Skull Cleaning

General Preparation

• Skin the head and remove as much flesh as possible with knives or dental picks, taking care not to scratch bone surfaces with the tools. The greater amount of flesh that is removed, the shorter the processing time will be.
  
• Remove as much of the brain tissue as possible. Soaking the skull overnight in warm water will soften this tissue. A wire loop is a good tool for removing brain tissue.
  

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Cold Water Method

• Place the skull in an appropriate sized bucket and add room temperature or lukewarm water.
• Add a couple of tablespoons of enzyme-containing laundry detergent per gallon of water.
• Add fresh water to the bucket as water evaporates.
• Pour off any rancid water and refill with fresh water and enzyme detergent periodically.
• After all flesh has soaked off, let the skull dry completely.
• Collect any teeth that have fallen out to glue in later.

This method is easy and causes little damage to the skull, but it is also slow and smelly.

Hot Water Method

• Cooking skulls should be done outdoors.
  
• Boil the skull with enzyme detergent.
  
• Check the progress frequently.
  
• Let the skull dry.
  
• Collect any teeth that have fallen out to glue in later.
  

Cooking the skull is much faster than the cold water method and can be completed in hours rather than days. A disadvantage is that the skull may shrink.

Dermestid Beetle Method

• After fleshing the skull, allow it to air dry in a cool place for a day or two.
  
• Put the skull in a box or bucket with wood shavings or other loose material such as cotton or polyester batting and the dermestid beetle colony. A screen can be placed over the box to keep the beetles from escaping. If a closed bucket is used, create air holes for the beetles.
• The ideal temperature is about 80 degrees Fahrenheit.
• A large enough colony should be used so that the skull can be cleaned before the meat goes rancid.
• Beetle colonies can be kept alive between skull cleanings by feeding them dry dog food.

The beetle method is generally very easy on the skull and the teeth do not loosen. Maintaining the correct sized colony can be challenging.

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Bleaching and Preserving

• Air-dried skulls can be left natural or bleached for a whiter, brighter look.
  
• Bleaching should be done with a 3% to 6% hydrogen peroxide solution for up to two to three days.
  
• After soaking in peroxide, rinse with clean water and allow the skull to dry.
  
• Skulls can be sprayed with a clear polyurethane finish.