Did you know there is a secret compartment in your dryer where your lost socks go? Yep, it’s true (so much for that sock monster theory, huh?).
Do you know what else is true? There are also many compartments in your dryer where the cash you left in your pants or shirt pockets goes.
Continue reading to learn about these compartments, where they are located and how much money you can expect to find in them.
How Much Money Can You Find in a Random Dryer?
Before we tell you how to find money inside your dryer, we’re going to tell you how much money people typically find in them.
Now, just how much money you can find in a random clothes dryer really depends on how often the dryer has been used and how often money was left inside the clothing that was put into the dryer.
For example, a man named Ben, who runs Ben’s Appliances and Junk, a small used appliance store in Central Ohio, revealed in a YouTube video that he found $9.30 in a used dryer that cost him $50.
He then sold it for $150. But that’s on the lower end of things. A woman named Chadsigmachi, who goes by “Sav” online, shared via TikTok that she found over $100 in the bottom of her dryer.
“I just did a little deep dive into my dryer, and I found a dime, but also like $150,” she said in the video.
“First of all, nobody told me you’re supposed to clean this out. But, there’s more. So, I found $137. There’s got to be a joke about money laundering, but I’m not very bright,” she added.
Where To Look To Find Money Inside Your Dryer
Now for the good part — how to find money inside your dryer. As we just mentioned, Sav found cash in a compartment in the bottom of her dryer.
But, where exactly is this compartment? Well, it depends on the type of dryer you own. In the video, she opened the dryer door and pulled out a vent at the front of the machine.
That’s where she found the cash. Meanwhile, the video Ben posted showed him taking apart the machine using a screwdriver. He found the change under the left side (our left, his right) of the drum.
Jerry Getzfrid, a repairman at the Habitat HomeStore in Fremont, and Joy McCay, executive director of Fremont Area Habitat for Humanity, have a similar story. They told the Lincoln Journal Star that in July 2019, Getzfrid found $144 inside a tumble dryer at the store.
He was in the middle of repairing the dryer when he took off the front, and that’s when the money spilled out. Getzfrid admitted that it was very odd, and he had no idea how the money got in there.
All he knew was that it somehow got out of the airflow system and made its way to the bottom of the machine, and as a result, he’d “struck it rich.” Getzfrid does caution against taking dryers apart just to find money, however. “It almost never happens,” he said.
Don’t Forget to Check Your Washing Machine, Too
If clothes with money in the pockets end up in the dryer, it makes sense that those same clothes were also put into a washing machine beforehand. That being said, finding money in a top-loading washing machine seems to be pretty easy for the most part.
All you have to do is look in the bottom of the drum after removing the laundry. But, what if it’s a front-load washer? Well, chances are the money will slide out of the drum and into a secret hiding place, if you will.
According to a video on YouTube, this special hiding spot is the rubber seal around the washer’s drum. The video, posted by a channel known as “Live Free,” shows a gentleman pulling back the rubber seal around the drum of a front loading washer and finding coins. This explains why you don’t hear the coins rattling around in the machine, he said.
But, sometimes, it isn’t as simple as pulling back the rubber seal. Finding money hidden in your washing machine will require much more work, especially if coins are stuck in the washer’s draining pump, the drain filter or the coin trap.
Steps To Retrieving Coins
As a result, you’ll need to follow certain steps to retrieve the coins. SFGATE.com explains how:
Step 1: Unplug the washing machine to avoid getting shocked.
Step 2: Look for a coin trap panel. If your washer has one, it will be behind a small, square panel near the floor on the front or side of the machine. Once you locate it, simply open the door and turn the trap counterclockwise and pull on it to remove it and see what’s inside.
Step 3: If your machine doesn’t have a coin trap, you will need to locate its drain pump (check your owner’s manual for instructions). Depending on where it’s located, you will have to remove either the front panel or rear panel to access it.
Step 4: Remove the front access panel. Depending on the model, the front panel might cover the entire front of the machine.
Step 5: Remove the rear panel if the pump is at the back of the washer.
Step 6: Disconnect the electrical connector to the pump by pulling it out, and remove the two hoses attached to the pump by squeezing the clamps, holding them with pliers, and pulling them off.
BEWARE: water will drain out.
Step 7: Unhook the pump from the machine. Remove it, turn it over, and allow any coins stuck inside to fall out. If you can see coins inside, but they aren’t coming out, use a straightened clothes hanger to work them out.
Step 8: Shake the drain hoses to make sure no coins are stuck inside.
Step 9: Replace everything. This includes the pump, hoses, electrical connector, and front or rear access panel.
Step 10: Plug the washer back into the outlet.
The Days of Losing Money are Over
There you have it. Yes, there are a lot of steps involved, but they seem fairly simple. If, however, you have any doubts about your own ability to successfully take apart and reassemble your washing machine, do yourself a favor and get a professional to take a look at it.
And, who knows, depending on how much money you find in your washing machine, it might just be enough to pay the repair bill in full!
Follow these simple tips to avoid losing your hard-earned money in your dryer (or washer) or to “strike it rich” after picking up a used dryer from a thrift store!
