In this post, we reveal the top 20 ways to cleanse and charge your crystals, including how to charge and clean specific crystals. Let's get started!

Introduction

Did you know that the energy of your crystals can become depleted, just like the batteries in your electronic devices? And did you know they need the light of the moon, or other things, to regain their lost power? Welcome to the wonderful world of crystal cleansing!

In this article we discuss the following:

• Why is Cleansing Crystals Important?
• Why is Charging Crystals Important?
• How to Cleanse Crystals
• Full Moon Cleansing
• Smudging Crystals
• How to Cleanse Crystals with Water
• Cleansing Crystals with Incense
• Cleansing Crystals with Himalayan Salt
• Cleansing Crystals with Sound 
• How to Cleanse Specific Crystals
• How to Cleanse Selenite
• How to Clean Amethyst
• How to Cleanse Hematite
• How to Cleanse Black Tourmaline
• How to Clean Rose Quartz
• How to Cleanse Clear Quartz
• How to Cleanse Agate
• How to Cleanse Citrine
• How to Charge Crystals
• How to Program Crystals
• How to Program a Crystal for Someone Else
• Crystals that Charge Other Crystals
• Charging Crystals with Full Moon
• Charging Crystals in Rain
• How to Charge Specific Crystals
• How to Charge Rose Quartz
• How to Charge Amethyst

Why is Cleansing Crystals Important?

Crystals, in all their glory, are some of the most impressionable objects on Earth. Since they work on vibration, they will ebb and flow with whatever energies they are brought into contact with. 

When you intend to work one on one with a crystal, or incorporate it into your personal space, you are aligning your own energy to the stone itself. This means that you share a vibration, to an extent, and foreign energies can cause misalignment in this connection if invited to do so. 

For example, your friend visits for tea and starts handling your crystals that are placed around the room. This friend's energy is now docking with your crystals, causing a confused, or compromised vibration. 

One also needs to cleanse crystals after anything significantly traumatic or negative occurs to the person or space with which the crystal is synced. Crystals used for sleep, for example, usually sit right next to our heads and absorb whatever energies are attempting to contaminate the mind of the user. These kinds of crystals need frequent cleansing to rid them of this accumulated energy. 

Why is Charging Crystals Important?

Cleansing and charging crystals go hand in hand. Cleansing is needed to free the stones of lingering energies, whilst charging is needed to optimize the vibration of the stones so that they can work at full effect. 

Charging is important because it is responsible for the metaphysical power of the stones, allowing the properties to permeate into our very dense physical realm here on Earth. 

Before we remove these rocks from deep within the Earth, they are in a perpetually charged state. They draw their energy from the Earth’s core, and, as this is an endless supply, their energy is never depleted. 

It’s when we dig them up and invite them into our world above ground that these crystals start to lose their power, slowly but surely. It’s through a number of different methods that we reconnect our stones with their Earthly vibrations, so that they may serve us in all of the amazing ways that they like to. And believe us, they do like to!

How to Cleanse Crystals

We’re now going to take you through all of the different ways you can go about properly cleansing your crystals from any accumulated energies that may not be serving you, or them! 

How to cleanse crystals will depend a lot on your unique lifestyle, and just how much time you tend to dedicate to the practice of crystal healing in general. The myriad of options can feel a bit like a full time job, especially if you’re opting to cleanse each stone after every use. 

Know that this is great, but not necessary. There are ways of formulating a more reasonable crystal cleansing schedule that doesn’t take over all of your free time. Read through the options, and simply go with the one that rings the most truth for you. 

Full Moon Cleansing

When asked how to clear crystals, most stone fanatics will immediately tell you to take advantage of the full moon. 

Once a month, without fail, a full moon rolls around to bring a powerful release of energy to all who have the privilege of living on Earth. There is something undeniably universal about the feeling of the full moon energy, so much so that many non-Western cultures plan their religious rituals around it. 

Using the crystal moonlight as a cleansing tool is one of the most powerful, yet most delicate, forms of crystal cleansing and recharging. How to cleanse crystals in moonlight is pretty straight forward; consider this your full moon crystal cleansing ritual: 

• Set your stones somewhere outside just before sundown on the night of the full moon. 
• Try to place them somewhere where the light of the moon will shine directly onto them at some point; you can even put them up in a tree if ground level seems too shaded. 
• Leave them overnight, and bring them in at around 11am the following morning. 
• The few hours of sunlight in the morning will merge beautifully with the energy of the moon, now embedded deep within the stones. 

