How to Cleanse Crystals

Cleansing crystals is an important practice for anyone who utilizes crystal healing on the regular. Because of a crystal’s ability to absorb energy, it’s vital to purify the energy of a stone, especially after it’s been used for protection purposes, but also after you’ve purchased it, as energy often becomes stagnant and can make your crystals “mucky”. If a crystal is never cleansed, its energy will become muted and it will be less effective towards your purposes. Let’s take a look at some examples of how to cleanse crystals. 

Smudging 

Smudge sticks are dried bundles of various herbs, plants, and flowers, each with their own specific healing properties; the smoke is wafted through a space to clear out negative energy. For cleansing, one would typically use either Sage or Palo Santo. Smudging a stone is essentially the same as smudging a space. Simply pass the stone through the smoke for thirty seconds or more, depending on the weight of the energy felt in the stone. Be sure to have your windows open to allow the smoke to carry out the negativity. 

Water Baths 

Water baths are usually done with either regular water, salt water, or moon water. For making moon water, simply leave a glass container of water to charge under the full moon. This process is as simple as leaving your crystals to sit in a bowl of water overnight. Exercise caution with this method, as some crystals will become brittle in water and other crystals can be damaged by salt water. 

Running Water

Much quicker than water baths, cleansing your stones in running water can be done whenever and with whatever type of water you like, depending on the type of stone. Simply hold your crystal under running water for about one minute – this can be done with water from a waterfall, a faucet, or by pouring moon water over the crystal. Whatever your choice, keep the stone submerged for one minute and then pat dry.  

Brown Rice 

For protective stones such as Black Tourmaline, brown rice can be used to absorb the negative energy. Simply fill a glass or ceramic bowl with uncooked brown rice and put your stones in for twenty-four hours. Throw away the rice immediately after you are done. 

Natural Light

This type of cleansing can be done any time of the day or night, but preferably from dusk till around ten o’clock in the morning. This will allow the stone to be cleansed under both moonlight and sunlight. Simply set the stone out on the earth, for additional cleansing benefits. Rinse to remove dirt and pat dry. For this method, exercise caution as certain types of quartz and vibrant colored stones will fade or crack in sunlight. 

Sound Cleansing 

For those with a large collection of crystals, this method is ideal as it removes the necessity for individual cleansing. In sound cleansing, a single tone is used to encompass a stone in its vibrations in order to remove negative energy. For these purposes, you may use a singing bowl or bell and “wash” the stones with the sound for five to ten minutes. 

Breath

This is a simple method carried out by breathing on the stone. Hold the crystal in your dominant hand, bring it close to the face, and breathe out short, intentional, and forceful breaths over it for about thirty seconds.

Visualization 

As one of the safest methods for crystal cleansing, this can be done with any stone and by anyone with a clear mind. Much like meditation, you will close your eyes and focus your intention on clearing out any negativity in your space as well as in your crystal. Envision a bright and healing light surrounding and pervading your stone. Do this for about one minute or until you can feel the heavy energy leaving the stone. 

Selenite 

Surely the simplest way to cleanse your crystal is by placing it on top of a selenite stone or slab to rest for twenty four hours. Selenite will absorb any negativity in the stone and purify it simultaneously. 

After you’ve properly cleansed your crystals, it’s also important to charge them to reset their energy and make its effects personal to you. See our article on how to charge crystals.