How to Clean Shells - Basic Shell Cleaning

Basic Shell Cleaning by Joyce Matthys, Sanibel Shell Club sanibelshellcl.... Presented during the 2021 Virtual Sanibel Shell Show.
Home from the beach with a bucketful of shells? Learn to clean and bleach them the right way, along with useful tips to remove barnacles. Great tutorial using large horse conchs with before and after photos.
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[@hindulimbu6083]

May I know what camicals need to clean sea shells

[@EllicottCity1]

Awesome video- thanks for the wonderful tips😊

[@sanibelshellclub8083]

Thanks for watching!

[@sandrasullivan2636]

Nice job Joyce

[@sanibelshellclub8083]

Thank you! 😊 I'll pass on your compliment to Joyce

[@Nures_Rathched]

I don’t know any my beautifully colored shells to be white!! Isn’t there another way?

[@drdrew3]

The bleach brings out the hidden colors. It doesn’t turn the shells white

[@dally8399]

Where do you dump all that bleach water

[@joeydegamo8727]

What solution did you used to remove the barnacles?

[@stmarris8377]

Thank you so much very helpful

[@Mari443Garrett1]

Ok I'm gonna try that with some clam shells that I ate from. I hope it works.

[@ontheroadwithjoy6266]

I just bought a bunch of fossilized welk shells...large. I'm not sure what is really best to use on them. I'd also like to leave the barnacles on them, as i love the artistic look of them. These shells were excavated at a construction site and are all heavily coated in calcium. I'm thinking muratic acid, but what condition are the shells worth the most? I'm an artist and want to resell in best way possible.

[@sanibelshellclub8083]

Thanks for your comment and question. Fossil shells are typically left in their natural state. Merely clean off the mud and leave them alone. Nature has preserved them in this form and they are prized just as they are.

[@ontheroadwithjoy6266]

@@sanibelshellclub8083 Thank you for your input.

[@TAPTV1]

they look so beautiful my friend

[@Rafael_-ey7dy]

Thanks for the video, could I use bleach for oyster shells as well?

[@sanibelshellclub8083]

Yes, bleach would be fine for oysters too.

[@Rafael_-ey7dy]

@@sanibelshellclub8083 thank you ❤️

[@stephenamos8908]

But where's the originl color?

[@brandonsmith1198]

Thanks for sharing

[@jillwhited3151]

My God!!! Where did you find those shells?!?!

[@drdrew3]

At the beach

[@kristiedeanda5787]

I don't understand why you didn't put them in muriatic acid. It seems to me that the shells look more beautiful with all the coloring on it all you did was bleach that off

[@sanibelshellclub8083]

From Joyce Matthys: I always use bleach to remove the barnacles and debris first. Bleach does not affect the color of a shell. It simply removes the periostracum and makes removing the barnacles easier. I personally have forgotten shells in bleach for a whole week without the color changing. In regard to using a muriatic acid, although I occasionally use it to remove a calcium carbonate haze from a shell, it can be very dangerous if it is mixed improperly. For this reason, I did not demonstrate its use and I am not willing to give instructions for its use.

[@PartyLikeRobots]

just dont use that for your own shells then, shes showing h e r method. if you dont like it dont do it

[@WearySecret]

@@sanibelshellclub8083 real bleach or no splash bleach? Would this work on Ohio mulusks? I want more of the iridescent color to show through.

[@sanibelshellclub8083]

From Joyce Matthys: It really doesn't matter what kind of bleach you use. It is the chlorine content that is important. When you mention that you want to have more of the iridescent color to show through, it makes me think that you might be using the bleach on mussels. I really do not recommend using bleach on mussels. If you were planning to use bleach on mussels, you should dilute the bleach with water to make a 50/50 solution like you would do for any delicate shells. Then do a test sample to be sure that won't damage the shell. Remember, bleach is generally not used on glossy shells. Bleach is generally used to make it easier to remove barnacles and debris from shells. It will also loosen any dead animal parts that might be stuck inside of shells. It is the best way to get rid of the bad smell that some shells have.

[@Shellcology]

@@sanibelshellclub8083
Hello.. I don't get what you meant by bleach not removing the colour of the shells... With the video shown, i saw the 2 big shells have some black colouring before the submersion, and they were all gone after the bleach process (except parts where it's covered by barnacles, it still showed black colouring when the barnacles plied out)

[@Fluffy-Tail-0000]

Why no mention of how to make the gravy? Do I use flour or corn starch? How many onions? Can I add a beef bouillon cube at the end?

[@vickivaughan4323]

What?? This is a video of how to clean Seashells.

[@Fluffy-Tail-0000]

Not really.

[@nellyjune9828]

​@@Fluffy-Tail-0000 i think u gave comment to wrong video

[@roelsambo2377]

Bleach?😫

[@scifibird779]

1982 graphics

[@debbiejones6265]

Informative video but REALLY old. lol.