Baskets are brilliant, from organising your home to displaying your favourite houseplant, their uses are endless. If, like us, you have baskets in every corner of your home, you may need to show them a little TLC every once in a while. If you're not sure how to clean your woven or wicker baskets - fear not! We're here to give you all of our top tips when it comes to cleaning and caring for your beautiful baskets...
Firstly, when you buy a basket from us online, it may arrive folded or slightly out of shape. When this occurs, Kenyan baskets can be easily brought back to life with a quick steam using a steamer or steam setting on your iron. Steam the basket and manually shape it with your hands. Please be careful as the basket may be hot to touch. To clean your Kenyan basket, simply wipe clean with a damp cloth or sponge. Make sure to wipe your basket carefully. It is important to ensure that you remove most of the moisture with a dry towel and leave the basket to air dry naturally. Never leave a basket soaking in water as this can lead to the natural fibres rotting. Now that you have cleaned your basket, it is important to keep it clean and take care of it appropriately.
Avoid storing your basket near radiators, windows, or any other heat source as this may fade the colours on your basket as well as make the natural material more brittle. We also suggest keeping your baskets out of damp areas in the home as this could lead to them becoming mouldy or even rotting. If you aren't currently using your basket or you are keeping it in storage, we recommend doing so in an old pillowcase to prevent dust and dirt from settling in all the grooves of the weave.
Don't over-load your basket as this may cause it to stretch and lose it's shape. As the baskets are made from a natural fibre, you should be considerate of what items you store inside them. We would recommend keeping items like suncreams, makeup and pens inside sealed bags or boxes inside of your basket, as they can easily leave marks if spilled. You can avoid irreversible damage from ink and pigmented oily stains this way. If you are using your basket for a houseplant, we recommend placing a small dish or saucer in the base of your Kenyan basket when using them as plant pots, this prevents the base from becoming damp and rotten when watering. Ideally we suggest you remove your plants and place in the sink or bath tub when soaking.
To avoid future deep cleans, it is important to regularly clean your basket as and when it needs it. For dusty baskets, we recommend gently vacuuming the basket. Make the most of your vacuum attachments to get into all of the crevices where the dust will tend to settle. You can also turn your basket upside down and gently pat the surface with your hand to help remove the dust. We recommend doing this outside!
If your basket has been exposed to damp or mould, stay away from strong cleaning products such as bleach as this will erode the natural fibres! Your basket can be saved the natural way. Instead, mix together vinegar and water and use a microfibre cloth to gently clean the affected area of your basket. Wipe again with a clean, damp cloth and allow your basket to dry thoroughly. Make sure to move your basket away from the damp area that has caused the problem in the first place.
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