I washed my Sberbank card in an automatic machine - what will happen to the credit card, will it work after washing it in a washing machine and by hand?

Many people have had situations where they accidentally washed some items along with their laundry. It could be money, keys, key fobs.

Some encountered a problem when a Sberbank plastic card got into the drum of the machine along with the laundry.

Many people are wondering whether it will work normally after this. It all depends on a number of conditions and the type of card.

We will discuss in more detail what will happen if you accidentally washed a Sberbank card in an automatic washing machine in the article.

Will the credit card work after getting wet?

If the Sberbank card was made of high-quality plastic, then even washing will not affect its further operation.

The product can continue to be used in cases where:

the banking product is made of high-strength material;
it has a protective film that protects it from damage and scratches;
it is equipped with a magnetic stripe that is rarely exposed to external influences;
During washing, the product was not in the drum of the machine, but inside the trousers or shirt.

In the described cases, the probability of maintaining the functionality of the plastic card is 70%. If during washing it was not inside any item, but in the drum of the machine, then the risk of damage increases to 50%.

If the plate already had any damage or defects before washing, then after washing the likelihood of the product failing increases many times over.

Quality

Now you know what happens if you wash a cardboard bank card, and why it then stops working. But there is no need to worry, because such cases are very rare; almost all banks in Russia have long been producing only plastic analogues.

But we cannot vouch for the strength of cards from Chinese financial organizations and payment systems. Until now, many of them, in order to save money, do not hesitate to offer their customers their low-grade cardboard product.

Of course, if damaged even before the end of its service life, the card can be reissued, but this procedure, as a rule, requires an additional fee. Therefore, if you are concerned about the quality of your future plastic card, do not hesitate to ask its manufacturer about the materials for production.

Likely consequences

A product equipped with a magnetic stripe is more reliable than a card containing a chip. The likely consequences of washing plastic with a magnetic stripe can be:

malfunction due to mechanical damage;
demagnetization of a banking product;
deformation in case of washing at high temperatures and in the “Boiling” mode;
full preservation of functionality.

Possible consequences of washing a card with a chip can be:

impossibility of further use due to mechanical damage to the chip;
malfunction of the product due to melting of the chip on it due to exposure to hot water;
erasing the chip;
maintaining performance.

In all cases, a common consequence is the erasure of numbers and letters from the surface of the plate. In the future, they become problematic to read and recognize. The product itself becomes shabby in appearance.

What to do if you accidentally washed your bank card?

The fact of drum washing is not yet a reason to panic. The following resuscitation actions will help maintain performance:

wipe the card, removing any remaining moisture from the surface;
allow to dry completely;
inspect for external damage (defects, scratches);
check the integrity of inscriptions and digital values;
used to carry out financial transactions with some frequency and variety of types.

Machine and hand washing of a card - is there a difference in the harm caused?

Much depends on how the card was washed . If it is washed by hand, the plastic will suffer less.

When washing by hand, items are not exposed to high temperatures. The plate itself has less contact with buttons and fasteners on clothes, which can damage it. When washing by hand, it is easier to notice and feel the plastic card in clothes.

When machine washed, plastic is damaged more often. It is negatively affected by various elements of clothing. Additionally, the card can be in contact with the drum of the machine. With this option, the product more often suffers from hot water.

First aid rules

As practice shows, some models of smartphones and push-button phones do not lose their functionality after washing. To increase the likelihood of successful recovery, take the following steps:

Turn off the device, remove the SIM card and battery.
Remove all parts that can be twisted and wash them under running water to remove any remaining powder.
Treat the inside of the device with alcohol.
It is applied to a gauze swab, which is used to carefully wipe each part. The alcohol evaporates quickly and also neutralizes the invisible soap film that may remain on the device after washing.
To remove visible scale, you can use a toothbrush to remove all corrosion, but you should not rub the microcircuits too vigorously.
Lay out the disassembled phone parts on a dry, flat surface in a room with good ventilation.
To quickly expel water from the device, it is blown with a hairdryer. The air should be cool or slightly warm. The hot flow can cause parts to melt.
Wait a week for all elements to dry completely.
Assemble the device, turn it on, evaluate the result.

The chances of a full recovery are slim, but they still exist. With the right approach, only some parts may need repairs, so it won't cost much.

Do not shake the device or press buttons. After such manipulations, even intact parts may become unusable.

The most important condition for competent first aid for a washed phone is its complete drying. You should not try to turn it on earlier than 5-7 days after the incident.

Factors that increase the likelihood of magnetic tape damage

The banking product and its elements may be severely damaged under the following conditions:

When washing, the magnetic tape was scratched by buttons and zippers from shirts or trousers;
a Sberbank card was accidentally washed in hot water and boiled at the same time;
the product came into contact with the drum of the machine during washing;
the card was washed with a lot of laundry.