Smudging Crystals

Another fun and easy way of cleaning and recharging your stones is to adopt the art of smudging. Smudging involves the burning of dried sacred herbs, allowing the smoke to filter over the stones and purify the vibrations. Smudging is commonly used to clear spaces of negative energies, so it makes sense that this would work well with crystals. 

One option is cleansing crystals with sage. Sage is a superior plant within the spiritual realm, and has powerful cleansing properties over spaces, people and physical objects. Loose bundled sage works best, but if you’re in desperate need of some cleansing then a sage incense stick can stand in temporarily. 

Then there is how to cleanse crystals with Palo Santo, another form of smudging that involves wood, as opposed to herbs. Palo Santo is a wild tree native only to Peru and Venezuela. It is used in many healing rituals, targeting the clearing of deeply negative energies. 

Both of the aforementioned forms of smudging involve potent aromas, and should therefore always be done in a well ventilated space. 

How to Cleanse Crystals with Water

Cleansing crystals with water is another easy method to try at home. To do this, you’ll need to create a formula containing salt. You’ll also need to keep in mind exactly which crystals cannot be cleansed in salt water. 

Some crystals dissolve in water, which sounds alarming considering they are technically rock formations. Ionic stones dissolve in water because the positive and negative ions are broken apart by the hydrogen molecules in water, thus causing the rock to dissolve and disappear. 

The following stones are not suitable for cleansing or recharging in water: 

• Hematite 
• Fluorite
• Malachite 
• Selenite
• Pyrite
• Labradorite
• Celestite 
• Halite
• Turquoise
• Opal
• Gypsum
• Apophyllite
• Azurite
• Tangerine Quartz
• Ulexite
• Lepidolite

If you live near the ocean, collect a jar of salt water and submerge your stones in it for a minimum of 24 hours and a maximum of 48 hours. If you’re not near the sea, simply create a saltwater solution of your own at home. 

Running water is also a powerful means of cleansing and charging crystals. Water in motion is thought to neutralize any negative energy hovering around a stone. Hold each crystal under a running faucet for at least one minute each. 

Cleansing Crystals with Incense

Cleansing crystal with incense is similar to smudging. When it comes to how to clean crystals at home, incense can be one of the most convenient methods for all lifestyles. We often have incense laying around the house, and it can be a lifesaver when we are perhaps not in close proximity to salt water, or are still a while away from the full moon. 

Any incense will suffice for the purpose of a quick cleanse and recharge. Simply burn your chosen incense as you would, preferably in a holder of sorts, and hold each stone in the smoke that is being released. 

Rotate the crystals so that all sides are generously doused in smoke; aim for at least one minute per stone. 

If you have a box-style incense holder whereby the incense burns inside of a closed compartment, while the smoke escapes from small holes, you can actually place your smaller stones inside of the box, allowing them to become engulfed in smoke. 

Some of the best incense to use for crystal cleansing are the following:

• White Sage
• Sandalwood 
• Amber
• Dragon’s Blood
• Nag Champa
• Patchuli 

Cleansing Crystals with Himalayan Salt

There is a connection between Himalayan salt and the ability to dissolve negative energy. Crystals work well with salt, and using this substance from the Himalayan mountains works wonders as an easily repetitive means of how to cleanse your crystals. 

Choose a decent sized bowl or vase, and fill about three quarters of it with authentic Himalayan salt. 

As though the salt were forming a sort of foundation for your crystals, place them on the surface and set the bowl aside somewhere in your home. They’ll be fully cleansed and recharged in just over 24 hours. 

A Himalayan salt bed is a fabulous little device to keep in your home at all times, as you can actually place your crystals into the salt every time they are not in use. If they ‘live’ here, they’ll be in a constant state of cleansing and recharging, always ready for you when you need them. 

Cleansing Crystals with Sound

Charging crystals with sound is a less common form of stone cleansing, as most people are too scared of getting it wrong. 

The catch is that this is the one form of crystal cleansing that is safe and effective for all crystals. We recommend this method to anyone with a particular large collection of crystals that would take a lot of time to clean individually. 

You’ll cleanse your crystals with sound by making use of any object that emits a resonating vibration that holds its tone for longer than just a few seconds. Singing bowls, tuning forks, bells, and even the chanting of your own voice are all suitable options. If you’re new to sound healing, a tuning fork for cleansing crystals is probably the best introductory instrument. 

Allow the sound vibration to carry over the crystals, and stick with it for a minimum of 10 minutes. The longer the better; some people can end up chanting over their stones for hours out of sheer enjoyment. 

