United States currency is not actually made out of paper at all, but rather a durable fabric blend consisting of seventy-five percent cotton and twenty-five percent linen.

A closer look

United States currency is not actually made out of paper at all, but rather a durable fabric blend consisting of seventy-five percent cotton and twenty-five percent linen. This specific textile composition is exactly why paper money can accidentally go through a heavy-duty washing machine cycle without disintegrating into a useless pile of mush. So the next time you find a crumpled twenty-dollar bill at the bottom of your laundry basket, you can take a moment to appreciate the fact that the foundation of our entire global financial system is literally printed on the exact same material as your cheap bedsheets and that threadbare vintage band t-shirt you refuse to throw away