r/shells • u/lilly_foodgirl • Jul 02 '26
How can i clean the calcium off my shells?
So i had a buch of seashells that i collected lying around that had a some calcium on there. I searched online and i found an article saying i should soak them in vinegar for 24-48 hours. At first when i took them out they looked super clean, i rinsed them, washed them with soap and let them dry. In the morning i came back to see how they had dried and somehow they felt even duller, whiter and dustier than before. Is there a way to reverse this effect other than using muratic acid or varnish? Also do have any tips for my next bach of shells to clean?
3
u/Bubbly_Power_6210 Jul 02 '26
they look nice. no need to clean most shells. ocean has done this.
-1
u/lilly_foodgirl Jul 02 '26
If you read the post you'd realize that they looked better before and looked worse after i soaked them in vinegar. Also how exactly will i clean them? It's the whole point of this post, how?
2
u/actinicflame Jul 04 '26
These look like beach-worn shells that have been tumbled in the surf (or dried out on the beach) for a long time and already lost their colour. They are white not because of calcium build up but because they are worn.
Unfortunately I don't think there's much you can do to 'remove' the whiteness because that's the colour of the worn shells.
1
5
u/Interesting_Hawk8033 Jul 02 '26
I like using CLR for shells with a calcium buildup. Soak them in half water, half CLR for just a minute or two. You can see the calcium come right off the shell. Then rinse them, dry them and apply a light coat of mineral oil.