How to Cleanse Your Crystals the Proper Way

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buddha and karma's author

Looking for the proper way to cleanse your gemstones and crystal jewelry?

Cleansing is a crucial part of the crystal healing experience. You should do it to remove unwanted energies from your stones and restore their healing powers.

However, not all cleansing methods are suitable for every crystal.

Some can even do more harm than good if you don’t do it correctly.

With many cleansing methods available today, how do you know which is right for your stone?

In this guide, we’ll walk you through 12 ways to cleanse your crystals at home.

Discover which methods are suited for your crystals and which ones you should avoid.

By the end of this post, you’ll learn how to cleanse your crystals the proper way!

 

 

How to Cleanse Crystals with Water

Water cleansing is the simplest way of removing unwanted energy from your healing stones. It’s often done after buying your crystals, getting rid of impurities that may have accumulated before they reach you.

Ideal for: New crystals you just bought

Not suitable for: Softer crystals, i.e. those that ranked 6 on the Mohs hardness scale.

As a rule of thumb, stones that end with “ite” are considered soft. Some examples include amazonite, calcite, and fluorite.

Stones with metal traces, aka iron ores, are also prone to rust when exposed to water. This includes pyrite, magnetite, and hematite.

To cleanse with water:

  1. Wash the stone in running water.
  2. Submerge it for 1 minute.
  3. Rinse and pat dry when done.

Caution: Prolonged exposure to water may damage soft and porous stones.

 

How to Cleanse Crystals with Smudging

Smudging is the process of cleansing using incense. This cleansing method involves burning sacred plants and letting the smoke envelop your crystals.

Ideal for: Any stone, particularly lustrous ones that are prone to fading.

To cleanse with incense:

  1. Light the tip of a sacred plant such as a white sage or palo santo.
  2. Hold the incense with your right hand, the hand used to give away energy.
  3. Let the smoke envelop the crystal for 30 to 60 seconds.
  4. Leave your doors and windows open while smudging.
  5. Smudge the corners of your home to disperse the negative energy.

 

How to Cleanse Crystals with Salt

Salt is used in many practices to drive away negative energy. This includes the unwanted vibrations that accumulated in your healing stones.

Ideal for: Harder stones such as amethyst, quartz, tourmaline, and citrine

Not suitable for: Soft or porous stones such as amber; crystals with trace metals such as hematite and pyrite

To cleanse with salt:

  1. Dissolve a tablespoon of salt in a bowl.
  2. Submerge the crystal in the water for a few hours to 2 days.
  3. Rinse and pat dry when done.

Alternative method: Instead of submerging in saltwater, you can also bury your healing stones in a pile of salt.

 

How to Cleanse Crystals with Brown Rice

Brown rice is another household item that can absorb negative energy.

Ideal for: Protective stones such as obsidian, hematite, and tourmaline

To cleanse with brown rice:

  1. Fill a bowl with brown rice.
  2. Bury your crystals beneath the brown rice for 24 hours.
  3. Throw away the grains after cleansing the stones.

 

How to Cleanse Crystals with Sound

Sound cleansing can up the vibrations of your crystals. You can achieve this with the use of a Tibetan singing bowl or a tuning fork.

Ideal for: Cleansing large volumes of crystals.

To cleanse with sound:

  1. Place the crystal in front of the singing bowl.
  2. Hold the stick with your left hand and the bowl with your right hand.
  3. Ring the bowl by tapping the stick.
  4. Rub the outside of the bowl with the stick to keep the ringing going.
  5. Do this for 5-10 minutes.

Alternative: You can play Tibetan singing bowl music online if you don’t have the tools.

Caution: Do not place the crystals inside the bowl while ringing it.

 

How to Cleanse Crystals with Sunlight

The sun is an excellent source of positive energy. It holds masculine energy that charges your stones with power and vitality.

Ideal for: Dense or opaque crystals that can be charged under the sun, i.e. black obsidian, tourmaline, and hematite.

Also ideal for crystals possessing yang energy such as tiger’s eye

Not suitable for: Translucent stones such as the quartz family; vibrant stones that are prone to fading.

To cleanse with sunlight:

  1. Wait for the sunrise or sunset.
  2. Place the crystal directly on the ground.
  3. Allow the stone to bathe in the sunlight for 1 hour.
  4. Collect your crystals before the sunlight becomes too harsh.

Pro-Tip: The ideal time to charge with sunlight is during sunrise or sunset. This is when the rays aren’t too harsh yet can charge the stone with enough solar energy.

Cleansing during this time prevents the sun from damaging your crystal jewelry while deeply cleansing it.

Caution: Prolonged exposure to sunlight may damage the surface of your gemstones.

 

How to Cleanse Crystals with Moonlight

If you need to restore the yin feminine energy of your crystals, you should opt for moonlight cleansing. Do this during a full moon when moonlight energy is at its best.

Ideal for: Any stone, especially those that hold yin energy, i.e. moonstone, rose quartz, and selenite.

  1. Find out when the next full moon is.
  2. On the night of the full moon, place the crystal directly on the ground.
  3. Allow the stone to bathe in the moonlight for a few hours.
  4. Collect your crystals before sunrise.

 

How to Cleanse Crystals with Eclipses

Eclipses are also an excellent source of natural energy. It represents a shift in energy whether it’s a solar or lunar eclipse. Perform this method to encourage a shift in energy in your crystals from negative to positive.

