Safest DIY Way to Clean Hand-Woven Wicker Baskets
Looking around you, you will see a hand-woven or wicker basket somewhere in your house. Wicker baskets, whether fruit baskets, bread baskets, or places to keep bits and bobs, are among the common items people get that serve practical and aesthetic purposes at the same time. With several grooves and gaps between waves, wicker baskets are a common hiding place for dust in the house. Dust accumulated between fibres usually goes unnoticed and slowly degrades the basket. How can you dust and clean wicker or hand-woven baskets?
In this article, we’ll explore how to dust and clean wicker baskets, keep them in shape and extend their lifespan.
Start With Dusting First
To properly dust your wicker basket, all you need are:
- A soft duster, a soft paintbrush or a beauty brush
- A vacuum cleaner with bristle brush attachments (for stiffer wicker baskets)
Empty the basket and take it outside to avoid dust ending up in the home. Keep the basket upside down and start dusting the inside and outside of the basket. If your wicker basket has a stiffer structure, you can vacuum the inside using the brush attachment and then proceed to dust the outside of the basket with a paintbrush.
You may need to repeat this a few times to completely loosen and clean up dust accumulated between the wicker weaves and fibres.
Read More: How to Clean Painting on Canvas Without Damaging it?
Cleaning The Wicker Basket
After dusting, you may notice some stubborn dust spots, especially in the grooves and gaps of the wicker fibres. To clean them, you will need:
- A soft toothbrush
- A microfibre cloth
- A solution of mild dish soap and water in a spray bottle (or a natural green cleaning solution)
Spray the microfibre cloth with the solution just enough to dampen it. Don’t soak and oversaturate the cloth. Wipe down the inside and outside of the basket a few times. Then, to clean gaps and grooves, spray the toothbrush and gently scrub the surface of the wicker basket. Afterwards, leave the basket to air dry away from sunlight.
Read More: How to Clean and Maintain Tufty Mats?
Dealing With Mould & Mildew on Wicker Baskets
Almost all wicker baskets are hand-woven using natural fibres. Wicker baskets, when placed in a damped and humid environment, will become a breeding ground for mould and mildew. If you notice mould on your wicker baskets, you can easily save it. What you need to clean mould and mildew off wicker baskets are:
- A clean microfibre cloth
- A solution of 1/4 vinegar and 3/4 water in a spray bottle
- A soft toothbrush (for deeper cleaning)
First, clean the basket the normal way as explained above. Then, spray some of the vinegar solution on a clean microfibre cloth and start wiping down the surface of the wicker basket, both inside and outside.
Then, wipe the surface again with another microfibre cloth dampened with water and leave the basket to air dry away from sunlight.
Read More: How to Improve Office Air Quality?
Conclusion
Wicker baskets and hand-woven baskets are among the common items in every household. Due to their texture and weaves, dust will accumulate very fast between grooves and gaps on the surface of the basket. Dusting and cleaning wicker baskets require some special DIY methods. In this article, not only did we explore how to safely dust and clean any wicker and hand-woven basket but we also explored how to get rid of mould and mildew formed on wicker baskets.
The information provided by this article can help you safely dust and clean your wicker basket, prevent degradation and keep it in shape and well-maintained.
