How to Clean Shells - Basic Shell Cleaning 

Thanks for watching!

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

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

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.

@@sanibelshellclub8083 Thank you for your input.

Yes, bleach would be fine for oysters too.

@@sanibelshellclub8083 thank you ❤️

At the beach

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

Not really.

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

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.

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

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

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.

@@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)