Have your crystals lost their sparkle? How do you clean a crystal cluster without damaging it? Learn how to safely clean crystals physically in this guide to removing dust, dirt and grime from your crystals.
If you’re looking for ways to cleanse the energy of your crystals please see my other article How To Cleanse Your Crystals.
Let’s be honest, crystals can be dust magnets. The ones that want to be picked up the most get covered in fingerprints. Crystals we have out on display can quickly lose their sparkle. I am going to give you some tips for cleaning your crystals and a few ways you can reduce them gathering dust.
How To Clean Crystals of Dust & Fingerprints
If you have a lot of crystals on display in your Home this can become quite a time consuming procedure when it’s time to do the dusting. Fingerprints and oil from the skin while handling crystals is another way your crystals can become dull.
Most people will just use a normal dusting cloth but this can make crystals static (attracting more dust) or leave fibres on the surface of your crystals.
Here Is My Top Tip:
The best way to clean crystals of dust and fingerprints is with a high quality soft cleaning cloth. Look for the soft ‘microfibre cloths’ which often come with glasses, smartphones, cameras or computers.
You can also use special cloths that are designed to clean glass, windows and mirrors. Do make sure the cloth does not have any added chemicals and is just a dry cloth.
These types of cloths are super gentle on the surface of your crystals, won’t shed fibres and easily remove dust and fingerprints. They will make your crystals gleam! Make sure you use them dry with no sprays or liquids.
This beautiful Moon Phase Shelf is by Stone & Violet
Cleaning Very Fragile Crystals & Clusters
Please be very careful when cleaning fragile crystals such as crystal clusters, needle quartz or crystals which crumble. It might be safer just to blow any dust off the crystals while outside. You could use a feather duster and gently brush the surface while carefully holding the crystal so it does not fall over. Make sure you avoid knocking the crystal with the pole in the middle.
The other way is even more effective, try using a brand-new soft brush which has been made for applying blusher. Or use a shaving brush, there are plenty of vegan ones available. The soft bristles will get into all the nooks of your clusters. See my YouTube video below for a demonstration:
Cleaning Dirt & Grime from Crystals
If there is a lot of dirt on a crystal you can still clean them but there is always going to be a risk of damage. I am not a big fan of cleaning crystals with water. You would need to look up the mineral hardness online and check it is water safe first. If you are sure the crystal is safe to be in contact with water you can try cleaning it with a damp cloth.
For serious dirt or mud you could run them under cool but not too cold water. Make sure that you do not use a strong water flow. Even if the crystal is water safe I would not recommend this for any fragile crystals as it could damage them.
3 Ways to Keep Your Crystals Dust Free
1. Store them away in a box, chest or drawers
2. Display them in a glass cabinet or glass display box
3. Display them in top covered display shelves
TIP: How To Clean Pyrite Crystals
Check out my Youtube video where I share my technique for cleaning dull tarnished Pyrite:
If your interested in learning more about crystal healing do check out my Beginners Guides and other helpful articles in the Resources section by clicking Here.
Do you know any ways to clean crystals or reduce dusting? I would love to hear from you so let me know in the comments below (Please keep any questions you have on topic if you want a response).
If you know anyone who may benefit from this article please share the link with them or use one of the sharing buttons at the end of this post.
With gratitude,
Ethan
Copyright © www.ethanlazzerini.com
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Thank you so much Ethan. I had better start cleaning my amethyst cluster and other large stones which I have out in the open! Good tips about the soft cloth and to be careful with use of water. I like the feather duster idea too for fragile clusters or the “blowing” method.
Yes clusters are the worst for dust. Amethyst is water safe but depends how fragile the cluster is. Glad I could help 🙂
??? I lay all of the large specimens on the shower floor and hose them down with lukewarm water – the smaller pieces I put in the kitchen sink – I use a toothbrush to get into the crevices – sit them on the patio to air dry and they go back on display! The pieces that I feel are not ‘structurally sound’ get the (pinpointed) compressed air blast. I love compressed air – ideal for my katsinam collection, paintings, fragile bonsai plants, any ‘feathered’ item (NA ceremonial rattles, prayer sticks, lamp shades etc etc etc).
CK, please be careful about using water under any pressure. There’s no guarantee that any one of your crystals might not be altered.
Compressed air should be better, but again, I urge you to think twice before you apply it. Himalayan Quartz, for example, can fall apart at the slightest pressure – many crystals crumble when transported down from the mountains where they were born – and there are plenty more like them in the crystal world.
Love and Light.
I just got myself a quartz cluster today (it is my first and I am very excited about it!) and was wondering if I could ask you about methods for cleaning it. I found this post quite by chance! Your post has cured me of any desire to keep my cluster out, because I have a tough time dealing with dust where I live. I want it to stay on the table where I work, along with some other favourites, but everything gathers too much dust here, so it is better to put them away after having them out for some time. Thank you for all your posts which I am finding very helpful!
Glad it was helpful Isis. Try it out for a while and use the methods to clean it here and see what you think.
Isis, could you perhaps leave your lovely new cluster under glass? That way you’d only have to dust a flat glass surface, instead of all those tricky angles and tiny little crevasses.
Love and Light.
Do you think using something like a compressed air would be okay? My clusters that I’ve had for years tend to get dusty far into the cracks, I’m a little afraid to put them under water as I’ve never done it and I don’t think a micro fiber cloth will get far enough down.
I clean fragile crystals and clusters with an unused Shaving Brush (You can use a Blusher Brush) it works really well!
I recently bought a calcite bookend from a thrift shop which has some glue residue on it. I can’t use anything that will scratch or dissolve the calcite, so I don’t know how I’m gonna get it off -_-
Very gently, using your thumbnail, is the only way that’s guaranteed to be safe.
Love and Light.