How to Cleanse Specific Crystals

We mentioned earlier that certain crystals are not suited to certain methods of cleansing and recharging. How to cleanse crystals and stones depends on their unique properties and compounds. 

In the aforementioned section we took a close look at the stones that are not compatible with salt water cleansing. We encourage all readers to keep this list in mind, and always do a brief background check when acquiring a new crystal, just to ensure that their chosen method of cleansing is not going to cause any harm to the stone in question. 

You see, at surface level all crystals seem to be rock hard, impermeable forces that could break glass given the opportunity. At a molecular level, however, most stones are incredibly porous, almost spongy in cellular structure. They can break, dissolve, wear away and lose their brightness over time. 

What we didn’t look at in the aforementioned section is how to use certain crystals to cleanse other crystals. Some cleansing stones can be used as cleaners and chargers for other crystals. In this way, the stones work together to bring up the vibration of the weaker one. 

How to Cleanse Selenite

There are some stones that cleanse themselves without any interference from us, the humans. They are known as the crystals that don’t need any form of cleaning or recharging in order to maintain their highest level of vibration. 

Selenite is one of them, and it’s such a powerful self-cleanser that it has the ability to recharge crystals that are brought into its vibratory field. Selenite is a crystallized form of Gypsum, one of the non-water friendly stones we referred to earlier. It is considered to be one of the best stones to have around the house for protection and purification of intentions. 

Not only does it cleanse itself, Selenite also purifies and charges the air and atmosphere that directly surrounds it. Charging crystals with Selenite is easy enough, all you need to do is simply place the Selenite onto the crystal (or vice versa depending on which stone is bigger), and leave it for four to six hours. You can also cleanse your crystal jewelry on Selenite by wrapping the items around the stone and leaving them for the same amount of time.

Note: Never place Selenite in water. It will disintegrate within minutes. 

How to Clean Amethyst

Not all crystals are partial to natural light. Think about it: they spend centuries under the Earth, absorbing the minerals and energies without ever meeting the light of day. 

Amethyst is a stone that doesn’t benefit from purification via natural light, or any light for that matter. If you’re wanting to learn how to cleanse Amethyst properly, you’ll need to go back to where it all began. 

Amethyst is a powerful metaphysical stone. It is said to enhance natural psychic abilities, as well as act as an energetic tranquilizer for highly stressed out humans. The best way to cleanse Amethyst is to actually bury it under the ground for a minimum of 24 hours, allowing the stone to reconnect to its energetic roots. 

Moist soil is preferable; just don’t forget where you buried it! 

How to Cleanse Hematite

If you’re pondering how to cleanse a crystal as grounding as Hematite, you’re not alone. Many crystal fanatics feel that the usual modes of cleansing fall short with this powerful stone, as its connection to the Earth is so tangible that anything above ground feels insufficient. 

Hematite will tie you down to Earth when your head feels as though it is in the clouds. You need only hold your stone in your hand for a few minutes, allowing the force to pull your focus and concentration right back to where you need it to be. 

Hematite does not like to be cleaned or recharged using water. It will dissolve, and your stone will be no more. Hematite is also not particularly fond of the moonlight; the lunar realm is too foreign for this Earth-based stone. 

To properly cleanse your Hematite, select any of your other crystals for cleansing that have recharging properties. Selenite and black tourmaline are two viable options!

How to Cleanse Black Tourmaline

Speaking of, Black Tourmaline cleansing is something that needs to be done quite religiously. 

This is a stone that is sought after by many people, due to the very tangible protective effect this crystal has on both the user and the space in which it works. 

Black Tourmaline is a stone that not only wards off negative energy, but actually absorbs it and transforms it into positive vibrations. This crystal can be placed next to objects that give off high frequency radiation, such as computers and microwaves. It will form a kind of psychic shield, protecting the frequencies from affecting your brain. 

It’s no surprise then that Black Tourmaline needs regular segments of refreshment. If you want to know how to clean a crystal of this nature, the answer is salt and sun!

Soak your Black Tourmaline in a saltwater solution overnight, and then place it in direct sunlight for a few hours the following day. 

How to Clean Rose Quartz

Rose Quartz is a dreamy stone: one that vibrates at the frequency of unconditional love. Use this stone to attract or amplify love in your life, or just to feel a heightened sense of self-love whenever you need it most. 

Because this is a stone of such gentle, pure energy, it thrives when treated the same way during cleansing and recharging. 

We feel the best way of cleansing Rose Quartz is through the smudging technique. Bathing the stone in a cloud of sage smoke, or even Palo Santo, is a soft yet potent way of warding off any negative energy that may be lingering between the cracks. 

