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How to Remove Ink Stains on Banknotes

Collecting money from all over the world can be a fun hobby to embark on, whether you travel regularly to foreign countries or simply know somebody who does. Collecting banknotes, in particular, can be exciting, given their wide varieties of sizes, colors and designse. If you come upon a banknote which is stained, however, you'll likely want to remove that stain. As the majority of bills are made of a fabric-paper mix, this won't be much of a problem.

Things You'll Need

Liquid hand soap
Rubbing alcohol
Cotton ball

Instructions

- 1
  Squeeze a bit of liquid hand soap onto your finger and wet it slightly. Blot your damp, soapy finger gently onto the stained part of the bill, wetting your finger periodically as you notice it begin to dry. Over the course of a minute or so, you should notice the stain beginning to dissolve.
- 2
  Allow the bank note to dry and attempt to remove the stain with rubbing alcohol instead -- a solvent better suited than soap to dissolving permanent stains like magic marker. Dampen a cotton ball or swab with rubbing alcohol, then blot it onto the stain as you did with soapy water. Continue doing so until the stain disappears.
- 3
  Rinse your banknote with clean tap or bottled water after you've finished washing the stain to remove all traces of soap or alcohol. Although cleaning agents like soap and alcohol are safe for quick removal of staining, allowing them to soak into the fibers of the bill could weaken or bleach them.

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