How to Clean (and Preserve!) Driftwood

Have you ever been lost at sea, holding on to some driftwood for dear life, eventually made it to foreign soil, and asked yourself “How to clean and preserve driftwood?”

Of course you have! I’m just kidding, but it’s great fun to take old driftwood and turn it into an awesome piece of home decor. Follow the tutorial below to lean how. 

Clean And Preserve Driftwood/How To

Here’s what you’ll need:

-Water

-Bucket and brush

-Bleach

 Step One

You just came from the ocean so you already have ingredient number one, water! So now you’ll just need a bucket and a brush. 

Step Two

Next, make your own soaking solution in your bucket using 2 cups of bleach per gallon of water (I usually use about 2 gallons of water, depending on the size of the driftwood). Put the driftwood into the soaking solution, and soak it for five days, changing the water/beach mixture out every day.

If you find that your driftwood floats to the top of your bucket too often, hold the pieces of driftwood down with a heavy object.

Step Three

Let your driftwood dry in a cool, dark area for a few days days. The driftwood should be fully dry before you attempt to decorate with it.

It is important to note that most driftwood pieces will take 1-2 weeks to be fully cleaned and preserved, but larger pieces might take longer.

Once your driftwood is dry, you can use it to decorate or craft without worry that it might have bugs inside, plankton, or other sea creatures. The bleach helps to lighten up the color of the wood and make it even dreamier, and even more versatile for any of your DIY projects.

 It’s perfect for making photo frames, wreaths, and even signs. Pretty much any project gets a little better with the help of a little driftwood. Here are a few things to do with your clean and preserved driftwood:

Make your own wall hanging out of driftwood and airplants. Just hang your driftwood on the wall and tuck your airplants in where ever you can.

Of course, there are things to do with driftwood for the holidays too! Cut up your salvaged wood and create your own hanging Christmas tree. Just take a look at the image below for more inspiration.

For more coastal decor ideas, read about sea glass crafts, or nautical decor.