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Written by Mari Rivera, Updated December 29, 2021
Cleansing your crystals is a crucial step to get the most out of them. In the process of gifting them, finding them, purchasing them, or shipping them, you never know what energies your crystals will pick up. On top of this, using crystals can cause them to weaken as they get filled with your own energy or the energy around your house, so it's always important to cleanse them and set your intentions with them.
Here are a few methods to help you do so to take care of them!
Water
As water is used to clean other items, it is also a common way to clean crystals. Not only does it remove physical gunk, but also energy gunk.
Let your crystals sit under running water or simply submerge them in still water of choice for some time, either way works. The type of water you use and what method can vary.
Moon Water: distilled water that has been charged with the light of a full moon; brings full moon energy for releasing negativity
Natural Water: clean water from streams or springs; connects crystals back with Mother Nature
Other Water: any other water, such as tap water from your home; works just as well as long as it is safe and clean
NOTE: Some crystals can be damaged by water. Be sure to research your crystal to make sure it won't be damaged by water. Click here to see a list of a few that can be damaged.
Light
Another common way to cleanse crystals is with light. As light is a form of renewable energy, it can invigorate and charge your crystals again.
Let your crystals sit in a safe, open, and dry space under the light of your choosing for some time, a day/night should work. The type of light you use and what method can vary.
Moonlight: soft, gentle feminine energy; full moon = energy of pushing/release; new moon = energy of attracting/growth
Sunlight: strong, vibrant masculine energy; strengthening and motivates to move forward
Lunar Eclipse: ignites drastic shifts within yourself internally
Solar Eclipse: ignites drastic shifts to your life externally
NOTE: Some crystals can be damaged by light. Be sure to research your crystal to make sure it won't be damaged by the light they sit under.
Earth
Mother Nature is not only healing for ourselves, but it is also rejuvenating for your crystals, as we all come from the Earth and so do our energies. Giving crystals some time back in the Earth can purify them again as if they are good as new.
Bury your crystals in a safe place in the soil that can be easily found again and let them sit, this can range from a day to a month to a year or even longer. The type of soil you use and what method can vary.
NOTE: Sometimes burying a crystal will mean that you should be ready to let it go, as it is ready to find another user to help. In this case, it can be buried anywhere you have permission to do so. Although if you feel connected to it still, make sure to mark the area you bury it.
Salt
Salt is naturally cleansing — that's why people use it for things like disinfecting wounds, adding it to bathwater to draw out toxins, and creating circles of protection during ritual work. Similarly, it can be used to cleanse your crystals. Fill a shallow bowl (large enough to fit the crystals you're looking to cleanse) with sea salt and add your crystals in, partially burying them in the salt. Leave them here for a day or overnight and the salt will work its cleansing magic.
But note: Contact with salt can be really damaging to certain types of crystals, so do some research on the ones you plan to cleanse before using this method.
And finally, just as you wouldn't wash yourself in used bathwater, you shouldn't use this salt for any other purpose, either. No cooking with or cleansing additional crystals in it once it's been used. After cleansing, it's full of all the energetic gunk you didn't want around, so throw it away or bury it in the ground instead.
Smoke
Burning and using cleansing smoke is common practice to purify energies from a room, person, object, or environment, and it can work the same for crystals.
In a safe and dry area, light your herbs and guide the smoke around yourself first, then your crystals, then your area. Make sure to use a fire-proof dish to catch the embers. The type of herb you use and what method can vary.
Direction
Clockwise: towards you = attracts positive energy towards you
Counterclockwise: away from you = repels negative energy away from you
Materials
Herbs: lavendar, lilac, mugwort, peppermint, rose, rosemary, thyme, sage (be careful with white sage, it is currently on the United Plant Savers At-Risk Species List and most often harvested illegal) [6]
Woods: birch, cedar, fir, juniper, pine, sandalwood, spruce, willow, palo santo (be sure to purchase palo santo from reliable sources to avoid over-harvest)
Resins: copal, frankincense, myrrh, pine resin
Grasses: lemongrass, sweetgrass (be sure to purchase sweetgrass from reliable Native sources)
NOTE: Smoke cleansing is DIFFERENT from smudging. Smudging is a ceremonial practice for many indigenous cultures with a long and rich history. Be sure to research its history, origins, alternative names, and practices to properly appreciate its deep significance.
Visualizations
Finally, one of our favorite ways to cleanse your crystals is through visualizations. Because you can do it any time, any place, and with any crystal, it is one of the most convenient methods. Our minds are super powerful tools, and our thoughts and visualizations can create energy. That's the basis of the visualization cleansing method. Find a quiet space where you can concentrate and do your best to get into a meditative state. Hold your crystal in your hands, and then visualize a bright stream of pure white light beaming straight out of your third eye, surrounding the crystal with its glow like a protective shield. Imagine the light as the most cleansing energy, with the power to transmute any negative into a pure goodness. Do this until you feel the energy of the crystal shift (trust your intuition on this!), and then move onto the next piece.
Just note that it can be psychically exhausting to use this method if you're cleansing a large number of crystals, so take breaks if you're feeling drained or noticing that your visualization is becoming less effective as you go on.
Other Crystals
Some crystals are actually known for their ability to cleanse other crystals. That's how powerful they can be! For example, selenite is excellent for cleansing. you can wave a selenite wand over and around your other crystals to cleanse them with the stone's strong energy. Quartz is another great cleanser, and you can place other crystals on a large bed of quartz or inside of a geode to cleanse them. Carnelian is another powerful stone known for its ability to cleanse other crystals. Try placing it in a bag or box with your other stones and allow them to absorb its energy.
Other Ways
There are infinite ways to cleanse and care for your crystals, and none are wrong. Healing is a very personal process, and so is caring for your tools to do so. Find whatever method works and resonates best with you.
For example, with a clear mind, you can use your breath to charge your crystals. If you work with spirit guides or deities, you can also connect your crystals with them. Meditation is another great way to not only cleanse yourself, but also your crystals. Sound baths are also common for personal and crystal cleansing. Whatever process you choose, you can never go wrong!
Credits: [1] A. "Smudging vs Smoke-Cleansing". greenmanmeadows, Greenman Meadows, 31 July 2020, https://greenmanmeadows.com/smudging-vs-smoke-cleansing/. [2] Abram, Christy Lynn. "How To Clean & Store Your Crystals—Plus A 6-Step Programming Technique". mindbodygreen, 14 June 2021, https://amp.mindbodygreen.com/articles/how-to-clear-activate-store-your-crystals--14887. [3] khalheyokha. "Smudging & Smoke Cleansing: A Comparative Post". The Crooked Crown, Tumblr, 31 October 2012, https://thiscrookedcrown.tumblr.com/post/34726638346/smudging-smoke-cleansing-a-comparative-post. [4] Lee, Azalea. "How To Charge Your Crystals". C Magazine, C Publishing LLC., 22 April 2020, https://magazinec.com/beauty/how-to-charge-your-crystals/. [5] Regan, Sarah. "9 Ways To Charge Your Crystals & Why It's So Important, From Experts". mbgmindfulness, mindbodygreen, 15 June 2021, https://www.mindbodygreen.com/articles/how-to-charge-crystals. [6] Szaro, Melissa. "Smudging: An Issue of Ethics and Sustainability". The Northwest School of Aromatic Medicine, 19 July 2021, https://aromaticmedicineschool.com/smudging-an-issue-of-ethics-and-sustainability/.