dede – Yep, that is way too much hair even for me.

Tennis is doing such a fabulous job for you. I couldn’t be more happy that she has been left in charge. Clearly the most lovely and fair of any other choices.
She has apparently now become a lawyer, charging by the overcharged hour.

I am so sorry. I am outraged on your behalf, yet again.

xxx

1. I don’t rub my belly against countertops– I’m too tall, and have been for 40 years. Kitchen counters hit me at crotch level. My t-shirt holes are at navel level.

2. As I’m getting older and fatter, I go long months without wearing shorts/pants with hard buttons in front (think hot summer in the south).

3. About 10 years ago my navel started herniating (protruding) slightly. While it is not painful, it is still a sensitive area. I am very aware when pressure is applied on my navel. I am definitely not rubbing my navel against anything.

4. This problem has followed me for decades, through many homes, roommates, family members, etc., and dozens–if not hundreds¬– of t-shirts.

5. In the last 15 years, I never store my t-shirts in a drawer. I hardly store them at all. They are stacked, thrown, piled on wire racks or in plastic bins or in a suitcase. I don’t own a drawer for my clothes.

6. I just asked my son if he has these holes in his shirts. He does. I asked my daughter if she has them. She doesn’t. Heredity at work here, not housework. Definitely not housework.

7. Um, silverfish/carpet beetles/mites/moths eating only at navel level, only on t-shirts, all around the world? really?

Here’s the Elephant in the Room folks–– it’s probaably your navel.

My theory, supported by the article I’ve linked to, is that it is an acidic navel secretion or bacteria causing my t-shirts (and all of yours) to develop holes just at the navel, and nowhere else. We all have––brace yourselves––bacteria and cultures living in our navels, and they differ from person to person. Some of us have acidic secretions (based on diet or personal chemistry, most likely), some of us don’t. While the article doesn’t follow the trail all the way to the t-shirt, it satisfies me that something in my navel is acidic, reacting with my cotton t- shirts. Unpleasant? Perhaps. Does that mean it can’t be true? Nope. But if you can’t feature your navel as the culprit, continue to file away at your granite counters and write letters to clothing manufacturers and call in the toxin soldiers to poison your living space. It might make you feel better emotionally even if you still get t-shirt holes. But if you want to solve the problem, a pro-active baking soda navel wash in the AM is certainly worth a try. Personally, I’ve become accustomed to my t-shirt holes. They don’t bother me any more. But I’m still gonna try the baking soda
Here’s the link to the article so you can secrete your own conclusions:

http://blogs.scientificamerican.com/guest-blog/2012/11/07/after-two-years-scientists-still-cant-solve-belly-button-mystery-continue-navel-gazing/