Disinfecting Money Protocol
This protocol describes the necessary steps for disinfecting paper currency.
You should disinfect physical currency if you are regularly exchanging physical currency, for your and everyone else's safety. This is because disinfected currency that re-enters circulation helps limit the spread of COVID-19.
For disinfecting plastic notes and/or metal coins, please refer to the Disinfecting things protocol
Disinfecting paper currency
For paper currency (Cheques, all £50 notes, some £20 notes and some non-UK currency) there isn't a tested disinfection method that can be done at home.
The COVID-19 virus however cannot survive for long on paper surfaces. For this reason, you can do the following:
- Find a surface in your home that isn't being used or interacted with (i.e a window sill)
- Disinfect the surface as per Disinfecting things protocol
- Place the paper currency on the surface for a minimum of four hours
- Wash your hands after handling the currency
- Remove the currency and disinfect the surface again
Even after following this process, you should continue to wash your hands and any surface the paper currency comes into contact with.