designer ones + my son's ).

Our washing machine has a 6kg load, 1400 spin cycle and is around 1 year old. The instances seem to be getting more and more frequent...it is making holes in around £60 of T-shirts per week

The brand has not been mentioned on this thread yet.

I would certainly be interested on a positive conclusion

Washing machine drums have always been peppered with small holes and they've been made from stainless steel for about 30 years. From the inside the drum is smooth but outside these holes are like a cheese grater and you can cut yourself on them. If a delicate fabric was expressed through them far enough it may be possible that they could snag on the sharp edges which clearly does not trouble things like towels and sheets.

So if the affected laundry should not be being forced through these holes but it is, then the issues should be related to faster spin speeds and with inappropriate fabrics being spun at these high speeds. Manufacturers may argue that if used correctly this damage cannot occur. If this is shown to be true then apart from not warning people properly about this issue it's hard to hold them liable.

If one or more holes is jagged or too sharp this can be tested for by stretching some nylon tights overhand and carefully rubbing all over the drum to see if anything catches on it. To be honest, with the problem being reported from so many different manufacturers it doesn't seem as likely that it is a manufacturing fault as it would if the problem appeared to be associated to just one make. One possibility of course is that something has changed about the way these drums are manufactured and that it is affecting many different makes. Many drums for example could be made by the same company for several different manufacturers.

To me this is a new phenomenon. If it is associated with higher spin speeds manufacturers really need to warn people in the instruction books that spinning certain items at too fast a spin can damage them.

As you point out, care is needed to choose the right programme especially with more delicate items. Attention needs paying not only to the recommended temperature but the bars underneath the wash symbol that also indicate the level of agitation and dictate the final spin speeds.

My experience is that a significant percentage of people do mix quite a lot of different fabrics and throw them in on the same wash. Many even use the same wash for almost all washing. If anyone is doing that and suffering from occasional damage to laundry they should look into whether the damaged items are being spun too fast or not.

Just to clarify the problem that I have and the current analysis from Samsung.

The holes in the clothes are being caused as many people describe by being forced through the holes in the drum. The damage is caused, not by the proximity of the outer tub to the drum, but by the sharp burred edges of the holes in the drum. Recently whilst the engineer was changing a faulty detergent chute and the machine was in bits, I could touch the outer edge of the drum and found the outer edges of many of the holes to be razor sharp. It is therefore highly likely that these sharp edges are snagging on the material, which when pulled back out during the wash, or as you remove the clothes at the end, cause fibres to be cut leading to the holes.

I do not think that this is anything to do with drum size, but believe it is down to the size of the holes and the depth that the holes are sunk into the surface of the drum coupled with poor machining or finishing of the holes. As I have said before, I am not sure how long stainless steel drums have been around, but older drums of a different construction did not suffer from this. Higher spin speeds make the whole situation more likely to occur as the material is forced further into the holes with the force.

One more area that I have found confusing is the lack of standard wash symbols on many modern machines. All machines used to have the 40, 60, 90 style temperature guides along with program variations for the - and -- symbols, whereas a lot of newer machines have settings such as Cotton, Synthetic, Coloured, delicates and Wool settings. Unless you take time to check what setting you are supposed to use by cross referencing with a chart it is possible to choose a program based on the material in use. I.e. Cotton for a shirt made out of cotton, makes sense? not if it is marked with a 40 -- symbol which means wool wash or a 40 - which means synthetic wash. Add to that the fact that most machines also allow speed and temperature to be set independantly makes for a more confusing operation rather than just matching the symbol on the clothes to the symbol on the machine.

Your thoughts welcome.

AP

Thanks for your contribution Russell. When a washing machine spins it is normal for the laundry to be forced through the holes of the drum although this usually affects softer items such as towels. Taking towels for example it is possible for bits of the towelling to protrude a good few mm through all the holes on the fast Spin. Clearly there needs to be enough of a gap between the revolving drum and the outer containing tub to prevent these bits of the laundry scraping on the heating element, heating bracket or the outer tub itself.

Certain items of clothing made out of nylon, polyester and other non-cotton items may not normally get forced through the holes in the drum so much, but one possibility is that some of the extra fast spins speeds are able to force them through which could be causing the problems. Whether the holing of certain laundry items is caused by extra fast spins speeds, or extra large capacity drums, or a combination of extra fast spins speeds with a large capacity drum is yet unclear.

