Our favorite methods to cleanse new crystals

So you have bought your first crystal! Or maybe your 100th. (Shh. 😉 We’ll keep your secret.) What do you do next though?

Many people will start working with their crystals right away. And there is nothing wrong with that. I do it all the time with certain crystals.

However, it is often recommended that you cleanse your crystals once you get them home.

So why and how do you do that?

Why Cleanse?

Crystals are energetic gold mines. They produce energy. They amplify energy. And they absorb energy from almost everything in the environment around them.

This absorbed energy comes from many places and can gunk up the energy you are working with in that crystal. So it is often very necessary to cleanse your new and old crystals periodically to keep your intentions with them more clear.

Most crystals that you buy go through multiple hands and environments before even making it to your home. First they are handled by the miners pulling them out the earth. Then they are cleaned and sent off to crystal wholesale retailers who may have them polished and shaped, cut and carved, to be more aesthetically pleasing. Some are left raw and simply broken into smaller chunks. Any time a crystal is packed and shipped in this process leaves the crystal also picking up on additional energies.

From there they may be sold to smaller crystal retailers and metaphysical shops. Then if you are picking out crystals in a brick and mortar shop, you have dozens and hundreds of other customers who may also be handling the crystals when they come in to pick as well. Online shops will have crystals handled by potentially far less individuals and thus pick up less subtle energies.

Each step along the way, the crystals absorb little bits of each person that handles that crystal. Now, if you are not very sensitive to these subtle energies, you may not have too much of an issue with the crystal. However, if you are sensitive, you may find yourself picking up on all these subtle mis-matched energies that can possibly interfere with your direct work with the crystal.

So we cleanse our crystals to reset all this energy and get it back to just the crystals energy. Cleansing helps rid it of any harmful and unnecessary subtle energies that don’t belong there. Over time, crystals will pick up more subtle energies so routine crystal cleansing is a good idea.

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1. Elements

One of the first methods of cleansing your crystals is really four separate methods. Using the elements. You can use one of these or any combination of them.

Water

Water is very cleansing in nature. We bathe in water to clean ourselves off, so why not use water to cleanse our crystals?

Warning - Do some research first and be sure your crystal is safe to be in water before using it as a cleansing method. In general, crystals that end in “ite” are considered to be bad to cleanse in water because many of them like Selenite are too soft and will dissolve in water.

There are few methods to cleansing with water.

• Running lukewarm tap water and holding the crystals underneath. Saying something along the lines of “I cleanse this crystal of all harmful energies” is a good way to reinforce the idea that you a cleansing
• Setting up a bowl of spring water in a glass bowl and setting the crystal in it. You can reinforce cleansing with a phrase or using a sigil drawn on the bowl or sitting beneath it.
• Taking your crystals to a running stream and holding them in your hands down into the water to allow the natural flowing water to take away the energies that do not serve you.
• Florida water and other cleansing water spray blends are also effective water-based cleansing methods. Cleansing sprays and waters just need to be spritzed or sprinkled on the crystals in question. Some premade sprays may come with chants or prayers to recite to reinforce the process.
• Leaving crystals out while it is raining can be a powerful cleansing method as well.

Air

Air methods are pretty safe for most all crystals. It can involve a couple different methods as well.

• A breath method is one such. Simply focus your intention on cleansing and take a deep breath in. Exhale a steady stream of air onto the crystal, “blowing away” the harmful energies.
• Smoke cleansing is another popular air cleansing technique. This involves the use of burning herbs and/or incenses and holding the crystal through rising smoke. Cleansing herbs like sage, rosemary, or cedar are good options. You can also use resins like frankincense as well. This method is also a bit of the fire element as well since incense and herbs will be burned during the process.
• If you want to combine water and air together, you can use an essential oil diffuser and pass the crystals through the steam.

Fire

Now I don’t recommend directly dropping you crystals in a fire, but flame can still be a great cleansing tool as it is very purifying. Aside from incenses and smoke cleansing there are a couple methods you can utilize.

• Candle flame is one such. Holding the crystals above the flame can be a simple method. Like previously mentioned, you can say a few words to reinforce that you are cleansing the crystal with the power of fire.
• Sunlight has some intense fire connections, so sitting a crystal in sunlight for a few hours or the whole day can be a beneficial way of cleansing and charging your crystals. Be aware that crystals like amethyst, rose quartz, and citrine can all fade if left in direct sunlight for too long. One day won’t change the color too much, but extended time can be an issue.

Earth

As crystals come from the earth, placing back in the earth to cleanse and charge is an excellent method to try.

• Burying a crystal in the dirt outside or in a small pot is one method. Be sure to mark where you are burying your crystals so you can find them again, though! Leave for about 24 hours and dig them up and clean them off.
• Set nearby your plants. This doesn’t require you fully burying them, but it is similar.
• Set the crystals in a bowl of dried herbs and flowers for a period of time. This method you could even add water to the mix to combine the elements.
• Set crystals in a bowl of sand. You can bury them beneath the sand or just sit on top.

A note on salt and salt water methods. I do not use salt or salt water in any of my cleansing methods because salt can be abrasive and harmful even to crystals that don’t have an issue in plain water. Do you research and see if there are any issues with the crystal you are trying to cleanse with salt.

