How to Cleanse Crystals: An Introduction to Crystal Care

Cleansing and caring for gemstones is important. According to experts, it maintains the characteristic energies of your crystals. Regular care ensures that you can enjoy your crystals natural energy for longer! In this article you will find tips for cleansing, caring for, and charging your gemstones.

Cleaning and unloading negative energy collected in gemstones can be done in many different ways. Each mineral needs different care to rid them of the energy residue that they have accumulated. Are you new to crystals and asking yourself “how do I cleanse my crystals?” Here is an overview of ways to spiritually clean and maintain crystals.

How Do Gems and Minerals Work?

Gemstones, in the minds of many people, are life forms that possess ancient earth power. They are said to exchange energy with people, animals, and plants. According to this theory, each mineral “species”  also has its own unique qualities and abilities. According to experts, natural crystals spread positive energy and absorb negative ones. Gemstones could therefore be used for all kinds of energy work and spiritual research. For example, consider (yoni) massage, chakra balancing, aura work, or commuting.

To maintain the positive working of your crystals, you should cleanse each mineral regularly. According to experts, energy exchanges result in a negative energy buildup that needs to be occasionally discharged. This way the crystals’ unique characteristics can be maintained and you can restore their natural energies! Moreover, this prevents them from becoming dull, losing their shine, or cracking. If you want to know how to cleanse crystals of bad energy, keep reading!

How to Cleanse Your Crystals Before First Use

True gemstone fans see minerals as living beings that constantly collect impressions. According to this logic, if you buy a crystal, it has already been through quite a lot before you even get it home! It could be beneficial to rid your new acquisition of strange vibes before your first use. This way your new crystal companion can adjust to its new surroundings with a clean slate!

For an energetic gemstone bath you can use:

• Salt
• Water
• Incense
• Crystals
• Rice
• Soil
• Moonlight

Gemstones Cleaning with Salt

According to many people, salt carries the power of water and could therefore be used to cleanse negative energy from stones. Many crystals cannot tolerate direct contact with salt. The best option for these crystals is an indirect method utilizing several bowls. This is a great way to clean malachite for example, because the stone is very porous.

1. Use two glass bowls, one of which fits inside the other.
2. Fill the largest bowl with a layer of salt.
3. Place the smaller bowl on top of the salt and place your gemstone or crystals in it.
4. Wait 1 to 5 hours.

Salt can also be used to charge your crystals, in which case they would need an extra 24 hours of exposure. Salt can be reused in this method.

How to Cleanse Your Stones and Crystals with Water

Energy cleansing of your gems and crystals can also be done under cold running  water or even by placing them in a fresh bath. If your crystals react strongly to moisture, you could again use the indirect method. For example, gypsum crystals such as Calcite can dissolve if you rinse them too often or submerge them for a long period. Do you want to clean raw Hematite? Then water could cause rust to develop. This is a natural reaction that would not affect the functioning of the mineral, but not everyone likes the change in appearance. A warm water bath is also recommended when you need to kill bacteria, for example in the case of Facial Rollers, Gua Sha Stones or Yoni Eggs.

Indirect Cleansing with Water

Suitable for gemstones that are porous or ferrous.

1. Use two glass bowls, one of which fits inside the other.
2. Place the small bowl in the large bowl and fill the large bowl with a layer of water. Make sure that the water envelops the small bowl without the risk of overflowing.
3. If necessary, add a few drops of Essential Oil to the water. Use purifying or stabilizing scents such as lemon, lavender, or juniper.
4. Place your stone or set of stones in the small bowl.
5. Let stand for at least a few hours and up to 24 hours.

Refresh the solution between uses.

Rinsing Stones with Cold Water

A quick rinse with cool water is a suitable way to cleanse most stones. For example, do you want to cleanse Labradorite or Aquamarine? These sensitive gemstones’ energies are often tarnished after just one day’s work. After each use, no matter how brief or how long, to cleanse crystals like these of the negative energies they’ve absorbed, a quick rinse under the tap is easy and effective. Do you want to cleanse Rock Crystal or other strong members of the quartz family? These are fine to leave in a bath overnight.

1. Hold your crystal under the running water of a tap or stream for a few minutes. With jewelry and pendants, take care to rinse the stone and not the metal setting.
2. Can your crystal withstand moisture?  Does it not contain (precious) metal? Then place it overnight in a bowl of water.
3.  Air dry the crystal in a sheltered area (sunlight can discolor stones).

Sterilizing Stones with Warm Water

Do you have a Jade Yoni Egg or a Rose Quartz Gua Sha Stone? Do you want to clean Tiger’s Eye? This method allows you to clean moisture-resistant stones that you use on your body. This keeps them hygienic!

1. Boil water and let it cool for a while.
2. Place your stone in the warm water for 15 minutes.
3. Do not boil rocks and minerals as they may crack.
4. Air dry the crystal in a sheltered place.

Incense Cleansing

Many new gem enthusiasts buy an assortment of crystals, but may not know if they all need the same care. You may find yourself thinking “how can I cleanse my crystals together and be sure I won’t damage any of them?” If you’re not sure how porous or delicate your gemstones are, it is best to be cautious. When it comes to cleansing crystals, smudging or incense are always a safe choice. You can purify negative energy with frankincense or a White Sage smudge. A popular incense for spiritual cleansing is Sandalwood. If you would like to try Palo Santo, cleansing crystals with this sacred wood or with White Sage has the added benefit of cleansing the atmospheric energy as well! Just take care to keep a positive intention in mind during the cleansing ritual.

