I always put it in a kitchen strainer and just rinse it off under warm tap water. Then let dry on a towel on the counter.
Sometimes if needed I use an old toothbrush to brush embedded dirt. But I always wonder if I am doing the right thing.
Yes, they do end up frosted when dry, but I'm never sure if it was as frosted as when I cleaned it.
I too would really like to hear what Lin and David do with theirs. Thanks.
David and Lin say:
Well, here's what we usually do.
First, put all the glass in a bowl with fresh water and let it soak.
Next, rinse the pieces and see if they are dirt encrusted or stained.
If they need further cleaning, we will take a toothbrush and some dish detergent and scrub the sea glass.
Then rinse well and let dry.
The "frost" on the glass is actually a combination of :
Very tiny chips from being tumbled with rocks/sand on the beach
Minerals in the glass being etched or dissolved by sun and water.
Glass is rated a very hard substance, so scrubbing the glass with a brush and detergent or even a scouring powder will not change the surface. Do NOT, however, use sand paper or emery paper!
Sometimes, glass is stained so badly (yellowish or brown areas) that even scrubbing unfortunately won't take the stains out. They are actually chemically bonded to the glass. This is usually visible mainly on clear (white) sea glass or very light colors.
So, David and Lin's answer about should you clean sea glass? Go for it!
