How to Polish Skulls

Skulls may be displayed or used for science classes once cleaned and polished.

For nature enthusiasts and track hunters, finding an animal skull is an exciting treasure. Unfortunately, most skulls found in the wild are not in the prettiest condition. They may have large chunks of sinew and hide still attached, or be covered in sediment, grime, mold or even maggots. To get the skull up to display quality it needs to be cleaned up and polished. The process takes a few days as the skull needs much preparation prior to the polishing.

Things You'll Need

• Large pot
• Cooling rack
• Hydrogen peroxide
• Toothbrush
• Small scrapers
• Soft brush
• Clear spray-on shellac

Instructions

1. Cut off all remaining chunks of flesh, sinew or muscle. Rinse the skull off as best possible. Bring a pot of water to a boil and place the skull in the boiling water for 30 minutes.

2. Place the skull on a cooling rack. While the skull is still hot, scrub off any remaining bits of hair, flesh or sediment. When the skull is wet and hot it is easier to remove the small pieces. Scrub off the small pieces with a toothbrush.

3. Put the hydrogen peroxide into the pot, at least full enough so the entire skull is covered in the fluid when placed in the pot. Put the skull in the peroxide and let it soak and bleach for at least three to four days. Check back every day and skim any scum off the top of the peroxide.

4. Remove the skull and dry off the peroxide. The skull is now a bone white color, bleached from the peroxide and smoothed from the boiling water. Brush off any remaining grime or dust.

5. Spray the entire skull with a coat of the clear shellac and let it dry. The result is a polished and sealed skull.

References

• Arizona Cooperative Extension: Preserving and Cleaning Animal Skulls: PDF
• The Bone Room: About Bones