1.  Choose a crystal cleansing smoke with a scent you find pleasant.
2. Have a bowl of water ready for safety.
3. Light your incense or smudge.
4. Formulate an intention.
5. Circle incense, wood, or smudge around the stone or pass the crystals through the smoke.
6. Do not touch stones with burning material.
7. Blow out the incense and store it for another cleanse.

Check Out Our Smudge Assortment

Gemstones Cleaning with Crystals

According to crystal therapists, some stones have the ability to clean others. First Chakra Gemstones such as Hematite and Black Tourmaline are often chosen for this. Pyrite cleansing, for example, could be done well with Hematite. Another great cleansing crystal is Amethyst. However, even though these robust stones can help to clean more delicate crystals, they also need to be cleansed occasionally. Do you want to cleanse Hematite? Then try Amethyst or any other cleansing process that does not involve moisture. Cleansing Black Tourmaline  is easy because according to experts, this strong mineral can withstand almost anything!

1. Choose a (charged) stone type that you want to work with.
2. Use raw crystals, a Geode or fill a bowl with split stones.
3. Place the stone that needs cleaning on your crystals of choice for 2 to 24 hours.
4. Remove the clean stone.
5. Charge your crystal helper for the next session.

Cleaning Gemstones with Rice

Rice absorbs moisture and dirt, making it ideal for cleaning crystals that you would rather not expose to water. For example, do you want to clean Lapis Lazuli? Rice would be gentle enough for this delicate stone. On the other hand, be careful not to put water-containing stones in rice. They could be damaged.

1. Fill a bowl with rice.
2. Put your crystal in it and make sure it is completely covered.
3. Let stand for about 24 hours.
4. Take out your stone and discard the rice.

Cleansing Gemstones with the Earth

When speaking in terms of energy, gems are most ‘at home’ in the earth. In soil they cleanse themselves easily, like you kicking back on the couch after a long day. To try cleansing your crystals this way, you can place minerals inside in a planter or bury them outside in a cloth. This is best to only do with stones that can be exposed to moisture.

Laying Minerals in a Bowl of Soil

1. Choose a spacious bowl for your crystal and fill it with soil from your garden or plant pot.
2. Hold your stone under running water for a few minutes.
3. Bury your rock in the soil.
4. Place in a dark place and leave for at least 24 hours.
5. Remove your rock from the earth and rinse it.
6. Reuse the soil in your garden or plant pot.

Buried Gems and Crystals in the Open Ground

1. Select a cloth made of natural material (cotton, silk or wool).
2. Hold your stone under running water for a minute.
3. Place your stone in the cloth and fasten.
4. Bury the bundle outside at a depth of about 50 cm.
5. Mark the spot and keep four-legged friends at a safe distance.
6. Leave for 24 hours to 3 weeks.

How to Cleanse Crystals in Moonlight

Many spiritual traditions link the moon with feminine energy and cleansing qualities. According to this idea, the best moon to cleanse crystals in is the Full Moon. It is extra special because the magnetic force of this celestial body is at its strongest then. The full moon has the maximum potential to remove energetic residue! Crystals symbolically associated with the moon could also receive an energy boost from this natural night light. Moonlight cleanses and charges them! Are you wondering, for example, how to cleanse Selenite crystals? Selenite is so strongly associated with the moon that it is even named after the moon goddess Selena, so moonlight is the obvious choice! Opalite or, of course Moonstone, are also closely connected to the moon. They can also be charged while cleansing in the moonlight. You can kill two birds with one stone!

1. 1. Place moisture-resistant stones outside overnight and other crystals inside next to a window.
   2. Repeat this ritual at the next full moon.

How can you charge gems?

Are your Healing Crystals cleansed? Then it is important to activate them with positive power again. This is also called Charging your crystals. Charging could be achieved with sunlight, full moonlight, rock crystal stones, and Reiki among other things. For crystals that are used intensively, you can do this after every use. Weekly charging is usually enough for most crystals. Would you like to give your crystals a monthly boost of celestial power? Then leave the stone overnight under the light of the full moon.

Ways of charging gems are:

• Sunlight
• Moonlight
• Gemstones
• Plants

What are mixing methods?

To make life easier, there are also ways to cleanse and activate rocks in one go. These are so-called mixing methods. According to experts, this happens when crystals come into contact with an energy similar to their own. This is the case when crystals are exposed to a very low vibration. Also a transformative energy like that of the geode or a visualization may also have powerful effects.

• Sound
• Geode
• Reiki
• Visualization

How do you store gems?

Stones are thought by many to be living beings and therefore deserve a safe place to call home. So protect your stones against damage by storing them in a pouch or box with a soft material. For pendulums there are special pendulum bags.

Also make sure that your stones are not exposed to the elements. Watch out for bright sunlight, water, or dirt. This certainly applies to stones that cannot withstand the sun or water!

The space where you keep them is also important. A quiet place where your stones are not moved too much and where you find the atmosphere pleasant yourself, is ideal. Be practical about that too: the kitchen table may be your happy place, but the cat may feel the same way!
So think carefully about where you keep your energetic instruments.
You could also set up a special place for it! This may be on a shelf, table or altar, for example. Remember, stones that you treat well, will return the favor!

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When working with crystals, always start from your own intuition and experience. Energy work is personal and therefore changes over time. Common sense goes a long way when using these methods. When in doubt, consult an expert or gemstone therapist. Or just become one yourself through regular practice!