BERLIN – Euro notes survive being washed at close to boiling temperatures but should not be ironed, a German daily said Tuesday after its reporters put the new money through some everyday stress tests.
The Bild newspaper found the notes looking as good as new, only wetter, after a half-hour wash at 95 degrees Celsius and a quick spin dry. They also survived being put through a tumble drier.
But when the notes were ironed, their shiny security strip, which displays their value, quickly became pockmarked. The notes' embedded security thread also burned when put through a microwave, Bild reported.
The notes changed color and shrank briefly when dipped in red wine, but expanded again as they soaked up the fluid.
Needless to say, the coins were completely destroyed when run over by a tram.
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