A Complete Guide to Cleaning and Charging Your Crystals

People have been adopting crystals for quite some time now. Plus, plenty of newcomers are also discovering the benefits these stones provide. However, the one thing that all collectors must understand is how to clean their crystals.

The first way to clean a crystal is to wash away any dirt or dust that has built up on the stone. You can do that with water and a mild dishwashing liquid. Then, you can clean the crystal’s energy under flowing water by exposing it to a full moon or moon water and visualization. 

Related: How to Clean Crystal Glass

In this guide, you’ll discover everything you need to know about cleaning your crystal. Firstly, you’ll see why it’s essential to clean your crystals. Then, you’ll learn some of the most potent yet straightforward methods available.

Do You Have To Clean Your Crystals?

Yes, you must clean your crystals regularly. Overall, cleaning your crystals will allow you to maximize their energies so you can continue enjoying the value they have to offer.

More specifically, there are 2 reasons why you should clean your crystals regularly:

• Crystals get dusty and dirty: No matter where you store your crystals, they’ll naturally gather dust and dirt when you leave them for an extended period. Sure, that dirt will reduce your crystals’ natural beauty. But more importantly, a buildup of dirt and dust will also reduce their quality, making them less powerful than they usually are.
• Crystals absorb negative energy: Crystals are so beneficial because they take in negative energy and exchange it for positive energy. But like any kind of filter, crystals eventually become saturated with the bad stuff, which stops them from working correctly. Cleansing your crystals helps remove the bad energy built up over time.

As you can see, cleaning your crystals from time to time is crucial. Most people find success with cleaning their crystals once a month.

However, you’ll want to clean your crystals more frequently if the air in your area is exceptionally dusty.

The same is also true if your crystals are continuously exposed to a lot of negative energy.

Remember: dirt, dust, and negative energy built up in your crystals reduce their potential. That’s why cleaning them is a must.

“Crystals are so beneficial because they take in negative energy and exchange it for positive energy“

Nonetheless, you must also understand that some crystals can cleanse themselves.

A few common examples of self-cleansing crystals include:

• Citrine
• Halite
• Selenite
• Carnelian
• And many more

Cleaning these kinds of crystals isn’t always necessary, but you can still do so if you want. For example, you can place them alongside your other crystals to share their benefits.

That’s right! Self-cleansing crystals also help to cleanse other stones that you place around them.

How Do You Clean a Crystal?

As you’ve read above, cleaning a crystal can mean two things:

First, cleaning a crystal means improving its physical state by removing dirt, dust, and any other impurities that have built up on the crystal.

Doing so will restore the natural beauty of the crystal. But more importantly, removing all those impurities also maximizes the innate power of the stone as well.

Secondly, cleaning a crystal also means ridding it of all negative energies that it has absorbed. Doing that will also bring out the best qualities that the crystal has to offer.

In this section, we’re going to begin by exploring the methods required to clean your crystal physically. Then, we’ll dive deeper into several methods for cleansing the crystal and restoring its powers.

Let’s get started!

How To Wash a Crystal

First, let’s explore how to wash a crystal and free it from dust and dirt. The most straightforward way to do that is with a bowl of clean water, mild dishwashing liquid, a toothbrush, and a towel.

With these three items, you can wash your crystals following these steps:

1. Prepare: Firstly, prepare two bowls with clean water. The first bowl is for removing dirt from the crystal. The second bowl’s purpose is to rinse the crystal after washing is complete.
2. Scrub: When ready, place your crystal in the first bowl and add a little bit of dishwashing liquid. Then, you’ll want to gently scrub the crystal free from dirt using only your fingertips. If you come across stubborn dirt, you can use the toothbrush to gently scrub the crystal as needed.
3. Rinse: Once you remove all the dirt from the crystal, remove it from the first bowl. Then, use the second bowl to rinse the crystal clean.
4. Dry: Lastly, dry the crystal with a towel. Be sure to gently dab the crystal with the towel to remove any excess moisture.

How To Safely Clean Your Crystals

When you wash your crystals following the steps listed above, there are a few safety tips to keep in mind. They include:

• Don’t drop your crystals: First and foremost, never lower your crystals into the bowl, even if there’s water inside. Doing so could damage both the bowl and the crystal.
• Don’t use harsh or abrasive products: Never use harsh cleaning products. The dishwashing solution is generally safe because it’s very mild. However, everyday household products like toothpaste, bleach, and hydrogen peroxide will corrode the surfaces of your crystals and permanently damage them.
• Stick to gentle solutions: Lastly, always stick to the most gentle solutions available if you’re unsure of what you’re doing. There are plenty of more complicated ways to clean your crystals, but they can be risky if you don’t know what you’re doing.

Now that you know how to physically clean your crystals, let’s dive into the methods you can use to cleanse the energies they hold.

Method 1: With Self-Cleansing Crystals

Earlier in this guide, you saw that some crystals are self-cleansing. Some examples of self-cleansing crystals include citrine, carnelian, and clear quartz, just to name a few.

The fantastic thing about those crystals is that they don’t just purify themselves, they also help cleanse any other crystals you place close to them.

So, the first method for cleaning your crystals is to place them closely with other stones that will help purify them.

