Washed your passport, phone, or money—what should you do?

When using a washing machine, the first rule is to check the pockets of your items before loading them. But if something bad has already happened and you washed money, a phone, or a passport along with your other items, you'll need to take action. Washing in a washing machine isn't always fatal for these items, so in this article, we've decided to provide advice on what to do if you've washed items that shouldn't have been washed.

My phone was washed in the washing machine – what should I do?

If you were careless and washed your phone in the washing machine, there is little chance of saving it. A little. A lot will depend on whether the phone was turned on during the wash. If the handset was disconnected, there's a chance; if it was connected, the chances of recovering it after washing are slim to none. Much will also depend on how long the handset was submerged in water. So, if you remember about the phone after starting the wash, drain the water, and remove the handset from the drum, your chances of saving it increase dramatically.

What immediate steps should be taken to try to save a washed phone?

• First, you need to turn off the phone (if it was on) and remove the battery and SIM card.
• After this, you need to immediately disassemble the phone as much as possible, remove everything that can be removed, and lay out the parts on dry paper napkins.
• Soak a piece of bandage in alcohol and wipe all the parts (you can pour more alcohol, as it will help the water evaporate faster).
• We buy a can of Contact 60 spray and carefully treat the wet board on both sides.
• Dry the wet parts with a hairdryer on a gentle setting, keeping the device away from the phone. Avoid direct exposure to hot air.
• Once the parts are completely dry, you need to spray the board again with Contact 60 spray, then reassemble the phone, insert the SIM card and battery.
• We wait for a while and then try to turn on the device.

If the device was turned off before placing it in the washing machine drum and washing, then after carrying out the above procedures the chances of saving it are 50/50, and even then only on condition that you washed the laundry at a temperature of 40 ⁰C. At a water temperature of 60 ⁰Damage to the LCD touchscreen and camera is guaranteed, so restoring the phone after such a water bath is simply unprofitable. If you washed the phone while it was on, the chances of its survival are no more than 3%.

Please note! Even if your phone still doesn't turn on after drying and treating it, don't despair. Take it to a reputable service center; they may still be able to fix it.

What should I do if my passport was washed in a washing machine?

The main thing to do if you've washed your passport is to try to restore it yourself. The sooner you act, the better. Here's how to proceed.

1. Carefully open your passport. Try to unstick as many pages as possible. If some pages won't unstick, leave them there—the last thing you need is to rip your passport.
2. Place a sheet of clean white paper between the peeled pages of your passport and place the document in a dry, warm place away from strong heat sources such as a radiator or heater.
3. Let the passport sit with the paper for 40-60 minutes, then try to unstick the remaining pages again – it should work. Change the paper.
4. Place dry paper between each page of your passport, then weigh it down with three or four thick books. First, place your passport on a hard, flat surface, such as a tabletop.

After drying, carefully inspect the passport. If all the details (seals, signatures), as well as the inscriptions, are in order and can be read, you can safely continue using the passport. If important elements are damaged, you must do everything possible to replace the passport.

Important! Under Article 19.16 of the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation, damage to a passport through negligence is punishable by a fine of one to three dollars or an administrative warning.

What steps should be taken to replace a damaged passport?

• First, you need to file a report of lost or damaged passport with the local office of the Federal Migration Service of the Russian Federation at your place of registration. In this case, the passport renewal period will be 10 days. If you have temporary registration or are submitting your application at a location other than your place of registration, you will have to wait two months for a new passport.
• Take a photo and bring 2 photographs to the FMS department in accordance with the 35x45 requirements.
• If you need a passport urgently and cannot wait 10 days or 2 months, you will need to apply for a temporary passport, which requires two more of the same photographs.
• You need to pay a state fee of $15 and provide the receipt to the FMS.
• Other documents may also be required, so it is best to take them with you, namely: military ID, birth certificate of children, marriage registration/divorce certificate, document confirming registration at the place of residence.

After the legally mandated period for preparing a new passport has passed, specialists at the local FMS office are required to notify you that the document is ready and that you need to collect it. When receiving your new passport, be sure to check all information for typos and inaccuracies.

What to do with washed money?

Banknotes are quite resistant to various impacts, as they are made of special paper and coated with special ink, so they are not easily damaged, even if you wash them in the washing machine. If you have washed paper money in the washing machine, follow these steps:

1. Place a sheet of white, clean paper on a flat surface.
2. Take a wet banknote and spread it out on a sheet of paper.
3. Place a second sheet of white paper on top, and then place a thick book on top.
4. When the banknote has dried a little, change the sheets of paper to dry ones and iron the banknote through these sheets.

After such procedures and thorough drying, the money should be in perfect order.If paper money is seriously damaged, it can be exchanged at Sberbank. To do this, you'll need to go to your nearest bank branch and submit a request for replacement bills. Bank employees will be required to replace the bills.

Please note! Banknotes can only be exchanged at Sberbank if they are severely damaged, when approximately 70% of the information on them is no longer recognizable.

It's not a pleasant situation if you forgot some small change in a pocket, and after washing the item, the change is gone. This can only mean one thing: the change is somewhere in the washing machine. How dangerous is it to leave change in the washing machine, and what should you do to retrieve it? Let's be clear right away: If you know that you washed clothes with small change and there is money left in the machine, you need to get it out immediately, Otherwise, they may damage the machine parts. How to do this?

• First, you need to look into the washing machine drum; perhaps the coins are still there.
• Next you need to clean the drain filter washing machine. Most often, small items that get into the drum end up there.
• If there's no money in either place, it could be stuck in the washing machine's drum. This is the worst-case scenario, and it's best to call a technician who can quickly and professionally remove it.

In conclusion, if you accidentally wash money, a passport, or a phone in the washing machine, it's certainly a big deal, but in some cases, it's not fatal. You can try to solve the problem with minimal effort by following the advice of experts and following their instructions. Good luck and all the best!

   

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