Learn How to Preserve your Sand Dollars

Sand Dollars are a classic collectible from your travels in the islands. Gathering them is a great activity for your kids and keeps them away from their phone screens! In today’s Clean-N-Simple Tip, we look at what types of Sand Dollars you should keep, how best to preserve them, and explore some great arts and crafts ideas you can tackle with your new collection!

When collecting the Sand Dollars, you’re looking for bleached out or white ones. If you find a dark colored Sand Dollar, it’s still alive and should be put back. Take care when transporting them, as they become very fragile.

To clean them (and prevent them from stinking terribly) you should soak them in bleach. We find that powdered bleach is easier to store, lighter, and far less troublesome if spilled! This is the key step to preservation. It will remove organic compounds, leaving a fragile but permanent shell. For best results, let them soak in the bleach water overnight.

Now that your Sand Dollars are preserved, you can use them in all kinds of fun projects like picture frames, table inlays, and wall artwork. And there you have it! Another Clean-N-Simple Tip from Shurhold Industries.