If you've been noticing tiny holes in your T-shirts lately, you might have been worried that you were facing an infestation of clothes moths or other clothing pests. While this is a possibility, there is another potential cause that is much less alarming. This is especially the case if the holes all seem to be appearing near your waist. Here are three non-pest situations that could be causing those small holes to form.

Under the Countertop

Go into your kitchen and bathroom and see where the edge of the countertop is relative to your shirt. Check the underside of the countertop for rough edges and patches. It is very possible that if you tend to lean against the counter when washing dishes, chopping vegetables, and other tasks, your shirt could be catching on these rough edges and spots. It's a real issue with granite countertops; despite their smooth surfaces, the edges can be rather grabby with regards to T-shirts.

The solution is to start training yourself not to lean against the counter. It can take some doing because breaking an old habit, including those that tend to show up when you're tired, can take time. But eventually you'll get used to standing upright without support from the counter.

In Front of the Belt or Keys

If you tend to wear belts or keep keys on a chain in your pockets (including the type that latch onto the belt loops on your jeans), those could be catching on the shirt as well. Look at the holes; if they're in front of where the belt buckle meets your waist or on the same side that you keep the keychain, then this is a definite possibility. Because the T-shirts can move around and up and down, the holes might not match the exact location of the belt buckle, but you'll be able to tell if they're close enough.

Try switching belts or finding a new keychain to combat this. Another thing you can do is look for thicker T-shirts of very good quality instead of getting thinner shirts that are cheap and wear out quickly.

In the Washer

Check the inside of your washing machine to see if there are any protruding points that might be grabbing the T-shirt in the wash. These holes won't necessarily be at waist height, of course. Another culprit could be that the shirt is catching on other items like zippers on jeans. You may want to wash T-shirts separately or with other items that don't have things like zippers, such as towels.

Consider talking to clothing sellers and manufacturers about what they suggest you do to avoid those holes. If you're a fan of custom-made shirts, consider looking into the websites of quality American companies, such as www.allusaclothing.com, for quick shipping and Looking into the pest possibility can help, but, don't worry -- chances are the cause is much simpler to deal with.