How to Cleanse Your Crystals

One of the most common questions we receive at The Crystal Bar is: How do I cleanse my crystals?
Crystals are powerful energy holders, they absorb, store, and transmit energy from the spaces and people around them. Over time, just like us, they can become energetically tired or heavy. Cleansing your crystals helps them release any stagnant or negative energy they’ve absorbed, allowing them to shine, energetically and physically, once again.

Whether you’re using crystals for healing, protection, meditation, or simply keeping them around your home, regular cleansing ensures they’re vibrating at their highest frequency and aligned with your intention.
💫 Why Crystals Need CleansingCrystals act as energetic sponges. When they work with us, absorbing stress, protecting our energy, amplifying intentions, they can sometimes hold on to those vibrations. Think of cleansing as a spiritual reset button, bringing your crystals back to their natural, balanced states. After all, they can only give out what they’re able to hold, so keeping them clear keeps their energy pure and powerful.
🌙 When to Cleanse Your CrystalsYou don’t need a strict schedule, but here are a few times when cleansing is especially helpful:

✨ When you first bring a new crystal home.
✨ After using it in healing, meditation, or intention work.
✨ After emotional or stressful events.
✨ During the New Moon or Full Moon.
✨ Anytime your crystal feels dull, heavy, or less “alive.”
Trust your intuition, if a crystal feels energetically dense or just “off,” that’s your sign it’s time for a refresh.
🔮 Ways to Cleanse Your CrystalsThere are many ways to cleanse crystals, choose the one that feels right for you and safe for the type of crystal you’re working with.
🌕 1. Moonlight CleansingA favourite at The Crystal Bar, moonlight is one of the gentlest and most powerful ways to cleanse. Place your crystals on a windowsill or outside under the moon overnight, especially during the Full Moon, when energy is at its peak. The moonlight resets and recharges their vibration with divine feminine energy. Best for: all crystals, especially delicate ones like Selenite or Celestite.
🔥 2. Smoke or Incense CleansingUse the smoke from herbs such as consciously sourced sage, palo santo, rosemary, or incense to cleanse the energy of your crystals. Gently pass each crystal through the smoke while setting the intention to release any energy that no longer serves you. Best for: quick energy resets, ritual cleansing, and intention work.
💨 3. Sound CleansingSound carries vibration, and vibration moves energy. You can cleanse crystals using singing bowls, bells, tuning forks, or even gentle chanting. The sound waves help to break up stagnant energy and restore harmony. Best for: all crystals, especially when cleansing an entire collection at once.
🌊 4. Water CleansingSome crystals love the energy of natural water, like spring water, rain, or a running stream. Gently rinse or submerge your crystal for a few minutes while visualising it being purified.
⚠️ Important: Not all crystals are water-safe. Avoid water for Selenite, Malachite, Lapis Lazuli, Pyrite, and any soft or porous crystals, as they can dissolve or rust. Best for: Quartz family, Agate, and most tumbled stones.
🌞 5. Sunlight CleansingA few hours in gentle sunlight can revitalise your crystals. The light helps to recharge their vitality and warmth. However, avoid prolonged exposure, as some crystals (like Amethyst, Rose Quartz, and Fluorite) can fade in direct sunlight. Best for: Citrine, Carnelian, Tiger’s Eye, and other solar stones.
🌿 6. Earth or Salt CleansingCrystals come from the Earth, so returning them to the soil or placing them in a bowl of natural salt can help draw out old energy and restore their natural frequency. Bury them in the Earth overnight (or for a full moon cycle) to let Mother Earth work her magic. Best for: grounding and protective stones like Black Tourmaline, Smokey Quartz, and Hematite.
🌟 7. Energy or Visualization CleansingIf you work intuitively, you can cleanse your crystals simply through intention. Hold your crystal in your hands, take a deep breath, and visualise white or golden light flowing through it, clearing and rebalancing its energy. Best for: personal practice and when you want to deepen your connection with your crystals.
💎 After Cleansing: Recharging and ReprogrammingOnce cleansed, your crystals are energetically clear, like a blank slate. It’s the perfect time to recharge and set your intention.
Hold your crystal, close your eyes, and state (out loud or silently) what you’d like it to help you with, whether that’s protection, self-love, abundance, or peace. Crystals respond beautifully to clarity and gratitude.
🌸 A Final Thought from The Crystal BarCleansing your crystals isn’t just about them, it’s about you, too. It’s a moment to pause, reset, and realign your energy with the universe. When you cleanse your crystals, you’re also cleansing your own space, aura, and intentions.
So, next time you feel a shift, a release, or a need for renewal, gather your crystals, light your incense, and let the ritual bring you back into harmony with your energy, and theirs.
✨ Written with love by Claire Titmus, Founder of The Crystal Bar