my yerba mate i drink with calabaza made of a real pumpkin, and i take care of it and clean it after each use. but during the time i see more and more stronger smell and inside looks like not clean, i guess a little bit of mold, or scum. i dont know what it is, maybe that just the smell of the remaining.
is there a safe way to clean it without damaging the calabaza?
i dont mind to keep using it, can it be dangerous in some way?
You cannot really clean it the way you would clean a porcelain cup.
If what you see is only tea buildup, then you don't have to worry about it. It is normal that it takes on some tea smell and discoloration. Because you continue making the same tea in it, there is no problem about that. Also, if you have mineral buildup (limescale), there isn't much you can do about it, maybe try scratching it off.
In case you have mold, there is again nothing you can do, since it has colonized the whole body of the gourd. Then there is no way to clean it, you will have to throw it away. To prevent mold in a new gourd, make sure it is always well drained after cleaning, and don' store it in a place with high humidity. If you have a persistent mold problem, try storing it with a rice sachet, or a silica gel sachet.
