Cleansing Crystals Like An Expert
It's happened to everyone at some point, your favorite crystal gets some marker on it from the kids, or the price tag residue is stuck on it. I'm gonna share the information that I have gathered, but please do further research or test a small area before you go hog wild on cleansing crystals.
Not all crystals can be cleaned with soap and water. If you wash some crystals with soap and water, or even water, you may destroy their appearance. And we don't want that.
Also, take time to clean one crystal at a time, then dry it, so it is only wet for a minimal amount of time.
The cleaning techniques that I am sharing are meant for your everyday crystals, NOT your very delicate-special-specimens that you'd hate if anything were to happen it pieces. For delicate pieces, do more research and try searching on https://www.mindat.org/. They have an excellent forum with smart people that have probably already asked about your specific mineral.
Cleansing Crystals Like Quartz/Amethyst/Smoky Quartz/Lepidolite/Sodalite/Hematite
If you have a regular, not delicate piece of quartz like a generator, sphere, or point, you can get pretty rough.
If your crystal is dusty, you can use some of that canned air to get the dust bunnies out of the cracks (if you have a cluster type, not a single point).
If you have an ultrasonic jewelry cleaner, you can fill it with soap and lukewarm water and drop your quartz in there.
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Cleaning Selenite
If you have a selenite wand that needs a bit of cleaning, you will want to avoid the water routine. Water, over time, will jack up your Selenite.
If it's dusty, use a feather duster to clean the Selenite or the canned air. Don't ever huff the canned air... you remember that episode of "Intervention."
Depending on how difficult a mark you're looking to clean, you may also want to have a toothbrush on hand. Then get some rubbing alcohol (70% Isopropyl alcohol minimum), dab some on a rag, and quickly wipe off the dirt. You don't want a soaking cloth, just a slightly damp rag.
You can also get a bit of bamboo (find in cooking sections of stores), fashion it into a chiseled edge to clean Selenite.
If you have Desert Rose, also gypsum like Selenite, then grab the canned air. If you're brave, you may try a spot with a toothbrush dipped in water. Don't use a wire brush.
Getting Price Tags Sticker Residue Off Crystals
White Vinegar is safe for most minerals. Pour a bit of vinegar into a bowl and soak your crystal for a few hours.
Mix equal amounts of baking soda and a carrier oil like argan oil (my personal favorite) or almond oil and rub on the spot with the sticker residue.
You can start with 1 (one) tsp ratio for this concoction.
Crystals You Shouldn't Wash In Water
Any crystal that is made of very fine fibrous bits or appears to have hair, like Okenite.
Cleansing Crystals Like A Pro
Sometimes the biggest hurdle is figuring out how to clean your crystals without precisely knowing what you've got. You can do a deep dive on how to identify a mystery mineral by checking out this resource. Or check out this site and maybe find your crystal by color.
Again, make sure to test your chosen cleaning method on an inconspicuous place first, just in case. And always read the label of any cleaning product that you're using before you begin.