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Easy steps to clean, bleach, and preserve your seaside find
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Sand dollars can be used to make beautiful decorations and crafts, but first, they need to be hardened so they don’t break. Hardening sand dollars is a fast and simple process that anyone can do with a few basic supplies. Preparing your sand dollars with bleach and water and using glue to harden them will ensure they turn out white and durable when you’re finished with them.
Things You Should Know
- Soak your sand dollars in water then clean them with a 1:1 mixture of bleach and water. Let the sand dollars dry completely.
- Mix together equal parts white glue and water. Use a clean sponge or paintbrush to thinly cover the entire surface of each one.
- Place the sand dollars on wax paper or a baking rack to dry until they’re no longer wet or sticky to the touch. Then, use them for displays or crafting.
Steps
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Soak the sand dollars in fresh water for 2-3 hours or overnight. When the water looks discolored and dirty from the sand and grime leaving the sand dollars, dump it out and refill the container with fresh, cool water. Repeat this process until the water stays clear. [1] X Research source
- Place the cleaned sand dollars on a tray and set them in the sun to fully dry.
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Submerge each sand dollar in equal parts bleach and water for 2 minutes. Prepare a mixture of equal parts bleach and water in a bucket or dish. Soak each sand dollar individually for 2 minutes.
- Sand dollars get bleached naturally by the sun when they wash up on shore. Skip this step if you’re satisfied with the color of your sand dollars.
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Scrub each sand dollar with a clean toothbrush to remove the bleach. Take the sand dollars out of the water and bleach solution and rinse them with fresh water. Gently scrub each sand dollar with a clean toothbrush. [2] X Research source
- If you don’t successfully rinse off all the bleach, your sand dollars may end up with a yellowish tint.
- If your sand dollars are still discolored or dirty, soak them in the bleach mixture again for 1 minute and repeat until you’re happy with how they look.
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Let the sand dollars air dry completely. Lay them out in a single layer on a wax sheet or a baking rack. Check back in an hour to see if they’re dry, or let them sit overnight.
- Place the sand dollars outside in the sun to help them dry faster. [3] X Research source
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Mix equal parts water and white school glue in a bowl. Mix the glue and water together until thoroughly blended. Stop mixing when you have a runny mixture with no clumps.
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Dip a clean brush in the water-glue mixture and brush it on the sand dollar. Thinly cover the entire surface of each sand dollar with the mixture. Make sure to cover the edges of the sand dollar, in addition to both sides.
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Place the sand dollars on a wax sheet to dry. Lay down chopsticks, toothpicks, pencils, or inverted thumbtacks on the wax sheet to slightly elevate the sand dollars so the bottoms dry faster.
- Let the sand dollars sit until they are no longer shiny, tacky, or wet to the touch.
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Use the hardened sand dollars to make crafts and decorations. Fill up jars with the sand dollars or use them to make necklaces , earrings, or ornaments. You can also paint an ocean scene onto a preserved sand dollar and display it on a tiny easel . [4] X Research source
- Before painting a sand dollar , apply a coat or two of white acrylic paint as a base.
- String a ribbon through your sand dollars to make a sweet and beachy garland.
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Community Q&A
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QuestionHow do I bleach sand dollars?Community AnswerAdd a little bleach to the water when you wash the sand dollars, or you can set them out in the sun. Use a tiny bit of bleach in soapy water when you clean them to kill any bacteria so they don't smell.
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QuestionHow do I dry them? Doesn't the wet glue adhere them to the drying surface?Community AnswerLet them rest where there is sunshine for about a week. They will naturally dry out.
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QuestionDoes bleach have to be used to harden my sand dollar?Community AnswerNo, bleach does not make them hard--the bleach is to make them white, and actually makes them more brittle.
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Tips
- Clean your workspace before starting so dirt and debris don’t become stuck to the sand dollars.Thanks
- The best place to find sand dollars is on the beach, near the edge of the surf. Wait for a wave to come in and then watch the sand as the wave retreats. You have to be quick!Thanks
Tips from our Readers
The advice in this section is based on the lived experiences of wikiHow readers like you. If you have a helpful tip you’d like to share on wikiHow, please submit it in the field below.
- Make sure you use wax paper for drying your sand dollars, not parchment paper or normal paper. The wax prevents the sand dollars from sticking.
- You can also use Modge Podge to preserve the sand dollars instead of white glue.
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Warnings
- Never collect live sand dollars from the beach. You can tell if a sand dollar is still alive by looking for moving tube feet on the bottom of it.Thanks
- Sand dollars are very fragile. Be careful when handling them or they might break apart.Thanks
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Things You'll Need
- Sand dollars
- Bleach
- Water
- A brush or sponge
- Wax paper
- White school glue
- Toothpicks, chopsticks, or pencils (optional)
References
About This Article
Article Summary
X
To clean sand dollars, start by cleaning the sand dollars with freshwater and bleach. Once the sand dollars are clean and dry, make a mixture of equal parts water and white school glue. Then, use a paintbrush to paint the glue mixture onto the sand dollars, coating the surface of the front and back of the shell. Place the coated sand dollars on a sheet of wax paper to dry, and then use them to make crafts or display them in your home. For tips on cleaning and bleaching the sand dollars, scroll down!
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