Washing Gourds for Crafting

Dried gourds can be purchased either washed "cleaned" or unwashed "dirty".  The unwashed gourds are covered with a layer of dirt and mold that will wash off of some of the types of gourds, fairly easily.

• Never store unwashed gourds inside of your home, basement or garage - they have mold growing on them.
• If possible, allow the unwashed gourds to lay outside in the rain before scrubbing, it loosens up the dirt on the outside.
• Soak gourds for about 1/2 hour before scrubbing, you may want to cover with a wet towel to hold them down and keep the whole surface wet.
• Use a kitchen scrubby to scrub off the outer dirt.  I wear rubber gloves and a dust mask while doing this, and prefer to do outside in the warmer temperatures because it is a messy job.
• After cleaning and rinsing, allow to air dry completely before using for your projects.

If you wash a lot of gourds, you may want to invest in a power washer and a large wire basket of some sort. A crab or lobster trap would work well to hold the gourds in place while power washing.

I love to see the beautiful colors of the gourds after all of the dirt is washed away!