Money is the main resource in our lives – it’s what affords you survival basics and luxuries alike. Money indeed makes the world go ’round and nothing is more terrifying than thinking you ruined your valuable cash by accidentally getting it wet. If you want to know how to dry money without ruining it, The Gentleman’s Playbook is excited to help you out!
How to Dry Money Safely
Whether you need to dry a soaked Benjamin or a few single dollar bills, knowing how to dry wet money is an important skill to have tucked away when the need arises.
Below, we will go over a few failsafe methods you can follow to help you learn how to dry money in a pinch!
Dry Money with a Clothes Iron
The first way to dry money quickly is to use a clothes iron. When you do this, there are a few things you want to keep in mind:
- Keep the clothes iron on the lowest heat setting
- Do not make direct contact between the clothes iron and your wet currency
- Place a piece of iron-safe clothing between the clothes iron and wet money – this will protect the wet money from damage or overheating.
Using a clothes iron to dry wet money is very effective when it comes to drying individual bills. It’s a great method for when you only have a handful of wet dollars to dry.
However, if you have a pretty fat stack of drippy wet cash, you may want to consider a method that is able to dry many dollar bills at once over a longer period of time. If that’s your situation, read on!
Blow-Dry with a Hairdryer on Cold
The second way you can easily learn how to dry wet money is by using the blow-dry method! Simply grab the nearest hair dryer or fan you may have and gently aim it toward the wet currency, passing it slowly back and forth.
Some things to keep in mind:
- Keep hair dryer or blowdryer on cool and do not use heat
- Use a gentle setting, so your money doesn’t blow away
- Slowly pass the blowdryer over the bills
Another great tip is to hang the dollar bills on some twine or string if you have some available, that way they’re suspended while drying.
It’s important to not use heat when using this method, as it could damage the currency and make it unusable.
Air Dry Overnight
Lastly, the longest, but safest, method when it comes to learning how to dry money is to just let it air dry overnight.
All you need to do is clothespin your wet currency to some rope, thread, or twine and let it sit overnight. Make sure you do this in a safe space.
To speed up the process, you can also set up a fan to gently blow and circulate air over the suspended bills. Make sure it’s blowing cool or room temperature air, not hot air.
Reasons You Should Know How to Dry Money
There are a couple of reasons you should know how to dry money. You want to be prepared for anything that may come your way regarding dampened currency!
Here are a few of the most common reasons you may need to learn how to dry wet money:
Accidentally Washed Money in the Washing Machine
You’ve probably done this before: accidentally washed money in the washing machine. This is likely going to be the most likely reason you need to learn how to dry money without damaging it.
If you accidentally washed money in the washing machine, it’s probably because you forgot to take your wallet out of your pants! No need to panic – follow the methods above and you’ll have your money dried safely and properly.
Got Caught in the Rain
Do you like pina coladas? If you do, you may have gotten caught in the rain at some point, leaving your wallet and currency drenched in water.
Whether you live in a rainy region or you got caught by a freak storm, having your money become soaked in rainwater is highly inconvenient.
Again, all you need to do is follow the money drying methods above and you’ll be able to use those crisp hundos in no time.
Dropped Wallet in Water
Another common cause of wet money is from dropping your cash or wallet in water. This could be a puddle of water or even the bathtub while getting ready for a bath.
Some more realistic ways you could accidentally drop your wallet or money in water would be a day out at the beach or lake, or even setting your wallet next to a full sink and bumping it in accidentally.
Money Drying FAQs
We’ve covered the best ways you can dry your money when it gets wet, but there are some frequently asked questions we want to address when it comes to drying your dollars.
Can You Dry Money in the Microwave?
Absolutely not. You cannot dry money in the microwave, as the heat will burn or catch the money on fire. Even if the currency does not burn or have visible damage, the microwave’s heat can ruin the security strip on the dollar, making it unusable and unable to be authenticated as a non-counterfeit dollar.
Can You Dry Money in the Dryer?
No, you cannot dry money in the dryer. Heat is the dollar’s enemy – you don’t want to ruin the plastic security strip that’s part of your money. Doing so would make the currency invalid and unusable. Also, depending on the dryer the money could catch on fire. It’s best to never run your money through the dryer, no matter what you saw on Breaking Bad.
Money Drying Tips and Tricks
Hopefully, you now know how to dry wet money in a pinch! The Gentleman’s Playbook is here to help you get that drenched dollar dry.
Some money drying methods we covered in this article are:
- Drying money with a clothes iron
- Drying money with a hairdryer on cool
- Air drying money overnight
Things you want to avoid when drying money:
- Excessive heat
- Microwaves
- Clothes Dryers
There’s really not much more to it! Now get out there and dry that money!