How to Care For Your Hot Stone Massage Stones

Proper cleaning and sanitation is important when using Hot Stone Massage stones in your massage practice.

It is important to wash the stones thoroughly after each session, between clients. All that is required is washing in warm soapy water and a thorough rinsing. If you have stones that are pitted or have a porous surface texture, you may wish to use a small scrub brush to make sure all the oil is removed from the stones.

The sooner you wash the stones after a treatment, the easier it will be to remove the oil and any bacteria that may have been picked up from your client’s body.

Nothing is worse as a massage therapist than showing up to give a hot stone massage, and finding the stones still dirty from their last use. I worked at a spa that used a chlorine shock product in the water of the heating unit as a way to eliminate bacteria, so they would only have to clean the stones at the end of the day, instead of after each session.

I do not recommend this practice at all. It is far better to take the time to clean the stones between sessions (it doesn’t take that long!), or have a second set of stones heating and ready for use if your clients are booked back to back.

When the stones are not in use, it is helpful to recharge them in nature. I found my stones would get sluggish after using them for a couple of months, so I would leave them outside in my backyard overnight as a way to re-energize them. Another great idea is to sit them in a stream, and let nature’s running waters cleanse them.

Other practitioners recommend charging your massage stones with crystals such as Amethyst, when they are not in use. Just place a crystal on top of the massage stone set and let it take care of the rest.

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