From Fred:
>Put them in a
>container of Pine-Sol for a few months.
 
This used to be a wonderful way to clean shells.  You could leave them in
Pine-Sol indefinitely and clean them at leisure.  But I have heard several
people say in recent years that this method now is dangerous because the
Pine-Sol formula has changed and it will now damage shells.  I haven't
tried to authenticate this rumor - maybe someone with better connections
could.
 
Joan, in Huntsville, AL