You can do this by:

• Keeping self-cleansing crystals with others in the same bag or container
• Stacking self-cleansing crystals on top of those that require cleansing

Naturally, this first method is straightforward to do because it requires very little on your part. Better yet, if you’re an avid adopter of crystals, you likely already own self-cleansing crystals in your collection!

So, you don’t need much to start cleansing your crystal using this method.

Method 2: With Water

Water is arguably the most purifying substance in the universe. That’s certainly true for your crystals as well.

The ideal way to use this approach is to wash your crystals using natural bodies of water. That means cleaning your crystals with flowing water in a stream, river, or ocean.

Of course, that’s not always practical, particularly for city-dwellers. But don’t worry, washing it under your tap will still be incredibly helpful.

You can use water to clean your crystals in several different ways. Three common uses of water include:

• Washing: Holding your crystals under running water is another popular cleansing method because it’s gentle enough to use on all types of crystals. As the water flows down onto your crystals, it may help visualize the negative energy flowing away with the water. 
• Soaking: You can cleanse your crystals by soaking them in water for a short period. Be careful, as some crystals are more porous than others, like hematite and pyrite. That means they’ll absorb too much water if you soak them excessively.
• Saltwater: Lastly, you can also opt to use saltwater by using sea salt, in particular. While this method is excellent for purifying your crystals, you must not use it with porous or brittle stones. Examples of those include the hematite and pyrite mentioned earlier.

Method 3: With A Full Moon

A full moon is a powerful thing, and in so many different ways.

Remember: a full moon can affect how animals behave and how tides rise and fall.

Unsurprisingly, that raw power is also an effective way to rid your crystals of harmful energies and replace them with good ones.

You can harness that power by leaving your stones exposed directly to the light from a full moon. That direct and unfiltered exposure is crucial, so place your crystals somewhere safe like:

• On a windowsill
• On a table or chair in your garden

When doing so overnight, you’ll cleanse your crystals and restore their full potential.

Don’t forget to collect your crystals first thing in the morning!

Method 4: With Moon Water

Exposing your crystals to direct light from a full moon is excellent. But, unfortunately, it’s not always a practical solution for some people.

Some people might be unavailable when a full moon comes around or the full moon might not be visible if the sky is full of clouds.

Thankfully, there’s another way to harness the moon’s energy: with moon water.

As the name suggests, moon water is distilled water that has absorbed a full moon’s energy. You can collect moon water and use it later for crystal cleaning or ask a friend to do it for you.

Either way, washing or soaking your crystals in moon water will help you clean any negative energy retained in the stone and recharge it with positive energy instead.

Method 5: With Visualization

The fifth method you can use to clean your crystals is leveraging visualization. As you might already know, visualization is a powerful tool for manifesting all sorts of things into your life.

Visualization is a powerful tool that you can even use to clean your crystals!

Here’s how:

• Gather: Start by gathering all the crystals that you feel require cleansing. Then, depending on how many you have, you can cleanse them all at once or do them in smaller batches.
• Hold: Next, hold your crystals in your hand. Make sure you’re in a place where you won’t be distracted by anything or bothered by anyone for at least a few minutes.
• Visualize: Then, close your eyes and visualize the crystals you’re holding. Imagine your crystals being cleansed by a powerful ray of light. There is no set duration for this process, so you can continue for as long as you feel is necessary.
• Repeat: Repeat this visualization process as often as you need to with all of the crystals you’d like to clean.

How Do You Know When To Clean Crystals?

When it comes to crystals, there are no set periods when you should clean them. Besides that, there is also no obvious indicator of when you need to clean them.

However, some of the best practices when it comes to cleaning crystals include:

• Purify new crystals: First and foremost, it’s always an excellent idea to clean a newly-adopted crystal, no matter where you got it from. That’s because nobody knows where a crystal has been or what negativity it had absorbed before it reached your hands. Cleaning them will free you from any residual negativity the crystal might have.
• Clean them monthly: Besides that, it’s common for people to clean their crystals monthly. But, of course, there’s nothing wrong with cleaning it every other week or at any interval of your choosing. The point is to stick to a regular cleaning schedule that’s convenient and easy for you to remember.
• Trust your instincts: Your relationship with your crystals is very personal. As a result, you’re the only person who can genuinely sense when they need to be cleaned. So if your instincts tell you that a cleaning session is in order, listen to them!

Does It Matter Where I Store My Crystals?

Yes, how and where you store your crystals does matter when it comes to keeping them clean.

For starters, it’s best not to keep your crystals anywhere they’ll catch dust and dirt quickly. Doing so means you’ll have to wash your crystals more often than others.

Plus, never forget that dirt and dust will reduce a crystal’s overall quality, making them less effective at providing you with the value you need.

It helps to store your crystals alongside those that are self-cleansing. Self-cleansing crystals like selenite, kyanite, and citrine will help you keep your other crystals clean when you keep them together in the same bag or container.

So, as you can see, being mindful of how and where you store your crystals is crucial to cleaning them and keeping them clean for as long as possible.

Conclusion

The bottom line in this guide is pretty straightforward: your crystals are powerful, and they have plenty to offer you. However, you must also give a bit of your time and effort to them.

Using any of the cleaning methods you’ve learned in this guide, you’ll keep your crystals in their optimal state at all times. And in return, they’ll continue providing you with the positive energies that they possess!