How to Whiten Sand

Lighten sand with the power of the sun's rays.
••• Goodshoot RF/Goodshoot/Getty Images

Sand is available in many forms for purchase. If you want pure white sand you will need to get it from a beach that creates white sand, such as Destin, Florida, or from a craft store. Pure white sand is chemically dyed. Natural sand gets it pigment from the things it is made up of. Different varieties of dirt, shells, gravel and organic material color the sand. If you have particularly dingy or brown sand, you can lighten it by bleaching it in the sun. It may not get pure white, but the sun will lighten it considerably.

    Spread the sand in shallow trays, such as cookie sheets or plastic tubs, so that it's one-half-inch thick. It needs to be thin for the sun to penetrate all the grains.

    Place the trays in a sunny spot where the sand will be protected from moisture. Don't put it outside until there are a few sunny days in the forecast.

    Bleach the sand in the sunlight for two to three days. Stir it around with your hand and spread it back out once a day.

    Leave it out longer to lighten it more. It will not lighten to a bright white no matter how long it sits in the sun.

    Things You'll Need

    • Sand
    • Shallow trays

    Tips

    • The sun will also sanitize sandbox sand. The same bleaching power that lightens it will kill germs as well.

Related Articles

Experiments With Heat Radiation
How to Separate Copper Sulfate & Sand
What is Silicon Dioxide?
How to Dry Desiccant
How to Separate a Mixture of Sand & Salt
How to Make Flubber Without Borox or Liquid Starch
How to Make Phosphorus
How to Find Sand Dollars at the Beach
About Different Types of Sand
Science Experiments for Preschoolers Using Polar Bears...
Making Crystals at Home for Science Projects
How to Make Bouncy Putty
What Types of Soil Are in the Ocean?
How to Hand-Polish Stone
Interesting Facts About Beaches
How to Get Iron Out of Breakfast Cereal for a Science...
How to Calculate the Volume of Voids
How to Make Rocket Fuel out of Sugar
How to Make Fluorescent Liquid
How to Find Agates