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Great question! I am often asked how to physical remove dust, dirt and such off of crystals to keep them at their best. Crystals definitely do need to be cleaned on occasion. No one wants to accumulate dust and other floating particulates, right? There are several ways to accomplish this. Please read carefully.

First, you will need to be aware of what may damage the crystal. For instance, some crystals can disintegrate or break apart if placed in water or under the faucet. Others are very soft and would not want to be cleaned with a hard brush. Crystals in a soft matrix will need special care as well.

My favorite cleaning method for quartz crystals (not in matrix) is a dab of very gentle dish soap and a soft bristled toothbrush. Run the toothbrush under tepid water (not hot and not cold)put a dab of dish soap on the brush and gentle move the brush over the quartz crystal. Quartz (as well as quite a few other crystals) can be scratched, so take care not to put too much pressure on the toothbrush. Rinse in tepid water and lay out to air dry.

Many rough crystals can take this type of cleaning as well. I have an extensive collection of raw Labradorite pieces. This method works nicely. Softer crystals like Celestite, Halite, Calcite, and Selenite will scratch and/or break apart, so take care not to use the above method.

Air in a can (like the type sold to clean out the dust from your computer) is a great help many times. Again, not recommended for softer crystals. Simply use short bursts of air to removethe dust from your crystals. You may want to follow up with a soft make up brush to remove any excess dust/dirt from the cracks and crevices. If you have a very large quartz cluster that is hard to move in order to clean, this may work well for you.

Speaking of make up brushes:) These can be purchased with very soft bristles and are a really good way to brush off dirt and dust.

Have adhesive residue on your crystal? Many times price tags or identification tags are removed leaving a sticky residue behind. Using the dish soap method can also help to remove any glue or areas where price/identification tags used to be. It is safe and will not remove the finish of the crystal. Other sticky tag residue can be removed by WD-40, Goo Gone, or yes, even peanut butter!

Peanut butter has been used for decades to remove gum from the hair, so it makes sense that it will do the same to remove adhesives. Again, make sure your crystal does not have any type of finish, as these methods may remove it.

Finish? yes, many crystals, like Lapis, in their raw state are absorbent. Once polished or shaped/polished, a waxy finish may be applied to keep the crystal shiny and protected. I have had Labradorite and other pieces that appear to have been sprayed with a clear lacquer. You may want to try one of the above cleaning methods on the underside of the polished piece to make sure it will not remove any of the finish.

There are several pieces that are, in their natural state, very soft. However, once polished and "coated" they may take an alternate cleaning method. For instance, Jet, in its natural state is very soft (1.5-2). If it is polished and a protective polish/wax is applied, you could apply a small dab of mild dish soap and rub around with your fingers, then rinse.

Don't want to take the chance? Then you can purchase a jewelry cloth or soft cloth and simply wipe the dust off. Other soft stones include Sulfur, Seraphinite, Fuchsite, Lepidolite, and Covellite.

One other bit of information you may want to be aware of. Many times, when softer stones are polished or tumbled, very fine mineral dust may get packed into cracks and crevices. Chrysocolla is a very good example of this. Since it is a softer material, it may have a polishing compound applied during finishing. The compound may not fill the deeper, minute crevices. When you run Chrysocolla under water, the water may turn blue or blue/green. This does not mean the piece is dyed, not at all! What this does mean is that the water has dislodged some of this fine dust which turns the water.

with love and crystal blessings,

Mira