I really doubt anyone here has actual paranormal experience, so maybe this is more a question for a different kind of forum. That said, if we’re pretending this is real for the sake of discussion, my friend’s family was convinced their old apartment was haunted. They tried everything from burning sage to just ignoring it. The ignoring it part? It seemed to work the best. They’d hear bumps and just talk louder over them, or blame the cat. After a few months of that, the occurrences became less frequent. It was like whatever it was got bored because it wasn’t getting a reaction.
I think a lot of people recommend trying to communicate, but that feels like opening a door you can’t easily close. If you start asking questions or using a spirit box, you’re basically acknowledging it and giving it attention, which might be what it wants. The whole ‘salt the windowsills’ thing is classic, and maybe it has a psychological comfort effect. Honestly, if you’re truly scared, moving is a valid option too, but I know that’s not practical for everyone. In the end, my take is that the human mind is powerful—fear amplifies everything, and often the most effective ‘cleansing’ is just a firm decision to stop being afraid, even if you have to fake it at first.