Crystal Cleansing Methods

WHY DO I NEED TO CLEANSE MY CRYSTALS? Crystals absorb both positive and negative energy from everything they come in contact with (this can include people, places and things). When you work with your crystals (carry them with you, hold them in your hand, wear them as jewelry, place them in your home, work place or vehicle, etc.), you want them to hold good, positive energy you can consistently benefit from. So, cleansing your crystals often is important. 

HOW DO I CLEANSE MY CRYSTALS?

There are so many crystal cleansing methods used today, here are just a few…

MOONLIGHT - Full Moon: The strong full moon energy lasts for 3 days, so it's ok if you miss the actual day of a full moon. You can catch those moonlight rays on the day before, day of, and day after a full moon. Yes, your crystals will still get the energy even if it is cloudy or raining.

SOUND: Crystal or Tibetan singing bowls work perfectly. Have your crystals near the bowl as you play it. You can run a tuning fork over your crystals. Any loud music will work as well. Put your crystals in front of the speakers and turn up your favorite music. The important thing with sound cleansing is to have the crystals within the sound's vibrations.

REIKI: If you are Reiki Certified, you can cleanse and give your crystals an extra little energy boost with Reiki energy. Simply hold the crystals in between your hands as you infuse them with the energy.

SAGE AND INCENSE:  You simply run your crystals through the smoke or waft the smoke over your crystals. If you do not have a stick of sage available incense work also.

SELENITE: Place your crystals on a piece of Selenite overnight or wave a selenite wand over and around your other crystals to cleanse them with the Selenite’s strong energy.

SUNLIGHT: Many crystals love to sun bath, especially ones that are red, orange or yellow (like Carnelian and Sunstone). You can put them out in the sun for a few hours for a cleansing and recharge. However, be careful of which ones you place out in the sun. There are some crystals that will fade in sunlight or change color. Typically, these are the pigmented crystals, see through crystals that have color, like Amethyst or Fluorite. If you are not sure if a crystal will fade or not, then be safe and keep them out of the sun.

Avoid Sunlight: These crystals should avoid being placed in sunlight for prolonged periods of time. Amegreen, Amethyst, Ametrine, Apophyllite Green, Aquamarine, Auralite23, Celestite, Citrine, Fluorite, Hiddenite, Kunzite, Opal (will dry out), Prasiolite, Rose Quartz, Smoky Quartz, Spirit Quartz, Super Seven, Topaz, Turquoise.

WATER: A nice cool water bath works very nicely on most crystals; or place them under running water. It is quick, easy and you can do it any time…visualize the water cleaning out any negative energy. This will get them clean physically as well as cleanse their energies. Keep in mind that there are some crystals that you need to avoid putting in water. A good general rule of thumb is to not submerge crystals with a MOH hardness level of 5 or less. 

Avoid Water: The following is a list of some of the more common crystals that should completely avoid water. Water can either damage the crystal or cause the crystal to disintegrate and dissolve. This list is not exhaustive, but it will give you a good start. Desert Rose, Halite, Himalayan Salt (Salt Lamps), Malachite, Selenite, Hematite, Opal

*Also if you are going to keep the crystal in the water for a long period of time, make sure it does not contain iron -- like Hematite, Magnetite, and Lodestone -- because it can cause them to oxidize.

SALT WATER BATH: Many crystals can be damaged by the salt. Crystals with a MOH hardness of 7 or above will generally be safe; but use your intuition. If in doubt, don't do it!

FLOWER PETALS: You can bury crystals in a bowl of flower petals. You can use any petals you wish. Keep in mind that flowers also have healing properties of their own and can share that energy with your crystals. For example, Roses are for love or Lavender for healing and relaxation. In general it does not matter which petals you use. Follow your intuition or just use what you have in your yard.

SALT OR BROWN RICE: This is a relatively easy method. Bury the crystals in a bowl of salt or brown rice. When you are done with the cleanse, throw out the salt or rice. Do not re-use it. Brown Rice is the better of the 2 options. Salt can damage the surface many of the softer crystals.

BURYING IN THE EARTH: Mother Earth and her own vibrational energies can help crystals to re-tune themselves back to their original vibrations. This would work if you used a pot with soil in it, otherwise you could run the risk of losing your crystal unless you mark where you buried it. You need to make sure that the crystal is a MOH hardness of 6 or higher due to rain and moisture in the ground. Take into consideration if the crystal has little nooks and crannies that dirt could get trapped in.

NEVER NEED CLEANSING: SOME sources say that there are a few crystals that never need to be cleansed. These can include Selenite, Kyanite, Citrine, Super 7 and more. However, we do suggest cleansing these stones as well, just like you would any other stone.

DO NOT: Do not put your crystals or crystal jewelry in a chemical cleaner or ultra-sonic cleaner. It will hurt the stones. If you have silver needs to be polished, then use a polishing cloth on the silver only.