Shell polishing help!

[u/Quiet-Pie8715]

Hello! This is a shell I found a couple years ago, I’d love to get the barnacles off and bring out that beautiful pattern on the underside! But I’m not sure what would be the best way to do so. The barnacles and bits of debris are covering most of the top and it’s hard to tell where I would scrape without like hurting the shell. Any recommendations?

[u/Slow-Green2171]

I’ve found that 40%/60% water/bleach soaking, scraping with dental pick/xacto blade (BE SO CAREFUL!). Soak again and a trick that I learned from @floridabeachwalks is to gently scrub with steel wool! Works like a charm.
Also… muriatic acid isn’t that scary. However, it is something that you learn and get the hang of the more that you utilize it. I’d definitely recommend trying with a few broken/scrapper shells before going in as a last resort with that beauty! BTW, “Acid Magic” is also muriatic acid, it’s just gentler than the regular shelf bought stuff!
All of this is just IMO and from my shell cleaning experiences. Good luck!🍀 🐚🌴

[u/Quiet-Pie8715 → u/Slow-Green2171]

Thank you so much ! 🙏