Crystals work best when they are cleared and cleansed on a regular basis. It is recommended that you cleanse your crystal every time you set a new intention. Or at least once every 30 days. When you incorporate these cleansing techniques into your daily life, your crystals will always be activated and vibrating at their highest potential.

Over time crystals absorb negative energy and vibrations from their environment, especially after use, crystals require cleaning and recharging. Here are a few tips to keep your crystals effective and at their highest vibrational energy.

Cleanse your crystals regularly. This can be done in a number of ways, keeping in mind the type of crystal you are working with. Not all methods are safe for all crystals.

1. Running Water/Salt Water/Spring Water
2. Running Water: Water is said to neutralize any negative energy stored inside the stone and return it back to earth. You can do this by holding your crystal under running tap water, holding them in a stream or pouring bottled water over them. It is important to keep your intention focused in your mind. Whatever your water source, ensure that your stone is completely submerged. Pat dry when complete.
3. Salt Water: you can use salt water from the ocean or simply put salt in a bowl of water. Mix a tablespoon of sea rock or table salt in a bowl of water. Make sure that your stone is completely submerged, and allow it to soak for a few hours to a few days’ time. Rinse and pat dry when complete. The salt water cleanses the energy from the stones. Use clean water to clean stones afterward. SOME CRYSTALS CAN’T BE PLACED IN WATER BECAUSE THEY ARE TOO SOFT OR BRITTLE. WATER CAN CAUSE SOME STONES TO FRACTURE AND BREAK OR EVEN DISSOLVE!
4. Visualization/Breath
5. Visualization: Although this is considered the safest way to clear stones, it can be intimidating for some. The more in tune you are with your sense of self, the easier it may be to redirect your energy to the stone you want to restore. Take a few minutes to ground and center your energy, then pick up your stone and visualize your hands filling with white, radiant light. See this light surround the stone and feel it growing brighter in your hands. Envision the impurities flushing out of the stone, allowing the stone to shine brighter with renewed purpose.
6. Breath: Can also be very effective as a cleansing method. Hold the stone in your dominant hand. Focus on your intention for a moment and deeply inhale through your nostrils. Bring the stone closer to your face and exhale short, forceful breaths through the nose and onto the stone to bring the stone to its highest vibration.
7. Rice/Salt
8. Brown Rice: Can also be used to draw out negativity in a safe and contained setting. Especially beneficial for protective stones. Fill a bowl with dry brown rice and bury your stone beneath the grains. Dispose of the rice immediately after the cleansing, as the rice is said to have absorbed the energy you’re trying to eradicate. Leave buried for approximately 24 hours.
9. Salt: Fill a half a glass bowl with sea salt or cooking salt and place your crystals directly into the salt. Either bury them into the dry salt or leave them on the surface. They should be left for several hours, overnight or for several days. Then rinse under cool running water to remove remaining salt. After use, the salt must be thrown away and never re-used because it will have absorbed negative and unwanted energies. Again, take care when placing your crystals directly onto dry salt as the salt can have an adverse effect on certain crystals.
10. Smudging/Smoke
11. The smoke created when burning sage carries away any low vibrational energy stored in the crystal. Immerse your crystal in the smoke of burning sage for 30 seconds.
12. Quartz/Selenite
13. Selenite: Is a powerful crystal for cleansing and purifying energy. It also magnifies the energy of any crystal placed on top of it. Place your crystals on top of a piece of selenite for 4 hours or more.

Recharge your crystals regularly. There are several ways to recharge or energize your crystals. Again keep in mind that not all methods are safe for all crystals.

1. Charging stone/grid
2. Burial: Bury in sand or soil for 24 hours.
3. Plant
4. Sunlight: The sun burns off old energy and refills your crystal with vibrancy and light. Place your crystals outside in the light of the sun for 4 hours or more.
5. Moonlight/Full moon: When the moon is at its brightest, bathing your crystals under it restores them to their brightest form. Place your crystals outside under the light of the full moon for 4 hours or more.

Water Safe Crystals

• Clear Quartz
• Rose Quartz
• Amethyst
• Smoky Quartz
• Citrine
• Agate
• Moonstone
• Rutilated Quartz
• Jasper
• Tigers Eye
• Aventurine
• Carnelian (though NOT safe in salt water)
• Black Obsidian (FYI: can break in EXTREME cold of hot water temperatures)

The crystals listed above are a great place to start and are especially safe when in polished or tumbled form. Always double check when it comes to salt water, because salt can be corrosive! 

Water Unsafe Crystals

• Fluorite (especially SALT water) 
• Selenite
• Apophylite
• Tangerine Quartz
• Gypsum
• Lepidolite
• Azurite
• Apalite
• Halite
• Malachite
• Turquoise
• Ulexite
• Celestite
• Labradorite
• Pyrite
• Hematite
• Opal (although Australian Boulder Opal is generally safe, because it's not porous)