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How to Bleach an Urchin Shell

If you find a sea urchin shell washed up on the shore, pick it up and take it home. With a little effort and care, this treasure can become a lovely addition to your seashell collection. Once the spines are removed and the shell is bleached, the sea urchin will look like an alabaster pin cushion. This is an easy but time-consuming undertaking, so give yourself about a week to complete the project.

Things You'll Need

Tweezers
Hand dishwashing detergent, mild
Paper towel
Household bleach

Instructions

- 1
  Pick any remaining bits of flesh off of the sea urchin shell with tweezers. Set the shell out in the sunshine for three days.
- 2
  Break the spines off with your fingers at the points where they attach to the shell. Discard the spines. (Do this as gently as possible as the shell is fragile.)
- 3
  Wash the sea urchin shell in water and mild hand dishwashing soap. Pat it dry with a paper towel.
- 4
  Cover the shell with clean water to soak. Change the water if it turns brown or cloudy. Repeat until the water stays clear.
- 5
  Dry the sea urchin shell completely in the sun for one to three days.
- 6
  Soak the shell in a half-and-half solution of water and household bleach for 20 minutes. Don̵7;t allow it to soak any longer than that or it will disintegrate.
- 7
  Rinse the sea urchin thoroughly in a bowl of cool, clean water. Pat it dry. Break or scrape off any remaining spines.
- 8
  Dry the shell in the sun completely.

Animals & Science