How to Clean & Look After Crystal Singing Bowls

Crystal singing bowls are a beautiful sound healing tool. When played, they not only sound amazing but they also send healing vibrations to the body which set off relaxing processes with some people reaching a floaty meditative state. This has all kinds of benefits for the mind, body and soul. As well as enjoying the healing vibrations at sound baths, you can learn to play crystal singing bowls yourself and, with training, incorporate them into client sessions. 

Whether you’re playing for yourself or others, you want your bowls to last. As the I Know This Girl bowls are made of 99.99% quartz crystal to create a clear angelic sound, they do need to be taken care of in a certain way to avoid damage. Here’s what you need to know about cleaning, storing and transporting your crystal singing bowls.

How to clean crystal singing bowls

First and foremost, never use cleaning products on crystal singing bowls. They can erode the surface of the bowls and disrupt the structure of the quartz crystal. 

Start by using a regular duster to remove any dirt on the surface of the bowls. After this initial clean, you might still be able to see finger smudges and other marks lingering on the surface. Go in with a white cotton cloth and see if that will be enough to clear the bowls. 

If you need some extra elbow grease, try dipping the cloth in warm water. Rain or diluted water is the best option here. If you’re dealing with a particularly stubborn mark, try diluting lemon essence into the water. I wouldn’t use anything stronger than that. 

Do you need to energetically cleanse singing bowls?

If you’re familiar with crystals, you might be wondering about energetic cleansing too. Despite their ability to shift energy, crystal singing bowls don’t need to be cleansed of negative energy or reset in any way. They do this all on their own! 

Chiming the bowls sends vibrations throughout the structure that effectively cleanses it of negative energy and activates the energetic influence they have on the people in the room and their intentions.

This means you can also use singing bowls to cleanse and reset any crystals you have. Simply put them nearby when you play and the vibrations will work their wonders.  

That being said, I do enjoy smudging my singing bowls with palo santo or sage before and after events. I align it with setting an intention before the session. It’s just not something you need to do for the upkeep of the bowls. 

How to store and transport singing bowls

I always suggest getting a sturdy case when buying crystal singing bowls. It makes looking after them much easier. I’ve got videos for how to pack and unpack the bowls in I Know This Girl cases. Watch them on my Instagram here. I’ll give you an overview to follow along with too. 

You can fit more than one bowl in each case, making it very convenient for taking to sound baths. In the 8-inch cases, you can fit a 6-inch, 7-inch and 8-inch bowl stacked together. Then in the 10-inch case, you can fit all that plus a 9-inch and a 10-inch. 

At the top, you can label the bowls you have in the bag. Keep them in their plastic bags to make the bowls easier to handle and use foam to pad in between each bowl when placing them in the case. If you wanted to replace the plastic bags, then silk scarves make a beautiful wrapping for singing bowls. Don’t forget to pop the O-rings at the top when you have all the bowls in. 

When removing the bowls from the case, pull them up using the plastic bag instead of trying to grip the bowls themselves. Most of them will slide out quite easily. The final bowl might feel a bit snug as we don’t want the bowls moving around in the case. If you’re struggling to get it out, tread on the handle to give yourself more leverage and wiggle it out. 

You might have noticed that I didn’t place the mallets in the case with the singing bowls. That’s because you don’t want to store anything within the bowls themselves. The middle of the bowl is the weakest point so putting anything in there is at risk of causing damage. 

The cases are the best way to transport bowls. You can also store them at your house or in your studio like this. Some people choose to have their bowls out on display. They look beautiful, especially in the sunlight. This is absolutely fine as long as you don’t have any pets or children who could accidentally knock over the bowls. Make the right call for you. 

That’s just about everything you need to know about looking after crystal singing bowls. If you are interested in starting or expanding your own set, see what we have available in the shop, listen to the sound library and notice what you’re drawn to, and then book a discovery call so I can help you pick the bowls that align with you.

If you’d like to know more about singing bowls, how to look after them, play them and bring them into your self-care practice, I also run workshops from my studio in Bristol. I’d love to see you there and support you as you explore the wonderful world of sound healing.