How to cleanse your crystals

Crystals are beautiful creations of the earth that can help you heal and transform. Natural gemstones can also absorb the negative energy in their environment so it is important that you keep your natural crystals and crystal jewellery clean to help your stones to keep functioning to their full potential. Care for them like they are your best friend and infuse them with your intentions. The more you take care of your crystals the more they will serve you, protect you, and help you on your journey. The more you connect to your crystals and tune into your intuition to feel their energy, the more they will guide you in manifesting your desires. Cleansing is particularly important if you use them for healing as well. Don’t worry, you don’t need to wait for the full moon to cleanse your beautiful crystals! (But you can if you want to!)

Read on to discover everything you need to know about cleansing crystals and how to do it the right way.

Do I need to cleanse my crystals?

If you are using them for healing, then yes, you definitely need to cleanse them. Some people enjoy having crystals around and don’t use them for anything else than home decor. If this is your case - you do not really need to cleanse them. But a good clean with water could be both beneficial to remove dust and the bad vibes from your minerals.

Why do I need to cleanse crystals?

Crystals are naturally extracted from the earth and therefore naturally retain the energies of the sun, moon and the ocean which are all considered natural healing energies. Depending on the type of minerals they are made from and the specific conditions they grow in, each healing stone also holds its own unique energy and has magnetic tendencies that arise from their molecular composition. These unique properties allow crystals to communicate with the energy flow of the human body as well as their physical environment, absorbing negative energies and blockages all day long.

Many people use crystals to soothe their mind, body, and soul because they tend to absorb energies. So, after a while, crystals need to be cleansed to clean them from any negativity they have absorbed from you and their environment. Cleansing crystals is a way to refresh them and renew their energy.

What is the best method for cleansing crystals?

I have outlined a few simple energy cleansing methods below that you can do at home. There is not one method that is better than another, so use your intuition to choose one that feels good to you and resonates with you and your spiritual practice. If you’re unsure, give a few a try and continue with the ones that resonate.

How often should I cleanse my crystals?

How often you want to cleanse your gemstones is really up to you. As a general guideline, the more you use your natural crystals or wear your crystal jewellery the more energy it collects through direct contact with you and your environment. If you use them for healing sessions, I would recommend to cleanse them weekly, but be intuitive about this - if your crystals or crystal jewellery feel energetically heavier than usual and disconnected from you, or if you find them looking dull, greasy or sticky - it is most likely time for a cleanse.

I personally like to cleanse mine once or twice a month, before I set my intentions to make sure they stay high vibe.

How to cleanse crystals: the complete guide

There are many different ways you can cleanse your crystals. If you are unsure of how you want to do it, try several different ways and see what works best for you. Here are a few tips on cleansing crystals and crystal jewellery so you can keep them looking beautiful and benefit from their healing properties as long as possible.

Smudging

Sage is known for its many healing properties and has been used for thousands of years to clear negative energy. For this reason, smudging crystals with sage is one of the most effective ways to cleanse them. All you have to do is hold your crystals in the smoke to cleanse the stored negative energies. I personally use white sage smudge sticks to cleanse my crystals and my home. You can burn either Sage or Palo Santo to cleanse your crystals by allowing the smoke to run through the stones for a few minutes.

Crystal clusters

Some crystals have the ability to cleanse other crystals. Clear Quartz, Amethyst and Selenite are some of them. Crystal clusters can absorb the energies contained within other gemstones and neutralise bad vibrations without losing their own energy, which makes them powerful cleansing agents.

To clean your gemstones with Selenite, simply place your crystal over your Selenite for at least six hours to cleanse their energy. If you are using Selenite wands, larger quartz or Amethyst cluster, you can put all your crystals in a box with them and program to cleanse all crystals.

Sunlight or Moonlight

Sunlight and Moonlight can both charge and cleanse your gemstones. However, some stones such as Amethyst or Rose Quartz are susceptible to discolouration under the sun. So do your research before you put your crystals out.

I like to set my crystals out on a full Moon night and bring them in before noon the next day. This way, they bathe both in Sun and Moon light. Ideally leave them on the earth or a natural surface where they can be grounded. If you don’t have an outdoor area, you can place your crystals on a windowsill.

You can cleanse and charge your crystals under any Moon, but the full moon is the best time to do it.

Salt

Salt has many healing properties. Many people use it as an antiseptic, for detoxifying or cleansing.

To cleanse your crystals with salt, fill a large bowl with sea salt or Himalayan pink salt and bury your gemstones in it. You can leave them here for 24 hours and wait for the salt to work its magic.

Once you finished cleansing your crystals with the salt, throw it away. You can’t use this salt for cooking.

