Ellen,

The film on the glossy surface is usually under the surface of the shell and
does not come off.  If you have soaked it in bleach long enough for the
encrustations to pop off, and the haze or film is still there, I would guess
it isn't coming off.  I would go ahead and try a good wash with soap and
water and then some mineral oil to see what happens.  Can't hurt...

Tom Eichhorst in New Mexico, USA


----- Original Message -----
From: Ellen Bulger <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Monday, July 31, 2000 3:20 PM
Subject: [CONCH-L] rainy day cleaning shells


> The shop is closed and it's dreary and rainy. I've been cleaning shells
> today. Found a long-spined star shell in the bottom of my dive bag. I
> couldn't pry the operculum out, so I popped it in the microwave. What a
stink
> bomb! Immediatly all the kids came running downstairs. "Who farted?" "What
> died!?!"  I am not Miss Popularity around here now, so made it up to
everyone
> by baking raisin bread, a much better smell.
>
> I pulled one of those funky helmets out of the bleach and sat out on the
> porch scraping off the encrustations. Carol came out and watched. I told
her
> "You must think I'm a nut job or a dental hygienest wanna-be." No, she
> allowed as how it looked kinda fun and could she try it. So I handed it
over,
> feeling very like Tom Sawyer. After a while she gave it back and said
"Thank
> you, that was very satisfying."
>
> Getting the big encrustations off the back of the shell was fun and not
hard.
> But the front is another matter. It has filmy patches and I'm anxious
about
> damaging the shiny surface. Or is there a shiny surface anymore? Is this
> stuff simply the deteriorated shell?
>
> Now I'm wishing I had taken that pristine live specimen I'd found
snorkling
> the last day off of Pigeon Key. It was gorgeous; bright colors, clean
shell
> and nary a chip, not even on the siphonal canal or notch or what you call
it.
>
> Any suggestions on cleaning this film off the glossy part of the shell?
>