I found a deer skull and some vertebrae just lying on the ground, they are just bone, no skin or anything, and i was wondering if there was a way to clean them just so that they aren't dirty as in infective or attractive to bugs or anything of the sort...looking for an inexpensive at home way to do this. Thanx in advance.
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Without knowing exactly what you have, it's difficult to say. If there are still vestiges of meat and sinew on the skull, they will have to be removed by either masceration or boiling. As it's already decomposed to some degree, I'd suggest boiling it with a cup full of sal soda (granular laundry detergent) and a vat of water. When you do, you MUST stand by it and check it. Remove it the instant all the flesh has been boiled away, not a second longer. Then if you want it bleached, go to your local drugstore and get one of those bleach blond kits. Mix it and paint it on everything you want white. Rinse it off and let it dry. Then paint it with Elmer's White Glue.
is the elmers glue just a sealer?
I suggest you visit hidetanning.net and read my article on the skull cleaning (click on articles by Evelyn Mills/skullcleaning). This will give you a better idea on what to do with your skull.
Sounds to me all you would have to do at this point is submerge the bones in a plastic tub of water and let the bacteria eat away on any meat and tissue that is left on them. This process, depending on where you live, could take several weeks or even month. But, in my opinion, this method is way better and saver then the boiling.
And remember, when it comes to proper skull and bone cleaning, you cannot be in a rush. To do it correctly will take time. You just can't rush a natural process. Have fun reading the article