# Skulls soaked in Hydr.Peroxide-how long?



## Wile E

Hello Everyone,

I just boiled 2 coyote skulls. I am soaking in hydrogen peroxide (3%). I started the process last evening (Feb.13th) and checked it this morning, looks fairly white. Can I re-use the solution for the 2nd skull?

How long should i soak the skull? Will the bone become brittle if left too long? One last question; do in need to seal it and with what?

Thanks!


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## MossyMO

Deer skulls I always intend on 7 to 10 days, but I have pulled them from the peroxide in as short of time as 4 days; just depends on the how white you want the skull. I prefer whitening to a off white, bone color.

I save my peroxide from year to year and reuse it, seems to atill work well the next season.

The period of time you soak it should not effect it getting brittle.

I have never sealed any I have done, but have wondered if they would dust off easier if they had a flat clear coat spray on? Figure if it ever too dusty to clean I can always give it a quick soak in peroxide.


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## Wile E

Thanks MossyMo,

Re-using the solution will save me a trip to Target for more peroxide. :beer:


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## MossyMO

Not a problem.

By the way, if you have a SAM's Club near you, a twin pack of 30 oz. bottles of peroxide is quite reasonably priced. Don't recall the exact price, but I believe it was under 2 bucks.


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## liljoe

Here is another approach to using peroxide if you guys are completely soaking your skulls. I have used this method for many years and litteraly 100's of skulls. Keep in mind that peroxide comes in 2 forms - liquid(Like water) and cream(Like thin pancake batter). I use both on a skull and I'll try and explain. Be sure to wear some type of latex gloves when you do this - the longer up the sleeve the better. With the skull cleaned and ready - put the liquid peroxide in a spray bottle (Old windex works good). Spray the skull down, in the nose cavity, brain cavity, everywhere. With white paper towels(No print on the paper towels or ink will leach onto your skull), spray the paper towels soaking wet with liquid peroxide and try and have a wet paper soaked towel touching every part of bone. The paper towels conform to any and all shapes and you can stuff into voids/cavities.. When completly wrapped with soaked paper towels, take the cream peroxide and smear all over the paper towels so there is nothing dry but full of peroxide. When the paper towels are completely covered with cream peroxide, take seran wrap - that sticky thin plastic stuff out of the wifes kitchen and completly wrap the skull with searan wrap- when completly covered with the seran wrap - put all in a BLACK pastic garbage bag and tie it shut for 3 days - 4 max. Take it out of garbage bag, remove all seran wrap and paper towels and try and wash off in HOT water your white skull - this neutralizes the peroxide. I get a clear NON GLOSS sealer from a hobby store and spray skull when it has complely dried. YOUR DONE. For deer, elk etc. with horns I completely wrap the horns with seran wrap before I start this process because if you touch a antler with peroxide it's going to turn it lighter and you'll end up with a mess. The peroxide is a whiteing agent and is much more effective if it has a chance to function with no light or air. A quart of each type peroxide should do more heads than you'll want to do in a year.


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## Wile E

Thanks Lil'Joe,

One more option to add to my list for next time.


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