Earlier we looked at how to cleanse crystals using a full moon, and this is a stone that would benefit from this kind of method as well. 

How to Cleanse Clear Quartz

Clear Quartz is one of the most versatile and resilient of all healing crystals. This stone has many properties, and is one of the most powerful aids to physical pain within the human body. For many, it seems to neutralize any discomfort the user is experiencing, especially when the Clear Quartz is placed directly onto the body. 

Any of the aforementioned methods of how to clean crystals are suitable for Clear Quartz. There is no threat to this stone in water, and Quartz loves the light of the moon and the sun. Clear Quartz is incredibly receptive to the vibrations of sound, so a sound cleansing is also a viable option. 

How to Cleanse Agate

Agate is an umbrella name given to a variety of translucent, layered-looking crystals made from microcrystalline quartz. There is a spectrum of colors and patterns that Agate can form into, and its desirability within the market is generally dependent on these two factors. 

What you need to keep in mind when it comes to different variations of Agate is that these are extremely fragile crystals that have the potential to shatter when exposed to temperature fluctuations. 

You shouldn’t cleanse your Agate in water that is above room temperature. Nor should you leave Agate out in the sunlight, as the colors may lose their vibrancy after long periods of exposure. 

The moonlight is the most gentle way of cleansing your Agate. Additionally, you could use Selenite as a method of recharging the stone. 

How to Cleanse Citrine

Like Agate, Citrine may also fracture when exposed to abrupt temperature changes. This stone is also not a friend of the sunlight, and may lose its soft orange hue entirely after long periods of exposure. 

Chemicals and Citrine are another complicated duo. Citrine responds well to certain soaps, and then others seem to eat through the stone entirely. Avoid all forms of soap when cleaning debris off of your Citrine, and simply use a damp cloth to do the job. 

To cleanse and recharge your Citrine, we’d recommend either using the light of the moon, or the Himalayan salt method. Citrine is a powerful yet impeccable crystal that requires cleaning at least once a week, especially if being worn as jewelry. 

How to Charge Crystals

Now that you know how to cleanse your crystals, it’s time to learn the different ways of charging them. Cleansing and charging go hand in hand, as we’ve stated. The one needs the other in order to keep the stone at optimal performance frequency, so that you are able to tap into all of the healing properties that the stone in question supposedly holds. 

We’ll tell you how to charge crystals, as well as how to program them. There isn’t a great difference between these two actions, but the latter involves the setting of specific intentions for a preferable outcome. Read on, we’ll elaborate!

How to Program Crystals

When we talk about programming a crystal, we are referring to using it for a very specific purpose, as opposed to for all of the stone’s general benefits. Some people are happy to wear a piece of Labradorite in a ring, for example, and remain open to any of the properties that come with this stone entering their life for greater good. They are not necessarily honing in on one specific need; instead they are happy to see what transpires. 

When we program a crystal, we communicate with it our precise wants and desires. We let it know what kind of help we are needing, and what exactly we’d like energy to be focused into. 

This is an intention based practice, and the best way to program a crystal is to sit with it in the palm of your hand in a state of light meditation. Send your clear, specific desires telepathically into the crystal, and visualize the desired outcome so that the stone is able to attune to the vibration of this outcome. 

How to charge crystals with intentions, without contaminating the stone with the ego, is a lot easier than it sounds. These are intelligent forces, and they know the difference between the vibration of a genuine desire, and the vibration of an ego desire — don’t overthink it!

How to Program a Crystal for Someone Else

Sometimes it’s not ourselves that need the healing energy from the crystals in question. Often, people purchase stones with the intention of gifting them to another who seems to be in need of a particular kind of life adjustment. 

If you’re giving a crystal to someone in hopes that it will affect a specific area of their life where you see issues, then you can program the stone on their behalf. 

Do so as you would your own crystals. For example, if programming Amethyst crystal, hold the stone in your hand during meditation and send the telepathic intentions into it. This time, visualize the desired outcome but from the perspective of the individual for whom the healing is intended. See and feel them as you would like them to be, and not necessarily how they are. It’s imperative that you always have the individual’s greater good in mind when doing this; crystals cannot be programmed to conduct black magic on your behalf. 

Crystals that Charge Other Crystals

We took a brief look above at crystals that cleanse other crystals. As it happens, there are also stones that actually charge other stones. 

Selenite is the most powerful, and also the most popular. A small piece goes a long way, and the best part is that Selenite requires no form of cleansing at all. It’s almost like a house guest who doesn’t eat or talk, but cooks and cleans for you even when you’re not looking. 

