How to Care for Wicker Baskets

Wicker baskets make a great addition to your home and can be a striking statement about your personal taste. Wicker Warehouse has the best collection of Wicker Hampers that will fit your home, office, or outdoors space. These simple tips and tricks will help you prolong the life of your wicker basket collection.

Keep baskets away from heat sources and sunlight

All baskets should be kept away from heat sources like heat registers, radiators and heat registers. Intense heat and ultraviolet radiation from the sun can cause fade and bleaching, as well as premature drying of fibers that could make them fragile.

Grease is not good for baskets

Baskets should be kept away from the fireplace, wood burner stove, or kitchen stove. They could get clogged with grease, soot, smoke, and other contaminants, making it difficult to clean and maintain.

Keep Baskets in the Designed Use

Cross-contaminate baskets that are used for food storage or baskets that hold perfumes, oils, oils, and soaps. Baskets for food should be kept separate from baskets for other purposes.

To protect baskets that contain food, make sure you line them with a plastic cover. To absorb grease and oil, line the baskets with a paper towel or cloth napkin.

Take care of your baskets

Handling baskets should be done with clean hands, free from any lotions, oils or grease. High humidity can cause stains, mold and mildew, as well as damage to the baskets from body oils.

You can also pick up baskets and support the wicker bottom, particularly if there are any contents inside.

Clean Your Baskets

The best way to get rid of dust from a basket is with a feather duster or a dry, natural bristle paintbrush. You can also use an upholstery attachment to your vacuum cleaner and a nylon stocking over it.

To deep clean, wet a clean white cotton cloth (cotton diapers work well) with cold water. Blot the basket gently and let it air dry.

A basket can be steamed in water, or given a “shower” to loosen the fibers. This can cause swelling and color loss.

Rotate your Basket Collection – Keep it Circulating

You can move your baskets around in your house and room to give them a different humidity, heat, exposure to sunlight, artificial light and exposure to other objects. These could be considered deteriorating factors.

Keep constant humidity and temperature levels

It is well-known that humidity and temperature can fluctuate in your home, but this can have a devastating effect on your basketry collection.

Use of dehumidifiers and air-conditioners in hot and humid environments discourages mold growth and insect activity. Mold and mildew can be very difficult to get rid of and can cause serious damage to your basket’s quality, value and condition.

Hang or mount baskets correctly

Use wall hangers that are appropriate for the basket’s weight and any embellishments if your basket is to go up on a wall. An incorrect mounting device could cause your basket to be distorted in an unwelcome way.

Baskets are safe from harm

You should keep fragile baskets high and away from children and pets. They could be easily knocked over or broken.

Sharp projections or antler baskets can cause injury to children. Keep them away from curious children and pets.

Your baskets can be displayed in acrylic or glass cases or domes to protect them from dust and dirt.

How to pack and ship your baskets

First, ensure that the wrapping material and boxes are free from rodents and insects. The best way to package a basket is to double box it.

You must ensure that the basket is completely dried. If the basket has been stained, make sure it is dry and free of fumes. To protect against loss, make sure you include the address, phone number, and name of the basketmaker and owner on a 3×5 card.

To ensure delivery, place the card in the basket.

Attach the outside of the box to the label with the address information. For maximum stability and protection, it is a good idea for baskets to be packed in boxes inside another box.

Long-Term Basket Storage

Follow the instructions above to get the best results. Don’t let heavy objects rest on top of storage boxes.

Baskets that are kept in storage for long periods of time in garages, basements or attics can cause damage. This is because heavy objects may be stored on the baskets and temperatures fluctuate dramatically.

Keep the boxed baskets in a cool, dry place. You might want to share your basket collection with others if you don’t use it anymore.

The collection could be sold, displayed in a gallery, or donated to friends, family, or even a guild.

Repairing damaged baskets

It is difficult to repair or restore basketry because of its fragile nature, difficulty in matching material (sometimes it isn’t available), and color matching problems. If the basket is damaged, it can also destroy antique value.

You can minimize damage to your basket by taking it out from circulation. Keep it safe until you find a conservator or basket repair specialist.

Use no masking tape, ducttape, or other adhesive as a temporary measure. This could cause more damage during the removal process.