How to Clean Dirty Dollar Bills

Think of how many times you use dollar bills to pay a store clerk. The clerk then gives change to another customer, using those same bills. The customer uses the bills to pay the babysitter. The babysitter deposits the cash in the bank. Finally, the bank gives them to a customer making a withdrawal. Dollar bills are often dirty -- so dirty that sometimes they need cleaning. Fortunately, paper dollar bills are made from 25 percent linen and 75 percent cotton paper, making them durable for washing.

Mild hand soap
Soft-bristled toothbrush
Paper towels
String
Paper clips

Instructions

- 1
  Lay your dollar bills flat on a piece of paper towel. Don't worry if they don't remain perfectly flat, the water will straighten the fibers.
- 2
  Run the dollar bills briefly under warm water. Moisture on the surface enables soap absorption.
- 3
  Apply a pea-sized drop of gentle hand soap to the tip of a soft-bristled toothbrush. Gently brush the surface of the dollar bills with the soapy toothbrush. Start in the middle of the bill and work your way outward, to avoid ripping the edges.
- 4
  Flip the dollar bill over and repeat scrubbing on the other side.
- 5
  Rinse both sides of the dollar bills under warm water and pat dry with clean paper towels.
- 6
  Paper clip your damp bills to a taunt string as you would clothing on a laundry line.

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