If enough people specify exactly which drums size their washing machine has and which spins speeds the damaged items were spun at we are likely to build up a pattern and get to the bottom of it.

I am glad that I have found this thread as my girlfriend has started finding small holes in her clothes. The most recent was on a garment that she has only washed once and was new last week. On it there is a pattern of the drum (as if the material has been sucked through the holes) and one of these 'patterns' has a small hole in it. I am not sure if this is snagging or just that the material is spun so quickly and the centripetal force is pushing the material through the holes as the water is 'squeezed out'.

The washing machine is of a manufacturer that has already been mentioned here, and it is interesting that people are finding similar issues with other machines.

I have posted my girlfriend a link to this thread and suggested she try slowing down the spin cycle, but I agree with most people's sentiments on this that regardless if the manufacturer thinks there is nothing wrong these appliances should not damage clothes.

If anyone hears anything more on this or has any suggestions then i would be very interested to know.

Thanks, Russell

If you want to send an example to someone independent I have an address of someone who is interested in examining these holes.

I imagine it would be too expensive yes.

Hmmm interesting! I go along with the theory it may be caused by bigger drums being fitted into normal size casings. I also had a tumble drier with a larger drum-good idea at the time. But within a few days of purchase the drum screeched after it had been operating for a short time. An engineer duly arrived who said the manufacturer was aware of the problem, caused by metal expansion then grating against the casing. Bigger drum but standard outer=screeching and grating when warmed up.

There was a modification kit engineer said, but when he looked it had already been fitted. So drier was exchanged without any fuss. But within a few short weeks exactly the same problem-the noise filled the house. Luckily I got a refund on that as problem was acknowledged by manufacturer. Now also got a Miele drier. Have spent soooo much money over the years on rubbish machines decided (after reading a lot of advice on here) to go for the best and cut my losses.

Thank you for a comprehensive and unbiased professional opinion. I am now sending pictures of the damaged clothes to Samsung after much persuading. I am not hopeful, but it is possible that they will side with me. Currys have been very understanding and very much on my side, but will not do anything without support from the manufacturer.

Having looked at many alternate machines over the last few days, it is evident that some steel drums do have quite sharp edges around the holes which could snag on material. I guess its down to quality control, and good design to make sure that the holes are kept to an optimum size and the holes are punched deep enough to keep material out of harms way combined with a better process to minimise metal burrs around the edges. I seem to remember older machines having enamalled drums, or some similar coating that smoothes the edges of the holes. Stainless steel looks nice and clean, but maybe it needs more care in manufacture to make it good.

Maybe a lightweight synthetic drum such as cardon fibre woudl work, or maybe its too expensive?

Thanks

AP

Interesting: The dilemma at the moment is that it is unclear whether the problem is widespread or not, in which case exchanging the washing machine may not resolve the issue unless it was exchanged for the standard 5 kg (tried and tested) drum size. One contributor has already stated that his retailer did replace their washing machine with a totally different make and the problem still occurred.

Initial indications are that many different makes of washing machine are affected by this "problem". The manufacturer in question has stated that the washing machine is perfectly okay. It's difficult to imagine a retailer replacing the washing machine under such circumstances other than out of good will. However, this doesn't mean that there isn't a design fault. A product with a design fault can still be tested and found to be working exactly as designed. Without the recognition or admission of a design fault the product would be presumed innocent by most engineers finding no obvious fault. At this stage it's the manufacturers who are currently judging the product and are unlikely to concede a design fault unless forced to. History, and my experience has proved this to be the case and I can recall several different instances where customers where initially blamed but design faults proved to be the cause in the end.

I've been in touch with washing machine repairers through my contacts on a trade only forum and several have already replied that they have had customers with this problem. Again, the makes involved vary. One supplier has told me that they supplied two different washing machines (of the same make, not already mentioned in this thread) and both damaged customer's clothes. One was a 6kg 1600rpm and another was a 7kg 1600rpm. Both of these washing machines were replaced with a 1400 rpm spin version and the problem apparently stopped.

Unfortunately it is still early days. I'm starting to suspect this could be a big issue but remain determined to stay open-minded unless it becomes clear that design is the issue. At the end of the day it is something that will come out sooner or later no matter what.

My suspicions are that it may be related to the larger capacity drums, and possibly combined with very fast spin speeds, but only when we have a lot more contributions from other people will a pattern potentially start to emerge.

It may even turn out to be that there is little that can be done about it if people want larger drums without physically larger washing machines. In order to fit larger drums inside the same space the gap between the revolving inner drum and outer tub is usually decreased.

