Alexis · Fondateur d'YVY Maté
A natural mate gourd is fairly simple to care for - but if you invest in one of our squash gourds, a few tricks will wisely extend its lifespan by several decades.
If you're here, you've already chosen your gourd. And now you're wondering: how do you care for your mate gourd? And how do you care for your mate bombilla?
Caring for your mate gourd
First of all, we need to distinguish between caring for a natural artisan gourd and a stainless steel or ceramic one.
How to care for a squash gourd?
The first care step when you receive your natural mate cup is curing. Keep in mind that a well-cured, well-maintained natural gourd lasts over 20 years.
If you don't know how to cure it, we've made a curing guide with a video to walk you through it step by step.
After preparing and drinking your yerba mate, never let it sit in your gourd too long.
After every use, remember to:
- Empty and rinse the gourd with hot water (around 80-90°C).
- Drain it upside down for 5 to 10 minutes.
- Then let it air-dry in its normal position.
As uses add up, a few sensitive elements need looking after:
- The mate must be emptied after every use.
- The leather must be nourished.
- The bombilla must be properly cleaned and maintained.
Let's go through several tips for caring for your gourd's band and leather.
How to care for a stainless steel or ceramic gourd?
Caring for a stainless steel or ceramic mate cup is quite simple. Just discard the yerba mate after every use and rinse the inside of the gourd.
Caring for your gourd's band
The band (virola, around the boca) is the upper part of your gourd. It can be stainless steel or Alpaca.
The yerba's tannins can lightly stain the band. Cleaning with plain water can prove difficult.
There's a very simple way to restore your band's color effortlessly!
You'll need the following:
- A microfiber cloth
- A soft cloth
- Some silver stone (cleaning clay)
- Masking tape (very low-tack)
The products for caring for the gourd's or bombilla's metal
First things first:
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Protect your cup by outlining the band area with very low-tack masking tape. The products that revive and clean the band can discolor the gourd's leather.
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Apply and gently rub silver stone onto the band with a soft cloth.
- Wait 1 to 2 minutes, then rinse with clean water.
- Then wipe the band with a microfiber cloth. It removes the last traces of silver stone and makes the band shine!
Ta-da! Your stainless steel or Alpaca is as good as new! Repeat the operation whenever needed - roughly once every two or three months.
The gourd before and after cleaning with silver stone
Caring for your gourd's leather
Some of the gourds in our shop are dressed in leather.
Leather must be nourished and maintained to keep all its properties, elasticity and beauty. The care routine is very simple and takes just a few minutes!
We recommend Nivea cream, known in leather care for leaving no stains, or very good quality olive oil - a natural solution that is, above all, food-safe!
- A few drops of olive oil on a soft cloth are enough to nourish the leather.
- Then let your gourd rest until the leather has fully absorbed the oil!
Feel free to repeat this step 1 to 2 times a month.
Careful: when emptying and rinsing your mate cup, keep water away from the leather as much as possible. If a few drops do reach the leather, wipe it quickly with a microfiber cloth!
Caring for your mate bombilla
You've surely noticed that mates contain lots of tannins - responsible for the stains (green to black) that appear inside your natural gourd or on your bombilla with repeated use.
We advise rinsing your bombilla thoroughly with clean water after every use, to prevent those stains.
Just like the stainless steel or Alpaca of your gourd, your bombilla will get back all its original shine and color with our little tutorial!
The bombilla like new after silver-stone care
- Apply and gently rub silver stone onto the bombilla with a sponge.
- Wait 1 to 2 minutes, then rinse with clean water.
- Then wipe the bombilla with a microfiber cloth. It has the double advantage of removing the last traces of silver stone and making your bombilla shine!
Perfect - your bombilla is ready for its new life!
For even more detail on cleaning and caring for your bombilla, see our complete guide on the subject.
And if your bombilla has served its time, our Alpaca models are built to last: the Anillo Alpaca & Bronze or the personalizable Alpaca bombilla.