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2. Sound

Sound is a powerful cleansing method. Bells are often hung on doors to startle away harmful spirits, so using sound to cleanse crystals is a good technique to try.

• One technique is to simply use a small bell to hold over your crystals and chime it a number of times (I usually recommend at least three times, but five or seven are also good numbers to try).
• You can chant specific tones while holding your crystals. This can sometimes incorporate the element of air with the breathing technique described above. Simply chant the tone while focusing your breath work and exhaling onto the crystals.
• Another method is using a singing bowl. This method can be helpful in cleansing multiple crystals at one time. Set out your crystals and then begin playing your singing bowl either on the surface with the crystals around it or holding it above the crystals. Let it sing for a while until it feels like things are lighter or more clear.
• A tuning fork is also a useful method to cleanse with sound.
• Any other instrument can be used as well.

3. Moonlight

One of our favorite methods of cleansing and charging is by moonlight. Just the light sun is linked to the element of fire, the moon is linked to the cleansing energies of water. Setting your crystals out in the moonlight is a simple and effective cleansing method.

Any moon phase can work to cleanse your crystals, but the full moon is the best. Full moons are a good time to cleanse ourselves and to let go of things that are getting in the way of our intentions and manifestations, so that same energy is good for our crystals as well.

Moonlight is fairly gentle energy too. It can not only cleanse but it can also charge your crystals with its gentle, feminine Goddess energies. If you want a crystal for developing your intuition and psychic gifts, definitely consider leaving it out in the moonlight.

If you do nothing else for the full moon, setting your crystals out to cleanse and recharge is a simple way to keep your crystals cleansed on a regular basis.

4. Visualization

Visualization can go hand in hand with any of the previous techniques. It involves imagining and focusing on a specific intention. I often combine it with other energy techniques when it comes to cleansing.

• Start by holding your crystals in your hands.
• Close your eyes and focus on the crystals.
• Then imagine a colored light of white for purification, golden white for higher divine vibrations, or violet for spiritual energies building in your hands.
• Imagine the crystals being enveloped in the color and any heavy and harmful energies sloughing off or burning away from the crystal.
• You can visualize the light as a flame or bright sphere of light. Use what works best for you.
• When you feel the energy is sufficiently clear, you can dismiss the light and put your crystals back.

You can combine this with Reiki or other energy healing techniques that can be helpful in cleansing. You could even call upon any spirit guides you have to help in this process as well.

5. Other Crystals

Some crystals are self-cleansing and others have the ability to cleanse other crystals naturally. Getting one of these crystals as a cluster, or a bowl, or a plate can be a nice method for cleansing. Simply set the crystals that need cleansed on the cluster or plate for a number of hours and you are set.

• Selenite is a popular self-cleansing crystal. It is often used for cleansing other stones.
• Clear quartz clusters are also popular choices for cleansing as clear quartz is known as a stone of clarity. Just be sure to cleanse your quartz on a regular basis if you are using it cleansing.
• Citrine is known to transform negative energy into positive, so it is also believed to be self-cleansing and thus useful for cleansing other crystals as well.
• Amethyst clusters are another good choice because it is a highly spiritual stone.

Other Methods

I have successfully cleansed with a pendulum before as well. This is a form of cleansing with other crystals since my pendulums are always with crystals. But if you use metal or wood pendulums you can still cleanse with them.

• Set your crystals out on a surface or you can hold in your hand.
• Hold the pendulum above the crystal.
• With the intention to cleanse the crystal of harmful energies, let the pendulum begin swinging. For me,it swings counterclockwise or this part. But it could swing differently for you.
• Continue focusing on the energy cleansing from the crystal.
• When the pendulum begins shifting direction in its swing, you will know it is done cleansing the crystal. For me, the pendulum will shift to swinging clockwise for a few swings before stopping.
• I am usually good at this point, but if it feels necessary you can continue the process by grounding out any energy the pendulum may hold on to by letting it swing above the ground to let the earth transform that energy.

How Often and How Long?

The short answer:

However often you feel like.

The long answer:

Cleanse when you first bring home your crystals.

Cleanse once a month at the full moon.

Cleanse when too many other people have handled it.

Cleanse if you carry it on a regular for protection.

Cleanse at the Wheel of the Year dates.

Cleanse when the crystals feel heavy or denser than normal.

The more you work with your crystals, the more intune you are with them and you will know when they need to be cleansed. If you meditate on a regular basis with one crystal you may find that you will need to cleanse it when that usual meditation isn’t happening like normal.

Many people will ask how long you should spend on different methods of cleansing. The answer to me is that it depends. Some methods require leaving the crystals to sit for at least an hour to overnight. Others, like cleansing with running tap water, may just take a few moments. Go with your gut. If the crystal still feels gunky after you try a technique that was shorter, it may need more time.

There unfortunately is no one right answer for how often, how long, and which technique works best. It is all dependent on your crystals and how much outside energy they absorb. Making it a regular routine and practice can take out the guesswork though.

Final Takeaway

It is important to take the time to regularly cleanse your crystals. Taking care of them can enhance your connection to your crystals and keep your intentions in sync. The more you work with your crystals by cleansing and meditating and using them on a regular basis, the more you learn about their subtle energies and know when it is time to cleanse again or if the work you are doing is finished.

So try a few cleansing methods with your crystals. See which ones work best for you and have fun connecting with your crystal babies.