Instructions Detailed Skull/Bone Whitening Instructions - Boiling Method For best results perform before decay begins Remove all hide from skull. Trim excess meat. Obtain metal container that skull/bone will fit into. Container needs to be such that it can be placed on a burner suitable to bringing water to a boil.  (Not recommended for indoor use) Fill container to proper water level for boiling the particular skull/bone.  Skulls/bones without antlers or horns should be submersed.  If whitening an antlered skull the water level should be such that it dose not come in contact with any part of antler.  The skull can temporally be placed in container to obtain desired water level. Skulls with horns need the sheath (horn) removed from the core prior to boiling.  Removing a horn from the core while maintaining its natural look and beauty can be a difficult task.  If you have never done this and want the horn to look natural as possible then it is recommended that you take skulls with horns (ie; sheep, buffalo, goat, or antelope) to a professional taxidermist. Skulls with antlers require protecting the antler to maintain its natural state and beauty.  It is very important to do this to keep the antler in its original condition.  This can be accomplished by wrapping each antler with saran wrap followed with duck tape.  Wrap all areas that will be exposed to steam.  First wrap multiple layers of saran wrap followed by a layer of duck tape.  Wrap very tightly, especially around the burr.  This will protect the antler from steam as well as the Whitener.  An antler in velvet can be completely wrapped to protect the delicateness of velvet.  Be careful to wrap every part of velvet with saran wrap prior to the duct tape so no velvet comes directly in contact with duct tape. Place skull/bone in the boiling water.  Remember for antlered skulls the water level should be as high as possible with out coming in contact with any part of antler.  For non-antlered skulls and bones submerse completely in boiling water. Add some detergent such as Dawn dish soap, Cascade dishwashing soap, or Armor & Hammer laundry soap.  This will help remove the meat and draw the oil and grease from the skull/bone.  An industrial grade degreaser can be used for heavily stained skulls or bones. Place skull/bone in the boiling water.  Remember for antlered skulls the water level should be as high as possible with out coming in contact with any part of antler.  For non-antlered skulls and bones submerse completely in boiling water. Keep the water level consistent.  As the skull/bone boils you will need to add water. It is important not to over boil skull/bone.  Approximate times are 20-30 minutes for bear, cougar, deer and equivalent, 30-40 minutes for elk, moose and equivalent, and 40-60 minutes for buffalo and other very large skulls or bones.  Over boiling will result in breaking down the bone, loss of teeth, and the spreading/weakening of joints.  Better results are obtained with minimal boiling. Remove skull/bone from boiling water and remove all flesh and meat.  Be very careful because the skull/bone will be very hot and possibly have trapped pockets of hot water.  For large skulls/bones a high-pressure sprayer works great for this step.  Cleaning by hand with a pick and semi dull knife can be done but will take considerably more time.  If the flesh and meat is not cooked brown and lifting from skull/bone then you may need to boil a few minutes longer.  If using a high-pressure sprayer the skull/bone should be place in a wire basket or plastic crate to keep in place while spraying.  This also allows you to catch any wanted pieces that you may loose if boiled to long.  These pieces can then be put back into place and glued with clear hot melt or epoxy glue. After ALL foreign material (flesh and meat) is removed from the skull/bone place back into boiling water to heat back up.  After a few minutes remove and free all the water you can from the skull/bone.  Place the skull/bone in an open plastic garbage bag to ready for applying Whitener. Wearing eye, hand and clothing protection apply a liberal amount Whitener to skull/bone to all surfaces.  If doing an antlered skull leave the saran wrap and tape in place.  Do not allow Whitener to come in contact with any part of the antler.  If Whitener accidentally comes in contact with antler quickly remove with wet rag. A brush can be used to coat hard to reach areas.  Gravity can be used to run the Whitener into hard to reach areas as well.  A generous amount may be needed to accomplish this task.  Hard to reach areas include the nasal, brain and bottom jaw areas.  As the Whitener drips off the skull/bone into the plastic bag it can be re-applied. Once skull/bone is coated with Whitener seal in plastic bag removing as much air as possible.  You can use tape to help seal bag.  The bag needs to be sealed below the antler on antlered skulls.  If bag is punctured place the existing bag into a new bag.  Place bag in a warm area to enhance the chemical process.  A heat lamp or warm air duct works great. Let the skull/bone set overnight in a heated/warm area. When removing skull/bone be very careful that Whitener dose not come in contact with any other object.  A big sink or bathtub works great for this step.  It can also be done outside on the cement or blacktop.  Rinse thoroughly with water to remove all Whitener.  Dispose of Whitener by rinsing down a drain.  Dispose used bag(s) by placing in a clean sealed bag. Let the skull/bone dry completely which can take up to a couple of days.  The skull/bone will become whiter as it dries. The horns can now be attached to cores if applicable. You now have a beautiful trophy ready for display.  Whitened skulls can be mounted to plaques, set out or simply hung from an attached wire loop. You may choose to coat with a clear acrylic.  Use matt or satin spray in a spray can and apply a very thin coat to skull.  This will seal the skull but will also give it a shiny look.