Note, that some crystals don’t handle salt exposure really well. In fact, salt can be damaging to certain gemstones. So, don’t forget to research which stones can be cleansed with salt before using this method.

Non-contact salt

This is considered the safest salt-cleansing method and should be used where the crystals may otherwise be damaged by direct contact with salt. This is also a good method if you are cleansing gem stones found in jewellery or crystals surrounded by metal.

First, fill a glass bowl half to two thirds full with dry sea salt (or cooking salt). Then place a smaller glass container or shallow drinking glass and half-bury this glass into the salt. You can then place your crystals directly into the empty glass which is sitting half buried in the dry salt. The salt will still be able to draw out the stored energies within the stones but this method will take longer to work than direct contact with salt.

The used salt should be thrown away and never re-used.

Running water

Cleansing your crystals with water is a great way to physically and energetically cleanse them. You can use tap water, bottled water, rain, river or ocean water. Whatever water source you choose, make sure your stone is completely submerged. Dry well when complete.

But remember, some crystals should never get wet. This cleansing technique is best for hard stones such as Amethyst or Quartz, which can handle water exposure.

Saltwater

If you want to combine the benefits of salt and water, you can put your crystals in a saltwater bath. It is one of the easiest ways to cleanse your gemstones.

You can soak your crystals in water with a pinch of salt for 24 hours. You can also collect a bowl of ocean water if you prefer. Don’t forget to rinse your crystals after the salt bath and pat dry completely.

But remember, salt isn’t good for all stones. Stones that are soft or porous (Selenite, Malachite etc.) will not react well to salt. Use this method for hard crystals only.

Brown Rice

Brown rice can also be used to draw out the negative energies of crystals and crystal jewellery in a safe and contained setting.

Fill a small bowl with dry brown rice and bury your crystals beneath the grains for 24 hours.

Once complete, dispose of the rice right away. Do not cook or consume it as it has absorbed the energy you were trying to clear.

Earth

After all, the earth is giving us crystals, so what’s better than a bit of nature to restore their energies?

Like sunlight and moonlight, earth can charge and cleanse. If you have a garden, you can bury your crystals in the ground for a day. They will be reenergised with earthy energy and cleaned from the negative vibes they accumulated. Just don’t forget to mark a spot well so you can easily find your crystals!

Fire

You can use fire to cleanse your crystals. All you have to do is rotate them 7 times over a candle flame. Direct fire will immediately burn away all the negative energies.

If you don’t want to use fire, you can use smoke to cleanse your gemstones. The most popular smudging tools are incense, sage, and palo santo. As I mentioned earlier I like to smudge my minerals with sage. But you can smudge your crystals with any bundle of herbs. This method is great because you can cleanse your stones and purify your home at the same time.

For this method, all you have to do is place your smudging tool in a fireproof dish and let the smoke cleanse your crystals.

Visualisation

If you don’t have any of the above resources, visualisation can be a powerful and simple way for cleansing crystals on a daily basis.

One of the best ways to do that is to meditate with your crystals. This method might be intimidating to some, but the more you practice visualising in your mind the easier it gets.

However, it’s not the best if you have a big batch of stones to cleanse as it can be tiring.

Before you start, take a few moments to ground and balance your energy and hold your crystal in your hands or do a quick breathing exercise (i.e. take 10 deep breaths). Then, visualise a bright white light enveloping your gemstone. Alternatively, you can blow on your crystal. Imagine you are blowing a bright stream of white light. See this light growing bigger and bigger, penetrating into the crystals and purifying them of all negative energy. Envision this light flushing the crystals of all impurities. Continue this process until you feel a noticeable shift in the stones energy.

Sound cleansing

The sound of crystal singing bowls, tuning forks, crystal pyramids, and ting sha bells emit powerful vibrations when played, that have the ability to balance the energy of crystals.

You can use the vibrations and the sound of a singing bowl to cleanse your crystals. All you have to do is place your crystals around the bowl (or other sound instrument of your choice) and strike the side of the bowl. Repeat as necessary.

It is also a very ethical cleansing method that is used to infuse every crystal and crystal bracelet with healing vibrations, allowing them to do their healing work effectively.

Bottom line

As you can see, there are many different ways we can cleanse our crystals.

After cleansing your crystals, you can program them and set new intentions.

Crystal energy has been used for thousands of years for healing and transformation. Many people wear crystal jewellery particular to soothe their mind, body, and soul. Because crystal jjewellery is worn on your body for longer periods of time it is one of the most powerful ways to soak up their healing energy all day long. Crystal bracelets are a particularly powerful way to heal your entire aura as your hands are constantly moving around you.

With this in mind, all Steel Butterfly bracelets are thoroughly cleansed and charged with Reiki energy before they are shipped so they are ready for you to use.