How to Clean Seashells

When cleaning shells, there are many different techniques. You can:

• Boil
  • Gently drop your shells into a stove-top pot and turn up the heat until the water reaches a boil.
  • After a few minutes, turn it down to about half that heat, and let them simmer for 20-30 minutes.
  • Shells must be dropped into the water while it is still lukewarm, so they gradually heat and do not break or crack from the cool to hot transfer.
  • Take caution not to let the pot boil over, as the water is salty and will leave a residue that will need to be cleaned afterwards.
• Bleach
  • Soak your shells in a 50/50 water/bleach ratio for an hour or so.
  • There is no set time, but be careful not to leave them in for too long, as the bleach will break them down!
• Baking Soda Scrub
  • Mixing a paste-like mixture of water and baking soda, take an old toothbrush and scrub the shell for a few minutes.
  • If you are dealing with a Sand Dollar, be sure to scrub more gently and in small circular motions.
• Burying
  • Because barnacles, tiny organisms, or bits of the previous shell-owner can be left in hard-to-reach areas of the shell, burying a shell 18 inches/45cm into the ground for a few weeks is a useful technique to get rid of any stink.
  • This depth allows insects, larva, and ants to eat the remains of organism and leave the shell with no reason to smell after cleaning!
  • If using this technique, bury it opening-side-down; it works especially well to preserve glossy shells, as most of the other methods may cause de-shining.
• Muriatic acid
  • Dipping a shell in this chemical can really restore color and finish. However, on OLIVE shells (seashells that already have a shiny finish) this will do the opposite, and dull them.

The DON’Ts:

• Fragile shells, such as sand dollar, can crumble if cleaned too harshly or left in the sun.
• Do not clean with any type of vinegar! Vinegar can erode calcium, which is a main component in almost all shells
• If you find two shells sealed tightly together, or anything that resembles a live clam or shellfish, do not collect these! There is an organism living inside, and it is illegal at many beaches to collect living seashells. Do the little guy (and the environment) a favor and throw it back into the ocean or leave it be.
• If any trace of sea creature is left inside or outside the shell, it will mostly never loose the fishy smell

Collecting Seashells

The best times to collect shells are during the New Moon and Full Moon, when the tide is at it’s most powerful.
Beginning your collecting an hour before and after low tide is also a key time when seashells end up on the sand!
While searching near the wet sand usually yields fresher shells, make sure you also do a little digging or check near the high-tide line.