Those crystals soak up all of your bad energy, helping clear your chakras – but that negative energy needs to be released elsewhere otherwise your crystals won’t be as effective as they should be.
So, it’s clear to see that cleansing your crystals is a must – but how?
Here, we are going to go through all the different ways you can cleanse your crystals and which stones work best with which methods.
This way, you can properly care for all of your crystals effectively and keep them in great working condition. So, let’s get started!
Method One: Cleanse Using Water
This cleansing method is one most people go to first whenever they need to cleanse their crystals and healing stones (see also ‘Do Crystals Need to be in Direct Moonlight‘).
This is because it’s easy to find a faucet with clean running water, plus it only takes a matter of minutes to completely cleanse your stones.
To cleanse your crystals using running water, simply let your crystal rinse through – either in a natural water source like a stream or river, or under a faucet.
Leave them for just a minute and then pat them dry with a cloth once done!
This method is super easy to do but it’s not the best method for every type of healing stone of crystal. A general rule of thumb is that the softer or more brittle the stone, the less often you should cleanse using running water.
This is because softer stones are more easily eroded by running water, so only use hard stones and crystals using this method.
Alternatively, you can soak certain healing crystals in a bowl of saltwater. This is great for crystals with a strong connection to the ocean, but it does take a lot longer (around 48 hours).
You should also avoid using soft, porous stones such as malachite or calcite as salt water can help erode away these types of stones.
Method Two: Submerge In Brown Rice
For a super soft and gentle cleansing method that can be used for any stone, this is the method to use – submerging your crystals in brown rice!
Brown rice has a strong connection to the earth and thus it works great at drawing out negative energy from protective, grounding stones and crystals.
Plus, it doesn’t erode soft stones and so it’s a safe method to use on all kinds of stones no matter how hard or soft they are.
To carry out this cleansing method, all you need is a deep bowl filled with brown rice. Submerge your crystals within the rice, ensuring that they are completely covered.
Leave the stones to cleanse for around 24 hours. Over this time, the brown rice will absorb the energy from your crystals and once that’s done, you can remove your crystals and then throw out the rice.
Method Three: Cleanse Using Natural Light
Although natural light is usually used to recharge crystals, it can also be used to empty them of negative energy too.
This method works extremely well for stones which have a strong connection to the moon or sun and thus, can use their light to cleanse themselves as well as recharge their positive energies.
To use natural light such as sunlight or moonlight to cleanse your crystals, you will need to set them out and leave them to bathe in the natural light for a prolonged period of time.
It’s best to set out your stones a while before the sun or moon is at its height, so the stone has plenty of time to be exposed to the sun or moon.
As for how long you should leave your crystals out in the natural light to cleanse, you will have to wait around 10 or 12 hours.
This is why it’s important to ensure that the crystals have plenty of time to bathe in the natural light.
Of course, this method does come with drawbacks. You will have to wait for a clear day or night to ensure your crystals are properly cleansed or you will have to look for other cleansing methods whenever the weather is cloudy.
Clouds will drag out the cleansing process, so only do this method on clear days or nights!
Method Four: Smudge With Sage
This method for cleansing crystals includes one of the best plants used for its healing properties: sage. Sage can be smudged and this allows it to release its natural energies through the form of smoke.
The smoke is what allows the negative energy from your crystals to be drawn out and thus cleanse your crystals. To try smudging sage, you will need a bundle of sage, some matches or a lighter, and a fire safe bowl.
Single light the tip of the sage on fire and allow it to burn, leaving it in the fire-safe bowl to prevent any flames from spreading elsewhere.
Then, move your crystals through the smoke. This step will take around thirty seconds but you can cleanse your crystal for longer, around sixty seconds if you feel you need to.
This cleansing method is one that is safe for all kinds of stones. So, no matter what crystals you use, you can easily try it out – but it’s important to keep in mind fire safety rules and ensure that you smudge with sage in a safe environment.
We would recommend that you do this outdoors and away from any fire alarms which can be set off by the smoke from the sage. You should also keep a fire extinguisher or some water nearby to extinguish your safe in an emergency.
Final Thoughts
As you can see, there are a ton of different methods you can use to cleanse your crystals.
From using water to smoke to natural light, there are a range of methods based on different elements that you can try out for yourself.
Remember to cleanse your crystals safely and take into consideration their properties to ensure you won’t damage the crystal by using the wrong method of cleansing.
Hi, my name is Andrea Daehma and I have been collecting and using crystals in my everyday life for just over six years now.
I have my own collection of crystals gracing my house, several for every scenario I could think of.
Learning about crystals has truly changed my life, and I want to help others turn their life around too. Please enjoy my website and find your own small stone to begin your crystal journey with!
