Can vinegar and baking soda clean a seashell or will it just deteriorize it?
2007-01-21 03:56:43 · 4 answers · asked by Melly Girl 1 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Chemistry
because vinegar is an acid (although weak) and baking soda is a base (weak), one will clean it, while the other will deteriorise it. Which one? cannot say. jk :) use the base to clean the seashell. Do not leave the seashell in this soln for more than a few hours. vinegar will react with the calcium carbonate (CaCO3 is what the shell is made of) and reduce it to smitherenes. hope this helps in cleaning them seashells you got from the sea shore.
2007-01-21 04:01:30 · answer #1 · answered by Phillip R 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Vinegar will dissolve sea shells by reacting with the carbonate in the shell. Baking soda should be fine to use to clean shells.
2007-01-21 04:01:24 · answer #2 · answered by hcbiochem 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Cleaning Seashells With Vinegar
2017-01-14 15:08:31 · answer #3 · answered by ? 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Vinegar will damage outer layer of shell,so if you are serious collector do not use it.
Best way is to use warm solution of detergent to clean shells.
2007-01-21 04:01:41 · answer #4 · answered by brainy m 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