In the latter case, the object is greatly deformed and bent. In the future, such a banking product cannot be used for its intended purpose.

Effective methods for restoring the original appearance of washed banknotes

It is important to process washed money correctly. There are several ways to help restore the normal appearance of paper bills and coins

They involve drying and eliminating the smell of mold.

How to dry it properly?

The most common method is drying between clean sheets of paper. To this end, you should perform the following steps:

First, carefully lay the banknotes on a terry towel and cover the top with another towel or soft rag. This will remove most of the moisture.
After this procedure, each bill should be carefully spread out on a sheet of paper, covering the top with the same one.
Place a book on top of the second sheet (to prevent deformation of the banknote).
As the paper sheets become damp, they should be replaced with new ones until the money is completely dry.

The method is quite effective, but time-consuming. There are other equally effective measures to restore washed money.

Iron drying

It is recommended to dry money while smoothing it with an iron on an ironing board. The algorithm of actions is as follows:

lay down a clean soft cloth, carefully placing wet bills on it;
cover the top with the same fabric;
Having set the iron to the minimum temperature setting for any type of fabric (cotton, wool, synthetics), you should carefully iron the fabric surface until it is completely dry and the paper money is restored.

Drying coins is much easier. They must be rinsed under running water and laid out in one layer on a soft cloth.

Drying with a hairdryer

You will have to hold the banknote with one hand and direct the warm jet of a hairdryer onto it with the other. Using hot air will dry the money paper quickly, but forced drying often results in warping.

Before such drying, preliminary preparation will also be required, including removing moisture with a towel. This procedure is described above.

On a rope

This method will also give positive results for drying banknotes. But it has disadvantages:

the use of clothespins will cause the ends of the banknote to break;
when suspended, banknotes curl and become deformed;
In the end, you will still have to resort to using an iron.

Of the methods described above, ironing washed money is the fastest and most effective. After this procedure, they will acquire their original condition and payment status.

How to get rid of mold?

Removing mold from coins is not difficult. They can be washed in water with the addition of bleach or vinegar. Another method involves using any detergents and cleaning products used when treating a bathtub or sink. In both cases, after this procedure, it is recommended to rinse the coins under running water and dry them.

Mold that appears on banknotes after accidental washing in a machine is more difficult to remove. To eliminate fungal infection, you can use the following proven methods:

Wipe banknotes with a detergent containing chlorine. To do this, apply a small amount of liquid to a cotton pad and wipe the money with it. Then remove the product with a damp cloth.
Vinegar diluted in water fights mold well. The ratio of components is 1 part vinegar to 5 parts water. The banknotes should be wiped with a cotton pad and dried with this mixture.
A more aggressive, but most effective treatment of paper money against mold is immersion in cold water with the addition of liquid soap, shampoo or shower gel.

It is not recommended to soak paper money in any solution for more than 30 seconds, as it may get wet.

Determining the extent of damage

If, after an accidental wash, the numbers and letters on the plate are only blurred, then it often remains suitable for further use. Serious damage to the card is considered to be a scratch anywhere on the card and on the magnetic stripe . It is recommended to check such a card for serviceability by inserting it into the terminal.

A high degree of damage to the product is indicated by the presence of scratches on its chip. There is a high probability that the card will no longer work if, after washing, its chip has melted or been erased.

If such damage is present, it is also recommended to insert plastic into the terminal. If it “reads” the Sberbank card well, allows you to enter a password and make transactions, then the product is not damaged.

Severe damage to the card is its deformation and the appearance of cracks on it . You should not try to insert such a banking product into a terminal. He may not accept the card or take it but not issue it.

A few words about production

To understand what happens if you wash a Sberbank card, we suggest finding out how it is made. The process consists of the following steps:

printing - a design is applied to the workpiece on both sides using a special printer;
baking - a magnetized tape is attached, designed to clarify the data. After this, the two parts are joined into one structure using a thermal lamination device. The temperature is set to 120 degrees above zero, and the press presses with a force of 160 bar;
an additional protective element is applied . Each layer is provided with a special film, which in the previous process is hermetically connected to the plastic surface without distorting the previously applied images. Often it is this film that creates reliable protection for the product if it accidentally ends up in the washing machine;
cutting with personalization – the product is cut and personalized with a special code.

Action plan

If there are no noticeable mechanical damages visually observed on the product, then it is enough to put it in order.

To do this you need:

Wipe the plate with a dry cloth. Allow the product to dry completely.
Check the banking product again for damage. This is especially true for the place where the magnetic stripe or chip is located.
Check the legibility of the inscriptions and numbers on the map.
Check the functionality of the card on the terminal. Insert it and make sure that the device “reads” it normally. Try entering your password, checking your balance, and performing some kind of operation just to be safe.

When trying to return a deformed card to its previous shape, do not heat it too much. High temperatures can cause plastic to become even more deformed.

If there is noticeable damage on the plate and the terminal cannot read the necessary information from it, then it must be replaced.

