Skulls

[minni]

Took a buddy of mine with me squirrel hunting, he loved it. He also wanted to take the heads home and try to clean up the skulls. Any advice I could give him? I’ve cleaned and boiled my own deer skulls a few times but never considered a squirrel, just wanted to see if it’s the same tedious process or if there’s an easier way since it’s much smaller.

[scrub-buster]

Option 1: Use a crock pot. You can mix a little bit of borax or dawn soap in the water. Try to remove the brain before putting it in the water. Let it cook until the meat starts to fall off the bone. The teeth will more than likely come loose and fall out. You will have to sift through the mess in the bottom to find them. Hand clean the skull to remove all of the meat and tissue. This is the fastest way but requires some work.

Option 2: Put it in a bucket of water and let it sit for several months. It will smell very bad. It may require some hand cleaning when it's done.

Option 3: Find a taxidermist or someone else with a demested beetle colony. They will make quick work of cleaning that skull.


After the skull is cleaned be any of those methods he can whiten it with peroxide. Don't use bleach. It will damage the bone. High strength peroxide from a beauty supply store works the best. You can use regular peroxide from a pharmacy but it will take a lot longer. You can heat up the peroxide to make it work faster. Use a plastic container. Don't put any metal objects in the peroxide.

[scrub-buster]

What part of the state are you in? My tattoo artist has a beetle colony to clean skulls.

[minni]

Sept 27, 2020 9:52:51 GMT -5 scrub-buster said:

What part of the state are you in? My tattoo artist has a beetle colony to clean skulls.

Buddy & skulls are in northeast part near Fort Wayne. I am down in Bloomington/Monroe area.

[mgderf]

Sept 27, 2020 9:51:44 GMT -5 scrub-buster said:

Option 1: Use a crock pot. You can mix a little bit of borax or dawn soap in the water. Try to remove the brain before putting it in the water. Let it cook until the meat starts to fall off the bone. The teeth will more than likely come loose and fall out. You will have to sift through the mess in the bottom to find them. Hand clean the skull to remove all of the meat and tissue. This is the fastest way but requires some work.

Option 2: Put it in a bucket of water and let it sit for several months. It will smell very bad. It may require some hand cleaning when it's done.

Option 3: Find a taxidermist or someone else with a demested beetle colony. They will make quick work of cleaning that skull.


After the skull is cleaned be any of those methods he can whiten it with peroxide. Don't use bleach. It will damage the bone. High strength peroxide from a beauty supply store works the best. You can use regular peroxide from a pharmacy but it will take a lot longer. You can heat up the peroxide to make it work faster. Use a plastic container. Don't put any metal objects in the peroxide.

I use option #1, but I use Arm & Hammer washing soda. It's different, and MUCH more caustic than baking soda.
Wear gloves and eye protection, and if you get it on your skin, rinse with water right away.
It isn't an instant skin killer, but more like gasoline or paint thinner. The longer it sits on your skin the more damage it will do.
Works great though and leaves the skull nice and white.

I buy it at Kroger grocery stores. Go figure...