What should you do if you accidentally washed money in the washing machine?
Violating the basic rules for preparing clothes for washing (namely, ignoring recommendations about pre-checking pockets) leads to an unpleasant situation.
This causes the unexpected discovery of paper money or coins in the washing machine.
What to do if you washed money in a washing machine, how to dry it, is it possible to change washed banknotes, for example, at Sberbank? Find answers to these questions in the article.
Content
How will washing affect their condition?
Most often, money that has suffered from mechanical stress when washing clothes does not lose its solvency.
What can happen to paper banknotes?
Washed banknotes naturally lose their original appearance after washing.. However, they retain their payment status.
This is due to the use of special paper and special durable paint for their manufacture, which provide the money with sufficiently high strength.
Their usual appearance may change if:
- bleach was used for washing, which will cause the paint on paper bills to fade slightly;
- the washing powder contained chlorine or aggressive components to remove stains;
- clothes could fade, causing paper money to take on an unusual color.
The appearance of paper money remains virtually unchanged if it remains in your pocket during the washing process. This eliminates the possibility of their deformation and transformation into torn fragments.
Even in case of damage and rupture, serial numbers are retained, which allows you to restore the value of banknotes by contacting banking institutions.
What will happen to the coins?
Finding coins in the drum after washing is fraught with consequences not so much for metal money as for the washing machine.
It is recommended to do the following:
- Rotate the drum by hand, inspect and feel its inner surface.
- Check to see if coins are stuck in the rubber seal, that is, in the hatch cuff.
- Inspect the drain pump filter. It is located at the bottom of the machine body. This is a small panel equipped with a protective cover. You need to open it by scrolling counterclockwise and remove the coins, if there are any.
Metal money may be slightly deformed and nothing more. In addition, they will have an unpleasant odor.
Effective methods for restoring the original appearance of washed banknotes
It is important to process washed money correctly. There are several ways to help restore the normal appearance of paper bills and coins. They involve drying and eliminating the smell of mold.
How to dry it properly?
The most common method is drying between clean sheets of paper. To this end, you should perform the following steps:
First, carefully lay the banknotes on a terry towel and cover the top with another towel or soft rag. This will remove most of the moisture.- After this procedure, each bill should be carefully spread out on a sheet of paper, covering the top with the same one.
- Place a book on top of the second sheet (to prevent deformation of the banknote).
- As the paper sheets become damp, they should be replaced with new ones until the money is completely dry.
The method is quite effective, but time-consuming. There are other equally effective measures to restore washed money.
Iron drying
It is recommended to dry money while smoothing it with an iron on an ironing board. The algorithm of actions is as follows:
- lay down a clean soft cloth, carefully placing wet bills on it;
- cover the top with the same fabric;
- Having set the iron to the minimum temperature setting for any type of fabric (cotton, wool, synthetics), you should carefully iron the fabric surface until it is completely dry and the paper money is restored.
Drying with a hairdryer
You will have to hold the banknote with one hand and direct the warm jet of a hairdryer at it with the other. Using hot air will dry the money paper quickly, but forced drying often results in warping.
Before such drying, preliminary preparation will also be required, including removing moisture with a towel. This procedure is described above.
On a rope
This method will also give positive results for drying banknotes. But it has disadvantages:
- the use of clothespins will cause the ends of the banknote to break;
- when suspended, banknotes curl and become deformed;
- In the end, you will still have to resort to using an iron.
Of the methods described above, ironing washed money is the fastest and most effective. After this procedure, they will acquire their original condition and payment status.
How to get rid of mold?
Removing mold from coins is not difficult. They can be washed in water with the addition of bleach or vinegar. Another method involves using any detergents and cleaning products used when treating a bathtub or sink. In both cases, after this procedure, it is recommended to rinse the coins under running water and dry them.
Mold that appears on banknotes after accidental washing in a machine is more difficult to remove. To eliminate fungal infection, The following proven methods can be used:
- Wipe banknotes with a detergent containing chlorine. To do this, apply a small amount of liquid to a cotton pad and wipe the money with it. Then remove the product with a damp cloth.
- Vinegar diluted in water fights mold well. The ratio of components is 1 part vinegar to 5 parts water. The banknotes should be wiped with a cotton pad and dried with this mixture.
- A more aggressive, but most effective treatment of paper money against mold is immersion in cold water with the addition of liquid soap, shampoo or shower gel.
Can I change it at Sberbank?
If the store refuses to accept washed and restored money, you should contact any bank, for example Sberbank, to exchange it.
According to the Regulations adopted by the Bank of Russia on December 26, 2006 No. 1778-U, Banknotes with minor damage are considered solvent and subject to exchange:
- having spots;
- those that have lost their original color (faded or stained fabrics during molting);
- worn, wrinkled, deformed;
- torn or lost edges and corners.
Such money is exchanged in all Russian banks without any payment and in the monetary equivalent corresponding to the previous denomination. Exchange operations are carried out not only by government institutions, but also by commercial institutions.
Banks even exchange torn banknotes that have retained at least 50% of the original size. In addition, banknotes glued together from several fragments are subject to exchange.
In this case, the following criteria for the validity of the banknote are taken into account:
- parts must belong to one banknote of the same denomination;
- each part of damaged money must be 50% of the initial area;
- bills glued together from several fragments must retain 50% of the area in at least one of the parts.
Metal money that is deformed or has changed its original color after washing is also exchanged. The main thing is that information about belonging to Russian coins and nominal features are preserved. As for the remaining area, it should be at least 70% of the previous volume.
The algorithm for contacting a bank involves submitting an application for exchange damaged money and providing an identification document, that is, a passport.
After assessing the condition of the banknotes, the client will be exchanged in full for solvent banknotes. There are no restrictions on the amount required for exchange.
Nuances of exchanging damaged foreign currency
The bank will only replace banknotes that have not suffered significant damage., which changed their appearance.
Worn and faded dollars can be exchanged subject to a commission fee of 3–10% of their total value.
Wherein The number, series and denomination of the banknote must be clearly visible on banknotes.
You will find maximum useful information about washing clothes and various fabric products Here.
Video on the topic
This video will tell you what to do if you washed money in a washing machine:
Conclusion
Of course, money has a certain margin of safety. However, if they are treated carelessly, it becomes necessary to restore their original appearance, returning them to the status of solvency.
In a more complex situation, when the money has been lost, you will have to spend time contacting banking institutions, and sometimes lose a certain percentage of its original value.
