How To Clean The Inside Of A Gourd

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For many gourd projects, it will be necessary to clean the inside of the gourd.  For some projects, such as birdhouses, it will only be necessary to clear out the seeds and most of the inside stuff, while other projects, such as bowls, will require a complete cleaning down to the bare walls of the gourd.

Step by Step: How To Clean Out A Gourd Birdhouse

All you will need is a long-handled spoon, paint stick, or similar tool that can fit into the entrance hole of the birdhouse.

1. Drill the entrance hole in your birdhouse.

The entrance hole can be made with a hole saw, gourd jigsaw, or a knife. A hole saw is my preferred tool since it is fast, comes in lots of sizes for different birds, and makes a perfectly round hole. Make sure you are holding the gourd very securely when making the hole.

2. Empty The Gourd

Many of the seeds and vegetable matter will be loose inside the gourd. Simply shake the gourd and dump this stuff out. Insert the long-handled spoon of paint stick into the entrance hole to scrape off any stuck-on debris and break up any big chunks of seeds. If there are any very hard to get pieces they can be removed after the gourd has been soaking in the sanitizer and the pieces have softened.

3. Clean Inside The Gourd

Soak the gourd in a mild bleach solution so that the inside gets sanitized. Gourds float so make sure to let the inside fills with the bleach solution. Let it soak for a few minutes and place in a sunny well-ventilated place so that it dries completely.

Step by Step: How To Clean Out A Gourd Bowl

If you are making a bowl, gourd jack o’lantern, or any other project where the inside of the gourd is visible, you will probably want it to be cleaned completely.  If you cannot reach your hand inside your gourd you will need some sort of tool that can reach in and scrape the sides.  A long-handled metal spoon works well.

  1. Clear out all the loose debris from inside your gourd.  Scrape as much loose as you can and empty.
  2. Soak your gourd in a mild bleach solution for about 15 minutes.  You want all the stuck on pieces along the walls to be fully saturated.  They should be fluffy and slimy.  If your gourd is not a very strong one you should handle it with care after soaking the inside, it can get flimsy and break.
  3. Drain all the water and let the gourd dry a bit.  You want the stuck on pieces to become a bit more solid but still be wet.  When you pull on them they should peel right off in big pieces.  This could take anywhere from an hour to a day depending on how fast they are drying.  Heat, humidity, sunlight, and airflow will all affect drying rate.  I revisit my drying gourds often and try pulling off a piece to see if it is ready.  Too soon and you will get small soggy chucks, too late and the pieces will be dried back on.  If you can’t reach inside your project, use a metal spoon to help pull off the pieces.
  4. Once the inside is cleaned out, make sure to let your gourd fully dry before you continue working on it.  The inside of the gourd is kind of spongy and will hold on to the water longer than expected.  I like to put my wet gourds in the sunshine or on the vent to make sure they dry as quickly as possible to avoid any new mold growth.
  5.  Once completely dry you can sand the inside of the gourd if needed to make it smooth.