How to get a drenched currency note dry?

Question

Normally when I keep money in my back pocket of my jeans I forget to remove it before putting it for wash. How do I get, say a $50 note, to dry up quickly without using any electricity-based products ?

Answer 1

You could put the note in a bowl of uncooked rice, or somewhere warm, (e.g., in an airing cupboard) or in the sun (e.g., on a window sill).

Answer 2

On a flat table, place a paper towel or facial tissue, then the bill, then another paper towel or facial tissue. Press down hard on the top paper towel or tissue, across the entire surface of the bill.

Replace both paper towels with a new, dry one. Press down again.

Do this about 5 times and you'll have a dry (or 95% dry) bill. Should take less than 2 minutes.

Answer 3

Take a cardboard box; some aluminum foil; some black paper, black plastic or flat black paint (gloss and semi-gloss are not as good, but will work) and a roll of plastic wrap. Cut the flaps off of the box and use them to build a single or multi-faceted (the latter being better) reflector panel by arranging them above the inside of the box such that they would bounce light they catch inward. Cut one side of the box down to about 25% of its original height. You can use this piece to make the reflector even bigger too! Now, either paint the inside of the remainder of the box black or line it with either the black paper or black plastic. Cut a hole maybe 1"-2" in diameter near the top of one of the remaining sides to allow the moist, hot air to escape. Place the wet money inside the box pretty much anywhere, you can even attach it to the sides via any method you like if you want to have more exposed surface area to the hot air. FINALLY, seal the top of the box shut with the plastic wrap and set your reflector atop the box and aim the low side of the box at the sun. You can also heat up some lunch or dinner in here as well as solar ovens can get quite hot!

The best part? This is reusable and as mentioned, can cook food too!

Some other, ummm less "inspired" yet absolutely valid ideas... ;)

You could hang it on a clothesline out in the sun as well. But you'd have to watch it closely of course.

Clothespin the bill(s) to a stick and ride around on your bicycle, motorcycle or hang out of the car window while driving about (low speed is important here!)

Crank the car AC and use binder clips to hold the narrow end(s) to the vent. I think this still pretty much qualifies for the no-electricity based products since all power whether mechanical or electric is provided by the engine and is thusly self-contained.

Duct tape the edges to your shirt and run in circles, stand in a windy area, if living in a big city with a subway system, stand over one of the ventilation gratings which blast out large volumes of air as the trains pass beneath.

Answer 4

I assume you mean any artificial heat when you say "electricity". The best way of drying absorbent items without using any artificial heat is to either use diffusion/heat from the air by hanging the notes to dry like you would a sheet, or placing it against your skin and use your body heat. I suspect the former method is the most effective (and comfortable!) unless you're someplace very cold and/or humid.

Answer 5

Drape it over the open end of a glass or cup and set it somewhere out of the way. Go away and do something else for 24 hours. Come back and put a dry bill back into your wallet. I love the remarkable simplicity of Brett's answers --- I might try some of these constructions during the upcoming 24 hours just to pass the time & have something ready the next time I wash my trousers.

Answer 6

just spend it. Make the shopkeep worry about how wet it is or will be.

Answer 7

If you have an olde-fashioned clothes iron that you can heat in a fire, you can use that to press the bill and make the water evaporate quickly. (Obviously don't heat it SO much that it would burn the bill.)