How to Clean Pine Cones

Preparing to Clean the Pine Cones

Pre-heat your oven to 200 degrees Fahrenheit (93 degrees Celsius). This way, your oven will be heated when you are ready to bake the pine cones.

Line a baking sheet with foil. Make sure the bottom and sides of the baking sheet are covered in foil. Depending on how many pine cones you have, you may need to line two or more baking sheets with foil. Alternatively, you can use parchment paper to line the baking sheet.

Remove debris from the pine cones. Remove pine needles, clumps of dirt, leaves, twigs, and other debris that may be stuck on or in the pine cones.

Giving the Pine Cones a Bath

Fill a large mixing bowl with warm water and ½ cup (120 ml) of vinegar. Use distilled white vinegar. Mix the ingredients together until they are well-combined. Alternatively, you can plug up your sink and fill it with the water-vinegar solution. Depending on how much water you use, you may need to use more vinegar like 1 cup (240 ml).

Place them in the bowl. Make sure the pine cones are totally submerged. If they are not, then fill your bowl with more water until they are.

Soak them for 30 minutes. At the halfway mark (15 minutes), use a spoon to stir the pine cones. This will help loosen and remove debris and bugs. It is normal for the pine cones to close up while they are soaking.

Remove and place them on a sheet of newspaper. As you are placing the pine cones on the newspaper, shake them to remove any excess water. Alternatively, you can place them in a strainer to remove excess water before placing them on the newspaper.

Baking the Pine Cones

Place the pine cones on the baking sheet. Arrange them on the baking sheet in a single layer. Make sure the edges of the pine cones are not hanging over the edges of the baking sheet.

Bake them for 1 to 1.5 hours. As they are baking, the pine cones will re-open. At the one-hour mark, check to see if they have re-opened. If they have re-opened, then take them out. If not, then leave them in the oven for another 30 minutes. Baking the pine cones will finish killing any bugs that survived the water bath. Baking the pine cones will also melt away any sap that is stuck on them.

Let them cool. Do this once you have finished baking them. Set them outside to cool or just let them cool in your kitchen. This may take 20 to 30 minutes.

Place them on newspapers to air dry once they are finished cooling. Let them air dry in a well-ventilated room, or place them outside. It is recommended that you let them air dry for two to three days.

Spray the pine cones with a clear polyurethane finish. This finish is a preservative. It will help your pine cones last longer. You can purchase a clear polyurethane finish from your local hardware or arts and crafts store.