Clear Quartz is another great crystal to use to charge other crystals. It’s a high vibrating stone that easily affects all other molecular compounds brought into direct contact with it. Clear Quartz, however, can’t cleanse itself and does require some help from you every so often. 

Charging Crystals with Full Moon

Even the most Earth-bound crystals can’t help but succumb to some sort of positive influence from the energy that the moon gives off. 

Moonlight is so gentle, and so charming, that it holds benefit even for stones that would typically prefer to be housed underground. 

We can use the moonlight to both cleanse and recharge all crystals. Recharging works the same way that cleansing does: by simply leaving the stone outside overnight somewhere where the light can hit it directly (if possible). 

Charging Crystals in Rain

Rainwater is often overlooked as a means of charging crystals. Since it can’t really be planned, it’s not the go-to option for those who like to work on a recharge schedule with dates and times. 

If you’re open to the sporadic nature of crystal charging, rainwater is a great tool to work with whenever the weather allows for it. Rainwater is highly charged with Earth’s energy, as it starts its journey on the surface of the planet before the sun pulls it up into the sky. 

To charge your crystals in the rain, simply place them outside during a shower. On a grass patch would be preferable, but anywhere on bare Earth is just as good. Even a short downpour is a powerful recharging period for most crystals. 

It’s important that you adhere to the list of crystals that are not compatible with water, if using this method of recharging. Selenite, for example, will dissolve completely even in the shortest of showers. 

How to Charge Specific Crystals

For the most part, crystals can be charged alone or in batches, and receive their full energetic supply regardless of the approach taken. 

That being said, when we use specific crystals for programmed intentions, it becomes more beneficial to charge them in an individual setting. Some stones just like to be charged without any other vibrations around them, including other crystals. 

Here we’ll look at Rose Quartz and Amethyst, and the unique recharging methods pertaining to each. 

How to Charge Rose Quartz

The most effective way of recharging this stone of love is to take advantage of the saltier things in life. 

Any form of saltwater charging is Rose Quartz’s favorite method. This includes the Himalayan salt bowl, and the use of seawater/saltwater when available. If you’re merely cleansing a piece of Rose Quartz of bad energy, then submerging it for 24 hours in the water is sufficient. 

When recharging a piece of Rose Quartz, leave it in the saltwater solution for a minimum of 48 hours. This takes the stone to the next level in terms of energetic charge. 

If you need to program your Rose Quartz for a specific purpose, do so before and after the stone goes into the water. A short meditation before the ritual, and a short mediation after the ritual, will ensure that your Rose Quartz is absolutely clear on what it is you’d like it to help you with. 

Personally, we’ve found that anyone looking to use Rose Quartz to facilitate self love may actually benefit more from a piece of the stone that has been recharged under the light of the moon. There is something very tender and motherly about the moon’s energy; it paves way for one to be more gentle with themselves and find the love of self that they so desperately seek. 

How to Charge Amethyst

Many seek answers on how to charge Amethyst. It’s a common stone that is abundant to the Earth, but there is something ever illusive about its function and preferences. 

Amethyst, as we discussed, has anti-stress, anti-anxiety and anti-depression properties. It’s a mood stabilizer/tranquilizer, but it also works closely with the third eye in enhancing any potential for psychic ability that the user may be holding.

For this reason, the best ways of charging Amethyst are constantly up for discussion. Some feel that if stress and anxiety are your main concern, Amethyst is better recharged by being buried underground, as it can then have a powerful grounding effect on the user, bringing relief to symptoms of anxiety that can cause one to feel detached from Earth. 

Those looking to program their Amethyst for help with psychic abilities, such as enhanced clairvoyance, are more likely to benefit from Amethyst that has been recharged using the light of the moon. This energy is more “outer worldly”, thus symbolizing a higher plane or elevated frequency. Your third eye will receive great benefit, and your personal powers will be enhanced. 

Conclusion

We hope you enjoyed this article! If you are interested in incorporating crystals into your life to help combat anxiety, you should consider a mindful breathing necklace made of a crystal that resonates with you. Mindful breathing jewelry made of crystals not only help provide the benefits of the crystal you choose to wear, but they can also be used to help slow your breath, leading to a greater sense of calm and serenity. Also, if you are interested in reading more about anxiety and crystals, check out our comprehensive blog post on the 15 Best Crystals for Anxiety!

Did You Enjoy This Article?

Thank you for reading! If you enjoyed this article, you might also like the following articles: 15 Best Crystals for New Beginnings and Mindful Breathing: Complete Guide

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