How To Use Sage To Energetically Clear Your House

Learning how to use sage to energetically clear your house can bring greater health into your home for your whole family–and it’s not nearly as weird or strange as you might think! 

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It’s a beautiful way to connect more fully to your body and spirit and the natural world, in the same way you might use oils and crystals or journal daily to relieve stress and increase gratitude. 
In those post, I’m going to share:

  • What is smoke cleansing? 
  • How you can use sage to cleanse your house of negative energy
  • How sage cleanses energy 
  • The exact steps to take to use sage to energetically clear your house 
  • What to say when you cleanse your house with sage
  • How to put out a sage stick 
  • And what to do if you can’t burn sage 

There’s a lot to cover, so let’s get started! 

What is Smoke Cleansing and How Can It Help Me Energetically Clear My House? 

Smoke cleansing, or burning sage, is often called “smudging,” but these two things are NOT the same. Smudging is a religious practice for Native tribes in the Americas and shouldn’t be practiced by non-Native peoples. Smoke cleansing, however, can be done with any kind of safe-to-burn dried herb or plant. It taps into the power of aromatherapy and intention, the same energy power that’s at work when we use essential oils to, say, calm anxiety or help with sleep

Here are just a few of the ways smoke cleansing is used: 

  • To cleanse negative energies from spaces or people 
  • To set intentions for a space 
  • To reconnect to the natural world or to be more at home in your own body

For most people, smoke cleansing is simply a way to cleanse your home so that you can set positive, hopeful intentions. Many people think of it as house-cleaning or personal hygiene. You clean your teeth and vacuum your floors regularly, why wouldn’t you cleanse your energy regularly?

How Sage Cleanses Energy 

Believe it or not, burning sage has also been scientifically studied with amazing results!


Sage is known to have antimicrobial and antibacterial properties that kill bacteria, viruses, and fungi and repel insects. It is also believed to neutralize positive ions, which is why it may be so helpful for people who have respiratory conditions like asthma and bronchitis (or even just people who suffer from allergies). 

Positive ions are thought to be in allergens such as dust, mold, pet dander, pollen, and pollution particles, so burning sage may help to negate those and help you breathe better. 

Please be careful about smoke cleansing, however, if you have asthma or any respiratory conditions. You need to let somebody else use sage to energetically clear your house, and make sure all the smoke is gone before you go back in! I have other options for people who just can’t burn sage at the end of this article.  

Scientists now believe sage may also be able to help counter fatigue, enhance cognition and improve focus and memory, improve insomnia and anxiety, alleviate pain, enhance mood, and reduce stress. If all that doesn’t make you want to get started with sage right away, there’s also the fact that it’s a wonderful non-toxic way to control odor! 

You probably can’t wait to start using sage to energetically clear your house! Here’s how to do it: 

5 Steps to Use Sage to Energetically Clear Your House 

Here’s what you’ll need to use sage to energetically clear your house: 

  • Sand, to put out the burning sage 
  • Match or lighter 
  • Bowl to hold the sage while it burns 
  • The sage bundle, itself
  • An intention 

1. Open a Window (or Door) 

It’s extremely important to open a window or door before you begin to use sage to energetically clear your house, and that’s for several reasons. 

First, the smoke needs some place to go. It’s not uncommon for smoke cleansing to set off smoke alarms, but letting the smoke dissipate can help. 

It’s also vital that the negative energy you’re cleansing with your sage has someplace to go. Otherwise it’s like shaking a can of soda–the pressure builds and builds until something finally explodes! Open a window and give all that negativity a way out of your house. 

2. Ready the Sage and Yourself 

The sage shouldn’t burn the way a candle burns–it should just sort of smolder like a live ember or coal. To do this, the sage bundle needs to be loose so plenty of oxygen gets inside of it. You might need to loosen the ribbon if the sage is packed really tightly, but it’s not uncommon to also have to relight your sage at some point during the smoke cleansing process. 

