We're collecting pine cones today, how do I clean them?

[Squtternutbaush]

I've noticed lots of pinecones around recently so thought I'd take the DC's to collect some to use in December for decorations but I've never done this before and figure I should de-bug them.

Not keen on the idea of baking the bugs though so any other suggestions?

Ha, people who don't think they need cleaned obviously never collected a load of closed ones then woke in the night overrun with earwigs when they opened in the heat. I still shudder at the memory.

There are limits to embracing nature and her wonders so if the ones you pick up are closed OP, keep them in a sealed bag!

Can't say I've ever found an earwig in a pine cone. Perhaps we've just been lucky

As children we used to rinse them, then hang up to dry (though we did this for the fun of watching them close up than from trying to wash). Just give 'em a rinse if you really must

I'm going to do the firelighters, I collected a bagful last week and they are still in the boot of the car, haven't noticed earwigs but I'm going to tip them out onto the patio with the cats in attendance. I was planning to stick them in the airing cupboard for a few weeks to dry out properly before waxing them.

I put mine in a bucket of cold water with a drop of bleach
Leave overnight to soak
Then dry ( outside in the sunshine ) < hopeful > or inside somewhere warm

All the years I've collected fircones, and never knew they had to be washed and debugged! I've never seen anything nasty in my collections of cones!

I hurl mine straight into a big old fishbowl thing and let them look autumnal.

who knew about the cleaning??

I was going to suggest something similar to what ElephantsNeverForgive said. Leaving the pine cones somewhere sunny also gives the bugs a chance to escape and find a new home, which seems kind to me. Mind you, last time I collected them I didn't find any bugs, they were a bit sticky but that soon dried out and smelled rather lovely whilst doing so.

Coalscuttle I think you've misunderstood me, I have no intention of sterilising them because its not the dirt I worry about. Its purely the bug aspect that bothers me not the cleanliness.

Perhaps I should've worded my post differently but please believe me when I say that I am very liberal when it comes to mud pies, bug catching and clambering trees etc