Passport went through washing machine
 

I know this is fairly common. I did a search and cannot find a recent thread on the subject.
I just got back from Mexico, did my laundry and as I was loading the dryer I realized there was 'something' in a back pocket of my slacks: my passport.
It was in the buttoned rear pocket of the pants so it came out damp, but in very good shape. It may have helped that the machine is a late model, front loading, low water usage machine. I.E. No agitation. And it didn't go through the dryer. I fanned the pages out to dry. No apparent damage other than curly pages. No smeared ink. No tears. Previous entry stamps still bright and clear. This is a one year old passport so is 'new tech' and therefore not in danger of delamination.

After it is thoroughly dried, I'll probably press it under a stack of books. There have been stories of people ironing the pages but I don't want to cause damage where there is now none.

I'm going to Europe next month from IAH. Into AMS. Out of ZUR. Reentry at EWR. I have Global Entry so am not worried about reentry into the US. I feel pretty confident that I'm good to go.

Is this confidence misplaced?

While you are probably OK, i am enough of a scardy cat that i would replace it anyway. The risk is a problem at ZUR or AMS.

When i washed and replaced my passport, the replacement came with a "mark of shame" saying that the previous passport was damaged. The mark always bothered me so I renewed the replacement to remove the mark.

Because it is a 3+-yr.-old thread, I won't merge this current thread into it. However, here it is for reference:
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/trave...g-machine.html

1997/8 was the year I had five passports. Consecutive, not concurrent.

1. In Dublin airport I left one at a payphone - came back to find it gone.

2. Got emergency 1-year passport from Aus consulate in DUB

3. Replaced it with full passport on next trip to Melbourne. Back in UK, put full passport through washing machine, didn't look good and ruined some visas. But title page was sort of legible.

4. Replaced it at Aus consulate in Hague. Entering AMS, Dutch Immi guy looked at the old one and intoned "Washing machine". Later on, our new puppy ate the new one, chewed corners off on eve of trip to India. Visa page was still intact. Indian Immi guy looked and said "Hahaha, dog is having eaten his passport" and let me in.

5. Got to Sydney and Immi guy said "What happened to this?" I said "Hahaha, dog ate it" He did not smile. "Don't try that again mate. Get down to Passport office and get a new one".

What if you used a blow dryer and then put the passport in rice like you do with a cellphone that has been in a liquid substance? Wouldn't that help?

The passport is perfectly dry. I trimmed off a few loose threads around the edge of the cover. After 24 hours under a stack of hardback James Michener novels, the curled pages are perfectly flat. I think I'm good to go.

And people say hardback novels can be replaced by e-readers!

Oh, I think a large stack of e-readers would work as well as a stack of hardback novels for this purpose. ;)

I washed my passport by accident once. Replaced it, got the mark of shame. Washed that one by accident a year later. Inquired about replacing it.

Was told that if I replaced the replacement, I would basically have my profile flagged going forward: the rep wasn't sure exactly, but basically no fast track/mail renewal, flagged as "extra review" at border crossings, etc.

The second one was damaged but serviceable. Big books to flatten, nail clippers to trim loose threads.

Most problems I have with it are at point of departure where airline agents doing travel docs preclearance get all worried about it, call supervisors, supers get worried, hemming and hawing.

I'm a dual so at that point I usually just haul out my other passport (not damaged) and everyone's all smiles again.

Passport control at point of entry rarely has an issue. Some have asked "it's been warshed, roight?" but all stamp it. Including ZRH, AMS, LHR, and SYD. So I'm not too worried. Then again, passport COI, name, and my stunning good looks are not apt to trigger autonomic fear and profiling responses.

Funny is sometimes point of entry agents see its wash damage, *then* see the page that says "this passport replaces a damaged but valid passport" and then seem to go through a thought process like Oh, Ok, no problem then! As if that page applique was bonded on *after* the fact.

Up for natural renewal this year, so I get a fresh clean one. I'll try not to wash this one, as I'll need to keep it for 10 years.

Every time I see this thread I misread it as "Passenger went through washing machine" and I get an amusing mental image.

I had a passport get wet in the rain. It wasn't clear if it was "damaged" or not. Two different passport offices just told me they couldn't say one way or the other -- I could replace it if wanted. The dilemma is the aforesaid TA or GA who decides you can't fly, maybe at 5:00AM on a Sunday outside the US somewhere. I finally got a passport clerk to basically state that ANY water damage is damage and replace it. Glad I have.

I once fell asleep with a big cup of water on the table, right beside my passport. My cat tried to drink the water and knocked the whole thing over, and the passport sat in a puddle overnight. I thought about getting it replaced, but nothing has ever happened. It doesn't lay closed, but GE machines can always read it.

You can always use a stack of phone books!
... Oh wait :(

I am the OP on this thread. I thought I'd post back on my experience.

I let the damp passport dry thoroughly then, as reported previously, pressed under several thick, heavy hardback novels for a week or so. Came out perfectly flat. I trimmed a few loose denim threads from around the edges.

Just got back from a trip to Europe. IAH to AMS, then returned ZRH to EWR to IAH. Didn't get so much as a raised eyebrow.

I think it helped that the passport was in the back pocket of some pants and was washed in a newish, high tech, front loading, low water usage washer. The clothes slowly tumble through a small amount of water, not sit in a big tub filled with water like old style washers, so it did not get soaked and did not go through the dryer.

The passport is only about a year old so the newer security strip/device may have had something to do with it, also.

Cheers!

Mrs. stifle washed her passport before and just dried it out. It worked uneventfully for the remaining year or two of its validity.