To do this you need:

Go to the bank. You need to contact the department that issued the plate.
Take with you to the bank not only your card, but also your passport.
Submit an application to the bank branch requesting early re-issue of the product. Indicate in the document the reasons for the failure of the plastic. Be sure to indicate the date and signature on the application.
Return the damaged card to the bank employee for destruction.
Get a new card from the same bank. In this case, the current account and number remain unchanged.

About two weeks are given to reissue the card, but this period can be reduced to one week . At the same time, Sberbank does not charge a commission for this operation. The bank usually notifies you that the card is ready via SMS.

Other risks

Each bank card contains additional information:

Owner's full name;
card number;
month and year in which the validity period ends;
CVV or CVC three-digit code.

In most cases, this data (except for three-digit codes) is embossed and additionally printed with metallized paint. However, on some credit cards the embossing is not too deep, and the dye is easily washed out. For example, if you wash an old Mastercard card from Sberbank in a washing machine, it will be extremely difficult to read what is written on it. As for the three-digit code, it is most often applied to a paper base, which quickly gets wet, and the ink immediately disappears under the influence of detergents.

We recommend: What and at what temperature should you wash bed linen in a washing machine?

The absence of text data on the front side may result in the bank teller refusing service. And if the owner does not remember the CVV/CVC code, then he will not even be able to make an online transfer of money from the affected card to any other, so that later he can use it in the usual way.

FAQ

What should I do if I washed my Sberbank card, how much will it cost to replace it?

If you have unsuccessfully washed your Sberbank card, you can order a reissue of the card either in person in the office or through the Sberbank Online system, and the cost of the procedure directly depends on the status of the plastic. So, the simplest options (social or youth) will cost 30 rubles. Reissuing cards in the mid-price segment will cost 60-250 rubles. For gold and platinum cards, in most cases there is a free reissue.

What to do if the magnetic tape on the plastic is damaged?

You must visit the branch of the banking organization that issued the card (don’t forget your ID) and write an application for early re-issuance of the plastic card, indicating the reason. The manager will provide the necessary information about the need to block the account on the old card, about the possible choice of a new card and account - all that remains is to make the right choice. The cost and time of re-issuing plastic are individual and directly depend on the issuing bank, which means it is more foresighted to familiarize yourself with this information in advance.

My bank card was in the washing machine, how can I open it while washing?

Since at the moment the majority of the population uses an automatic machine for washing, information about the fight against this particular unit will be relevant. We do not consider options for disconnecting from the network - the electronic filling of the equipment may not withstand it and fail. In a top-loading machine, everything is simple - the doors open even while the mechanism is running, but we do not risk it with our own hands - we turn off the rotation of the drum, open the door and take out the card. A front-loading machine will not allow the door to be opened while the program is running. Therefore, we stop the washing program, switch to the water draining program, after executing this command, the machine will unlock the door, and it will be possible to get plastic that has been refreshed after water procedures.

Why do people do this

It’s one thing when you see a similar phenomenon with your grandmother, although they prefer not to use the card. But often you see adults, working citizens, taking a card out of a bag, file, or even foil. This measure was advertised on the Internet.

How to protect a bank card? Watch the video:

Prevents rubbing

This even makes sense, since due to prolonged use on some types of cards, the letters and numbers begin to wear out and become difficult to read.

But on the other hand, most banking products must be replaced after 3-5 years of use. During this time, the inscriptions on the map may become erased, but will not completely disappear.

Where can I get a loan without refusal? Find out here.

Protects from mechanical damage

What else can happen to the card is scratches or cracks from contact with small change, keys or other objects. This really does make sense. Additional protection will prevent minor damage, but it will not save you from bending or breaking.

New covers to protect cards. Photo: banggood.com

Protection of magnetic stripe from erasure

No matter what anyone thinks, the magnetic stripe will not be erased so easily. At least from normal use. To rub a strip until it becomes unusable, you need to do it intentionally and for a long time. In addition, most cards are equipped with chips or are completely contactless, so overwriting does not occur.

Water protection

Apparently, this is due to a common misconception that getting wet makes the card unusable. In fact, ordinary water accidentally spilled on plastic will not cause any harm.

The operation can only be disrupted if the card is washed in a washing machine. But under such circumstances, the package is unlikely to help.

Protection from burglars

Using the package, you can protect yourself from intruders who can quietly withdraw money using a terminal. This involves working as a robber in a crowded place, such as a subway or bus. This method is designed for contactless cards.

Saves from demagnetization

Another myth about cards is that if you store the plastic next to your phone, it will demagnetize. According to some citizens, the package can protect against this.

How do they steal money from bank cards? Answer in video:

Firstly, for the card to demagnetize, it must be exposed to a powerful magnet. The one located in the phone's speaker is not capable of harming the plastic. Well, if there is a powerful magnet, no bag will help save the card.