If you use crystals like amethyst, clear quartz, and rose quartz, chances are you will likely need to cleanse them at some point. Cleansing crystals is vital to clear the old energy and set a new, more powerful vibration to help you gain clarity in life and focus on your desired future.
Thankfully, there are several ways to go about effectively cleansing your crystals.
In today's post, we look carefully at how cleansing your crystals work and the top eight ways to do this and keep them functioning as they should.
Cleansing crystals is important for a number of reasons.
For starters, crystals are used in the realm of energy work.
That is, they absorb, clear, and give off energy.
Cleansing your crystals allows you to give them an energy reset as you move from one place, environment, or atmosphere to the next.
Crystals also carry the energy of their previous owner and the energy of the environment prior to you receiving them.
For this reason, you want to clear your crystals' energy, reset them and set your intentions with your favourite crystals.
Here is what Judy Hall, author of The Encyclopedia of Crystals, has to say about cleansing crystals:
'Crystals absorb energy, which means that they are very effective at soaking up vibrations - negative and positive - from the air and people around them. So, it needs cleansing, recharging, activation, and dedicating to working for specific needs as soon as possible.'
Of course, there are more than one ways you can go about cleansing your crystals, and some are more effective than others.
As such, we have taken the guesswork out of crystal cleansing for you, and have highlighted eight of the best ways to cleanse your crystals and your energetic space.
But before we get to the top 8 ways to cleanse your crystals, we asked a Reiki expert how they do it:
Hi Nicky,
I have a number of methods to cleanse my crystals - I wash them regularly in pure water sources such as lakes, rivers and the ocean whenever I can and round the full moon. I place them in my garden beds to ground their energy and allow the rays of the moon to charge them.And if it's raining or for the softer crystals, I place them around the roots of my indoor plants. I also sage and wash them in the smoke of Palo Santo to remove any energies they have absorbed during healing sessions.
I then sit quietly in meditation with them to connect and encrypt them with new intentions.
Many thanks,
Poppy Ridley
Om Chi Reiki
Smudging your stones is a very popular method of cleansing your crystals. Sage is a sacred plant of choice due to its multitude of healing properties.
Sage is said to be great for clearing disharmonious vibrations and restoring natural energies.
To cleanse your crystals using sage, you will need a fire-safe bowl, a box of matches or a lighter, and some loose or bundled sage (even sage sticks can work).
To get started, light the tip of the sage. Then hold the sage in your non-dominant hand while you hold the stone you are cleansing in your dominant hand.
Next, move the stone through the smoke created by the sage, allowing the stone to be engulfed in smoke for approximately 30 to 60 seconds.
Ensure you do your smudging near an open window or outdoors so that the negative energies and smoke can be released.
Smudging with sage is safe for just about all crystals and smoke, in addition to being highly effective.
Using other stones to cleanse your crystals is also safe and effective for any kind of crystal.
There are two ways to use other stones to cleanse your crystal relative to the size of the crystal being cleansed.
You can see on the image below are several examples of cleansing crystals using a selenite cleansing plate. Some call it a selenite charging plate too.
Generally, large stones are great for cleansing smaller crystals.
Place the crystal being cleansed inside or on top of the larger stones and let it sit for about 24 hours.
Larger stones good for this purpose include:
Click play on the video below to see a selection of crystals being cleansed and recharged using a selenite plate.
People love to use their amethyst geode caves for this very reason. This is one of the reasons the really deep caves are in high demand.
The deeper the geode cave, the more crystals you can put in there to cleanse.
The clear quartz cluster pictured above isn't massive but it does the job of cleansing the smaller crystals perfectly.
Some people love to have clear quartz clusters with large points and some prefer a lovely flat cluster with smaller points. The choice is yours.
Clear quartz is the perfect way to cleanse your jewellery items. So natural, and together they look amazing.
Similarly, some smaller stones like hematite and clear quartz have been praised for their clearing effect and can be used to cleanse your crystals.
Simply place the clearing stones into a small bowl and place the stone to be cleansed on top. Let the stones and crystal sit for about 24 hours.
Saltwater and brown rice are both clearing techniques that require you to submerge the stone being cleansed.
Both techniques will require the use of a large enough bowl. It is best for the bowl to be made of glass and not metal or plastic.
Alternatively, if you live near a beach, you can take your crystals down there.
The beach also has a powerful grounding effect. The saltwater has a cleansing effect on your crystals and can help ground your crystals to reset the energy.
Not only that, but grounding has a hugely positive effect on your body. Spending time connected to the Earth is one of Mother Nature's gifts to us.
That's right, get rid of your shoes and walk barefoot on the Earth. And ideally, carry your crystals with you and set your intention with them at the same time.
To use the salt water technique, mix a tablespoon of sea salt into a bowl of water and submerge your crystal.
Allow the crystal to sit for up to 48 hours.
Importantly, this technique is excellent for crystals like quartz and amethyst as they are hard stones.
Softer stones or stones that are porous or contain trace metals are a no-no.
To use this technique, fill your bowl with uncooked, dry, brown rice and submerge your crystal.
Let your crystal sit for up to 24 hours and then discard the rice once you are finished.
This technique is safe and effective for all crystals.
Harness the power of lunar light to rejuvenate your crystals.
To cleanse crystals in moonlight, simply place them on a windowsill where they'll bask in the moon's glow.
While most crystals thrive under moonlit care, it's reassuring to know all crystals can go in the moonlight.
For optimal cleansing, leave them out for 8-10 hours, ideally overnight.
Remember to retrieve your crystals first thing in the morning, allowing them to absorb the moon's purifying energy while avoiding the harsher daytime sun.
This method is a gentle, effective way to re-energise your crystal companions.
The first two cleansing options highlighted in this article are great for cleansing any crystal without damaging it in any way.
However, option number three (in particular, the salt water) can damage some crystals.
Therefore, it is essential to pay attention to the conditions and instructions which apply to each technique.
We've mentioned 5 excellent ways to cleanse your crystals, but there are 3 more:
Surrounding your crystals with plants allows them to absorb the natural, rejuvenating energies from the growth and life force of the vegetation.
Utilising singing bowls and sound waves provides a sonic cleansing that resonates through the crystals, purifying and re-energising them with vibrational harmony.
Running water acts as a natural cleanser for crystals, with its continuous flow helping to wash away negative energies and rejuvenate their innate properties
So there you have a number of excellent ways to cleanse your crystals.
Remember, your goal is to clear the past energy your crystal has and clear the energy or neutralise it and then program your own powerful intentions to every lovely crystal you have.
Nicky Jessen
Author
Nicky is the proud mum of 3 beautiful girls and Owner of Earth Inspired Gifts. Earth Inspired Gifts is an online retail store specialising in gifts inspired by Nature, such as Himalayan Rock Salt Lamps, Geodes, Crystals, Jewellery and other beautiful items. In addition to running Earth Inspired Gifts, Nicky has been building and managing many websites, including some of the largest online stores in Australia. Feel free to reach out to Nicky via her Facebook page or Twitter.