them down first. once the mold is wet, the spores are weighted, and the water holds most of them down. Everyone breathes a few spores on a daily basis, but it is the concentration you need to be concerned about, and wetting the gourds well can help reduce the risk to a minimum. If you have a gourd by itself, get a towel and soak it with water first, wrap it around the gourd, then bring it in to your sink of water or whereever you clean your gourds, and dip it well while cleaning the moldy areas off.

Gourd Dust:

Gourd dust from sanding, cutting, sawing, etc, on a gourd, can also cause serious lung and other problems. Gourd dust should not be breathed in, and certain precautions should be taken, good air circulation, air filtration systems, and definately a mask. I personally have suffered from painful lungs, labored breathing, having a hard time catching my breath, cough, and headache, just from working less than 1 hour cutting and sanding on gourds. So, please be careful, be cautious, protect yourself. You don’t need to be afraid of gourds, you just need to understand all the aspects, and safety will not be a problem.

If you follow these simple precautions, you shouldn’t have a problem, and can enjoy your gourd hobby for many years to come.