Home > Seashells > Seashells craft > Articles > how to clean sea shell

how to clean sea shell

First of all, the method of how to clean sea shell truly depend of the family/specie of shell
you want to clean.
If the shell is naturally polished and shiny (like cowries, olividae, marginellidae,...), avoid
the use of any material to make it shine more !! You may damage it !!!!!!!!!!

how to clean sea shell next step:

1. Best way to remove a mollusk from a seashell
2. Alternate solutions
3. Cleaning the exterior of a non naturally-polished seashell which have often
a bad looking appearence because of sea-concretions which colonize the shell.
4. Getting rid of the periotracum (mainly Conidiae, Ranellidae & Strombidae)
5. Conservation of Seashells throughout the years
6. Other collectors ideas and articles

1. Best way to take out a mollusk out of a seashell

The best way, is to put the shell in the freezer for at least a day (prefer 2-3 days).
After the proper delay, take it out and let it unfreeze slowly (do not put it into hot or
boiling water and do not put it in the sun rays action, it is not necessary).
Careful not to let the "decomposition juice" (liquid) which will come out (ooze) of the shell during the unfreezing step !! For this purpose, put the shell in a small container filled with sand, like this :
the siphoned shell's canal (= channel, = tube) down (so the shell is vertically positioned).