You also need to be careful about your surroundings and yourself when you’re using sage to energetically clear your house. You’re dealing with fire and smoke! 

Make sure you’re protecting any carpets or fragile tabletops. Stay away from curtains. You might always want to keep your hair up, and you’ll probably want to wear black–you’re going to get some ash on you. 

3. Light Your Sage

To use sage to energetically clear your house, light one end of the sage bundle and let it burn for 15-20 seconds. Blow out the flame gently until it’s just barely glowing orange. 

You can hold the bundle carefully at one end or you can place it in a bowl sacred to this purpose. Some Native Americans place it in an abalone shell just for this purpose, to introduce the water element–you can do that too if you’d like! 

4. Set Your Intentions

Now that you’re ready, your window or door is open, and your sage is lit, you can begin to set your intentions. You can say something like, “all negative and unwanted energy should leave right now,” and “this space is now only for positive energy like joy and peace and happiness.” 

5. Begin Smoke Cleansing

Walk through the rooms in your house, waving your sage very gently so that the smoke wafts around your space. Pay close attention to any areas that feel especially negative, places where a lot of people gather or spend time, or where you’ve had tense conversations or difficulties (like in the bedroom if you’ve had trouble sleeping, for example). 

You can also smoke cleanse an individual or yourself (carefully, of course!) or your crystals to cleanse them. This process doesn’t have to take long–you’ll know when you start to feel better that it’s working. 

6. Put Out the Fire 

Don’t extinguish your sage in water because it will ruin the tip! Instead, put it out in a small bowl of sand or in a bowl or container that’s oven-proof or fireproof. Be very careful that the sage is completely extinguished, and don’t leave it next to anything that’s flammable. 

How Often Should You Use Sage to Energetically Clear Your House? 

Most people find that smoke cleansing once a month or once a quarter is more than enough, but you might feel the need to do it once a week or even more often, especially if you have a lot of people in your home frequently. 

What Do You Say When You Cleanse Your House With Sage? 

You don’t have to say anything perfect or exact when you’re cleansing your house with sage–you just want to speak out loud to let the negative energy know where to go (out!) and to invite positive energy back in its absence. 

You can say something like, “it’s time for all the negative and harmful energy to leave right now, and for helpful, healing, abundant energy to fill this space.” 

How Do You Put Out a Sage Stick?

Please be as careful with your smoldering sage stick as you would be with a lit candle! Use a bowl or tray of sand, a rock, or a fireproof bowl or plate to put out the fire. Take your time and wait until every last ember is out.  

What To Do If You Can’t Burn Sage 

If your asthma or respiratory issues make it impossible for you to burn sage, or your in a place (like at work) where you can’t burn sage, you can also use a glass spray battle and sage oil to make your own sage spray. In addition to sage oil, you can also use palo santo oil. 

Palo santo is another plant that’s used for smoke cleansing, and it has a great woodsy, earthy scent. You can use 20-30 drops of oil in a small spray bottle, and spritz it throughout your room or house.

Where Do I Find Sage? 

Because you’re using sage as an energy healer, it’s important that you order your sage from a reputable source or shop–please don’t go order it from Amazon! Instead, make sure your sage is sourced from an ethical grower, and that it’s very high quality. 

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I hope you feel excited about using sage to energetically clear your house, and confident that you know how to do it! Comment below if you’ve ever used sage before–or let me know if you can’t wait to get started!  

Please note that burning sage has sacred and ceremonial significance in the Native American culture. We have intentionally used the term Smoke Cleansing in place of Smudging to honor and hold space for the spiritual rituals held within Native American culture.

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I'm Haylee!

Haylee is the CEO of Whimsy + Wellness and the brains behind the business. She has her hand in every area of the company…from product creation to supply chain solution to online marketing. When she’s not looking at spreadsheets she’s mom to Mason, Posey, and Golden. Her kids inspire her to run a company that values community over competition and people before profit.

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