Paper Money Is Made of Cotton, Not Paper

Next time you accidentally leave a few bills in your jeans pocket and run them through the wash, you can thank cotton farmers for saving your cash. Despite its name, paper money isn't made from paper at all—at least not the wood pulp kind you'd find in books or newspapers.

US currency is composed of 75% cotton and 25% linen, a blend that's been produced by Crane Currency in Massachusetts since 1879. No wood fibers, no starch—just pure textile fibers woven into one of the most handled materials in America.

Why Cotton Instead of Paper?

The cotton-linen blend gives currency a durability that wood pulp paper simply can't match. Regular paper is made from cellulose fibers that absorb water and fall apart when wet. Anyone who's accidentally put a tissue through the laundry knows this painful truth.

Cotton and linen are rag fibers, which bond together much more firmly and remain basically unaffected by water. This is why your twenty-dollar bill emerges from the washing machine wrinkled but intact, while that grocery receipt in the other pocket has disintegrated into confetti.

Built to Last (Literally Thousands of Folds)

The average US bill can be folded approximately 4,000 times before it tears. This exceptional durability means most bills stay in circulation for 4-10 years, passing through countless hands, wallets, cash registers, and yes—washing machines.

The high purity and crystallinity of cotton fibers give them intrinsic strength while remaining soft and flexible. It's this combination that makes currency both durable enough to withstand daily abuse and pleasant enough to handle.

The Laundry Test

So what actually happens when money goes through the wash? The cotton-linen fibers handle it surprisingly well:

• The fibers don't break down or disintegrate in water
• Bills may emerge wrinkled or faded, but structurally intact
• Even a trip through the dryer usually won't destroy them
• The synthetic red and blue security fibers woven into the paper also survive

Wood pulp paper, by contrast, would turn into mush under the same conditions. Regular paper products dissolve, tear, and fragment when exposed to the agitation and moisture of a washing machine.

Not the Only Game in Town

While the US sticks with its traditional cotton blend, some countries have moved to even more durable materials. The UK, Australia, and Canada now use polymer plastic banknotes that are virtually indestructible—they can be wiped clean, fully submerged, and are nearly impossible to tear.

But there's something distinctly American about cotton currency. After all, the same material that built the textile industry and defined Southern agriculture is quite literally the fabric of our money. It's durable, it's distinctive, and it survives your laundry mistakes with impressive resilience.