How to Cleanse Crystals: Steps & Tips for Effective Purification

What Does it Mean to Cleanse Crystals?

Cleansing crystals is the process of clearing any built up energies from the crystal, whether positive or negative. Crystals can absorb so much from their environment, can easily pick up emotional energies, and soak up the vibrations of their surroundings like a sponge. Over time, these absorbed energies can influence their effectiveness. Cleansing restores the crystal’s natural state, allowing it to function at its highest potential + provide us the benefits it’s supposed to.

Why Should We Cleanse Our Crystals?

Crystals and stones work their magic by resonating at specific frequencies and vibrations. After a while, they can get bogged down with stagnant or blocked energy. Without cleansing, this energy gets trapped in the crystals over time and can even hinder them from doing their job. Energy has to go somewhere and stay moving, so this is why cleansing is most effective. Cleansing your crystals helps them stay aligned with your intentions and energy, so they continue to resonate effectively.

Preparing for Use or Adding Crystals to your Collection

If you’re using a crystal or stone for a new purpose, if you just get a new crystal, or if you’re setting new intention on an old crystal you’ve had for a while, cleansing crystals first helps clear out any old energies, allowing the crystal to fully align with your new, current goals. In transit to you, your new crystals could have picked up a lot of energy along the way, so before use, meditation, or even bringing into the home, always cleanse crystals first.

Cleansing Enhances Crystals + Gemstones!

Just as a clean environment supports better health and a happy mind, a well-cleansed and well-used crystal is more effective in its healing role. It works like a well oiled machine. It ensures the energy around it is clear, pure and potent.

Maintain Regularity and Energetic Harmony

Regular cleansing helps ensure that your crystals aren’t holding onto energies that could affect your well-being. Like anything, grudges and mulling over certain things isn’t helpful. If you have an off day, a not so great meditation session, or you’re struggling with something mentally/emotionally, your crystals won’t hold onto this if they’re regularly cleansed and worked with. They sense your energy, and the more often you hold them, work with them, and cleanse them, the better they’ll work for you!

If you use crystals for personal healing or meditation, and you cleanse often, you’re often holding them, working with them, etc, and you’ll be in a good routine of naturally cleansing, so you’ll have no problem keeping energy moving in your crystal collection.

How Often to Cleanse

The frequency of cleansing depends on how often you use the crystal and its environment. For example, a crystal kept in a communal space might need to be cleansed more often with exposure to so many different types of energies, people, family and friends that enter the home. This may need to be cleansed more often than, say a crystal on your personal altar or bedside table.

Here’s a general rule of thumb:

After Purchase: Always cleanse new crystals & stones to remove any residual energies from handling or shipping.
Before and After Use: If you use crystals in healing sessions or meditation, cleanse them before and after to maintain their effectiveness.
Periodically: For crystals in regular use, a monthly cleansing is recommended. For those in high-traffic areas or used frequently, more frequent cleansing may be necessary.
Celestial Events/Transits like Full and New Moons: Cleansing crystals during full and new moons taps into the powerful cosmic energy to refresh and recharge them, aligning them with the intentions of that season/sign.

How to Cleanse Crystals: What to Use

Here are some effective methods for purifying and recharging your crystals with different tools, plants and resources.

Sage

Sage has been used for centuries to cleanse and purify spaces and objects.

How to Cleanse Crystals with Sage:
Light a sage stick and let it smolder, creating smoke.
Hold the crystal in the smoke, allowing it to bathe in the purifying vapors for a few minutes.
Ensure the smoke surrounds all sides of the crystal.
Sage is ideal for clearing accumulated energies and resetting the crystal’s vibration.

Full/New Moon Energy

Harnessing lunar energy is a beautiful way to recharge your crystals.

How to Cleanse Crystals with the Moon
Place your crystals outside or on a windowsill where they can bathe in the moonlight.
For full moon cleansing, let them sit overnight to absorb the powerful lunar energies.
For new moon intentions, use this time to set new goals or purposes for your crystals.
The moon’s energy revitalizes and aligns crystals with its natural rhythms.

Spring Water

Spring water is a gentle yet effective method for cleansing.

How to Cleanse Crystals with Spring Water:
Spritz: Fill a spray bottle with spring water and lightly spritz your crystals, ensuring all surfaces are touched.
Drench: Submerge the crystals in a bowl of spring water for a few hours. Afterward, rinse them thoroughly and dry them gently.
Spring water helps wash away negative energies and refreshes the crystal’s vibrational field.

Sunshine/Soil

Sunshine and soil offer a grounding way to recharge crystals:

How to Cleanse Crystals with Soil and Sun
Sunshine: If safe to, place your crystals in direct sunlight for a few hours. Be cautious with sensitive stones as prolonged exposure can fade some crystals.
Soil: Bury your crystals in a container with soil or directly the earth for a day or two. The soil helps absorb and neutralize energies and restore positive flow.
This method connects your crystals with natural elements, restoring balance in a natural way.

Other Tips for Cleansing

Find some parting tips when it comes to general things to know about cleansing crystals:

Intention Setting

While cleansing, intention is everything. Focus your intentions and visualizations on clearing and revitalizing your crystal energy. Thank your crystals for their benefits. Your mental focus adds a layer of purpose to the cleansing process! Think about what you’re manifesting, what’s at the top of your gratitude list, and what you’re proud of in the moment.

Avoid Harsh Chemicals

Stick to natural methods for cleansing. Harsh chemicals or cleaning agents can damage crystals and interfere with their energies, and there’s really not ever a need to bring crystals in contact with harsh, unnatural cleansers.

Regularly Handling Crystals

Incorporate cleansing into your regular crystal routine. You’ll find yourself getting into a natural flow of cleansing crystals before and after use, so let your crystals speak to you, and let intuition guide your crystal journey!

Respect the Elements

Some crystals are more delicate, more rare, or have specific cleansing needs. Always research your crystal to choose the most appropriate method for its composition, state and shape (tumbled, polished, point etc.)

By regularly cleansing and charging your crystals & gemstones, you ensure they remain powerful allies in your crystal healing journey. Choose the method that resonates most with you and your crystals, and make cleansing a harmonious part of your holistic practice!