To me there are two possible outcomes. Either it turns out to be an unforseen side effect of the way these washing machines are designed and even using the washing machines correctly could result in certain garments being damaged, or the manufacturers are right when they say it can only happen if customers use the machines incorrectly and spin certain types of laundry at the wrong speed.

If it's the former then it's going to be a big problem for manufacturers and if it's the latter then people should get much better warnings from manufacturers who at the end of the day are supposed to care for our laundry. If they are aware how easy it is to ruin laundry it should be printed in bold warnings on the instruction books. It is not common knowledge, nor is it even common sense to expect that spinning a garment at a higher than recommended spin speed will obviously cause it to get full of holes and become ruined.

Have you tried to see if the store will refund or replace as I believe your problem under 'sale of goods' is with the store not themanufacturer and they are sympathetic.

Adverse publicity usually works and I can remenber trying to reason with a store for several weeks and they would not do anything but 2 mins on local radio consumer program and was replaced within the day.

Same can be said of threatening to write to consumer or 'woman's weekly' magazines etc nobody wants their product dragged through the mud. i use the term 'womans weekly' not in a derogatory sense but it does work.

Samsung have now replied and confirmed that they are unwilling to provide a resolution to this as the machine in their opinion is not faulty. It appears to be working to their specification and intent. i.e. if you spin certain clothes too fast they will get holes in them. I have escalated this to the store that I bought it from who are very sympathetic as they have never heard such a load of rubbish or had anyone else with a similar problem. So either I am uniquely stupid, other people are perfectly happy with holes in their clothes or the machine has a fault. Take your pick!!

AP

As other contributors to this thread have shown, this "problem" is not necessarily restricted to one manufacturer. 6Kg isn't a regular size, it is larger than normal although it's starting to become common and is likely to eventually replaced the 5 kg drum as the standard size. The washing machines with larger drum capacities are usually not physically bigger in size. I'm wondering if the gap between the drum and tub has been reduced in order to help accomodate the larger drums.

I've been in the trade 30 years and I don't see it as obvious that if you spin certain fabrics too fast they will get holes in them, especially cotton shirts. As I said before, if that is their genuine belief they at least owe a duty of care to have an adequate warning to customers in their instruction books about it.

My machine is a regular 6KG load, the holes in the clothes are too small to be caused by getting stuck in the drum clearance. The engineer and the Samsung helpdesk said that 'their machine spins for longer and faster and everyone should realise that if you spin fabric too fast it will get holes in it' I am please to hear that I am not alone in thinking that it should not.

I am awaiting a call from Samsung Monday ( 16th July) as it has been escalated to their senior customer support desk at my request. But I do not hold a great deal of hope. I can only hope that the Store will side with me and allow a change of product.

Thanks for the replies so far. Still love to hear any similar experiences.

AP

Specific names aren't supposed to be mentioned in this forum but this problem doesn't seem to be restricted to a specific make or model so I'm not concerned about unfair focus on a particular company.

What drum capacity are these washing machines please? I'm wondering if it's related to bigger than standard drums such as 6, 7, 8 kg etc. where the clearance between the drum and the tub may have been reduced.

You are right in that the Miele honeycomb drum is much kinder to laundry as it doesn't have standard holes.

I had exactly the same problem a few years ago with a Hotpoint machine-it was all on Watchdog at the time. I called in an engineer who stripped the machine down and found multi coloured scraps of material (ripped from my laundry!) all tangled up inside. I then insisted that Hotpoint sent engineers out and the fault was as you described-laundry getting pushed through the holes during spin cycles and getting caught on metal internally. It seems it then wound round and round at speed until finally the material pulled away-hence holes in the clothes. Coincidentally mine was almost always in cotton t-shirts as well. Luckily it was under warranty so I received a voucher to purchase another machine.

I then got a Zanussi one costing £550 that did exactly the same thing! Dozens of engineers came and went without finding the fault-but oh it was certainly there. My son went mad when I washed his designer t-shirts and they emerged with holes in-sometimes quite sizeable chunks ripped out. A few weeks ago I cut my losses and dumped the machine and bought a Miele with honeycomb drum-so far so good.

But you certainly are not alone with this problem, a friend of mine had the same experience with a Hoover machine and she too dumped it in favour of Miele. There doesn't appear to be any solution and in terms of ruined clothes it is financially a wise move to get rid of it-good luck.