How to Dry Wet Currency

By Sabrina Ashley

Updated September 26, 2017

Paper money needs to be dried carefully.
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Most nations have both coin and paper currency. Paper money or currency gets wet for a number of reasons: Pouring rain, laundry, spills. Collectors may wash an old bill to preserve its integrity. Wet money retains it value; torn money may not. No matter how soaked your cash is, there are a few ways to dry it without damaging or invalidating it.

Place the bills on paper towels to remove the excess water. Press another paper towel on top of the paper money to remove the water.

Place the currency on a flat surface in a cool and dark place that has fresh circulating air. The air helps to dry the currency slowly.

Turn on a fan to its lowest setting to circulate the air around the paper money without blowing it around.

Place the individual bills between the pages of a heavy book, suggests Banknotes. The weight of the book flattens the paper money while drying it.

Items you will need

  • Paper towels

  • Heavy book

Warnings

Do not iron the bills. The heat can change the color of the paper money.

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