Ideal for: Any stone, especially ones with cleansing properties such as selenite and clear quartz

To cleanse with eclipses:

  1. Determine when the next solar or lunar eclipse will be.
  2. On the day of the eclipse, place your crystals on your balcony, windowsill, or directly on the ground.
  3. Let the crystal bathe in the eclipse energy.
  4. Collect your stones after the eclipse.

Caution: Make sure your crystals are okay with sunlight when cleansing with the solar eclipse.

See how to cleanse with sunlight section.

 

How to Cleanse with Selenite

Selenite is a highly-cleansing stone that can be used to restore the energy of other crystals. Because of its larger size, it is often used to recharge large volumes of smaller stones. For this reason, it’s considered the king of cleansing gemstones.

Ideal for: Large gemstones, such as crystal spheres, towers, and clusters.

To cleanse with selenite:

  1. Position the crystals you want to cleanse near a selenite.
  2. Leave it there for 24 hours.

Pro-Tip: The closer the contact with selenite is, the more effective the cleansing gets.

That’s why many prefer a selenite plate with a flat surface. You can place your crystal directly on top of the selenite plate, cleansing faster and better.

 

How to Cleanse Crystals with Clear Quartz

Clear quartz crystals also have clearing properties. But unlike selenite, these come in smaller stones. You’ll have to use a few clear quartz gems to cleanse your pieces.

Ideal for: Small crystals, such as tumbled stones, raw pendants, and beaded bracelets.

To cleanse with clear quartz:

  1. Fill a bowl with small clear quartz crystals.
  2. Place the gem you want to cleanse on top of the clear quartz stones.
  3. Leave it there for 24 hours.

 

How to Cleanse Crystals with Burial

Burying your crystals on the ground lets you return them to nature. This rejuvenates the stones, removing any unwanted energy that has accumulated over time.

Ideal for: Crystals associated with the earth element, such as tiger’s eye, citrine, and agate.

To cleanse with burial:

  1. Find a safe spot for burying your crystals.
  2. Dig a few inches deep into the ground
  3. Bury your crystals for 24 hours to three days.
  4. Wash the stones with running water to remove dirt.

 

How to Cleanse Crystals with Meditation

If you regularly practice meditation, you can also use it to cleanse your gemstones. It’s the safest way of cleansing that doesn’t risk damaging your crystals.

Ideal for: Less durable crystals that are prone to damages. This includes soft and porous stones, vibrant gems, and those that contain metal traces.

To cleanse with meditation:

  1. Take some time to ground and center your energy.
  2. Hold the crystal while visualizing your hands filling with white energy.
  3. Imagine the energy surrounding the crystal.
  4. Visualize the impurities flushing out from the crystal.
  5. Do this until you feel a shift in the crystal’s energy.

 

How to Charge Your Crystals

After cleansing your crystal, it’s time to charge them with your energy.

You need to set your intentions onto the stone so it would help you with what you want to achieve in life.

If you desire abundance, your energy must align with your stone. If you want success, you should also be in harmony with your crystal.

This process is also known as programming or activating your gemstones.

To charge your crystals:

  1. Hold the crystal with your left hand, the hand used to receive energy.
  2. Think about what you want to achieve with the crystal.
  3. Project the energy of your intention by saying it aloud or thinking about it.
  4. Visualize the energy filling the gem.
  5. Repeat your intention 108 times.

 

FAQs About Crystal Cleansing

How often should you cleanse your crystals?

Now that you know how to cleanse your crystals, it’s time to learn when you should do it.

As a rule of thumb, you should cleanse your crystals at least once a month.

However, if you feel like the stone is heavier and duller than usual, it’s a sign that it already needs cleansing.

 

What is the best method of cleansing gemstones?

At Buddha and Karma, we recommend incense cleansing as it is safe, effective, and is suitable for any crystal.

Use sacred plants like white sage and palo santo for best results.

 

How do I know if my crystals are cleansed?

You should feel a shift in the stone’s energy after cleansing it.

A recharged stone feels light physically and energetically.

 

Should I cleanse a new crystal after buying it?

Yes, you should cleanse your new crystal after buying it.

Your crystal can be exposed to various energies before it reaches you.

If the store you bought it from performs cleansing before sending items, you can simply cleanse it with water.

If this is not the case, you can pick one of the 12 methods above to deeply cleanse your new gemstone.

 

How to Take Care of Crystals

Aside from cleansing, make sure that you store your crystal in mindful places.

Be wary of crystals that are sensitive to sunlight, such as translucent and vibrant stones.

Take extra care of soft and porous gems as well. Don’t expose it to water and sweat for prolonged periods.

For crystal jewelry, avoid hitting it on hard surfaces to prevent damages.

 

The Takeaway

Cleansing your crystals allow you to get the most out of its healing experience.

However, you should learn the proper ways of cleansing your precious stones.

Some methods like sunlight and water cleansing can be damaging to your valuables.

So, it’s best that you find a method that works for your crystals.

Celina Wang

Celina Wang, a seasoned Feng Shui and crystal healing enthusiast, shares a decade of expertise on the Buddha & Karma blog. Inspired by her travels in East Asia and love for nature, she guides readers through the transformative world of Feng Shui and crystals, infusing her writing with insights from her peaceful garden meditations.

Read more about the author

celina@buddhaandkarma.com


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