How to Clean Wicker Baskets

Wicker baskets add both beauty and functionality to a home, and they’re one of my favorite home decor items. They can also collect a lot of dust and grime with regular use. Here’s how to clean wicker baskets.

Admittedly, I’m a little basket-obsessed. I love the texture-y goodness that they bring to a space, and the fact that they also help you stay more organized is obviously a huge bonus. In my opinion, no space really looks complete without a basket or two. A good quality basket will serve you well for years and years. They can be a bit of an investment, but they’re worth it every time. Have you ever looked up close at your favorite baskets, though? They have a way of getting a bit grimy and collecting a lot of lint, dust, and debris. They hide it well, but they definitely collect dirt and pet fur in every little nook and cranny. It’s time for me to do a little basket cleaning, so I thought today would be an excellent chance to share my method. Here’s how to clean wicker baskets.

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How Often Should You Clean Wicker Baskets?

The baskets that you use around your home for storage and decor can really pick up a lot of dust, dirt, pet fur, and even spills and grease splatters over time. A useful collection of baskets can be costly and cleaning them regularly will keep them in good shape for years to come and protect your investment.

Cleaning your baskets with a mild detergent once a year should be considered the absolute minimum. If you can tackle this simple task two to three times per year, the job will become much easier, and you’ll enjoy the added benefit of a consistently fresh and clean home.

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Do I Really Need to Clean Every Basket I Own?

In the spirit of being reasonable, I think it’s important to recognize that not all baskets are in equal danger of becoming dirty and there are some that really do need to be cleaned more frequently, whereas with others, it’s OK to let your cleaning schedule slide just a little bit.

Baksets located in high-traffic areas of the home that are reached for daily to hold things like gloves, hats, or shoes will get much dirtier than some others. Floor baskets used for decor or for holding pillows and throw blankets are also much more likely to pick up dust, food particles, and pet fur. These are the baskets that need to be addressed multiple times per year.

If you have baskets and bins tucked away on a shelf or in a closet that hold less-frequently used items, they will likely be mostly protected and won’t need to be dusted and cleaned as diligently.

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How to Clean a Wicker Basket

This basket that you see pictured below might be my very favorite basket of all time. It’s solid and sturdy, and I’ve had it for about 15 years. I love it more and more every year. It’s just one of those things that has always looked good, no matter where I’ve put it or what I’ve used it for. It usually holds extra blankets and pillows in the living room, and it just always looks so good and so right sitting over in the corner that I mostly don’t even think about it. Until one day, when I’m vacuuming, I inevitably notice all the dust and cat fur that has collected around the base. It happens without fail when you have pets and people living in a house.

As a basket fanatic, I have quite a few of them tucked all over the house, but the big floor baskets are the ones that I find need the most thorough cleaning the most often.

If you have a big basket that’s starting to look like this, here’s how to take care of it!

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Step 1: Vacuum

The best way to deal with all that dust and pet fur is to use your vacuum’s soft bristle brush to combine manual dusting with suction to remove the dust. If you find some stubborn areas with deep-down dust and pet hair, a clean paintbrush can help you dislodge the debris so it can be vacuumed away. Make two passes over both the interior and the exterior of your basket to make sure you get everything.

Step 2: Spot Clean

The tricky thing about this process is that you want to avoid making your basket warp and prevent it from becoming deformed in any way, as well as avoid any water stain issues. Because of this, when you’re using moisture, ideally, you should work in small sections and allow each section to dry before moving on to the next section. Obviously, if you’re working on a large basket like I have here, that might sound a little crazy. That could take days.

The best way to stay on top of this situation is to identify any areas that you can see that are visibly dirty (like if a bit of juice residue looks like it splashed up from when your toddler had a spill a few weeks ago) and make those areas your priority.

Dip an old toothbrush or a small scrub brush in a mild solution of dishwashing liquid or white vinegar and water, and work the brush into the soiled area to clean away the mess. Finish off by removing the excess dish soap and moisture with a dry microfibre cloth or sponge. This should be enough to remove the cleanser, and a rinse shouldn’t be required.

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*Note* If you don’t have any visible dirty spots, feel free to skip the spot-cleaning step. You can just wipe the baskets gently with a very (very) lightly dampened microfibre cloth or cleaning wipes before moving on to drying them. As long as you don’t have enough moisture to really soak into the wicker, you’ll be fine.

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Step 3: Dry the Wicker Basket

The key to success is to make sure that your basket dries very well so it won’t warp or mildew. The trick to maintaining the tight, consistent weave of your basket is to make sure it dries completely in between each little section that you clean if your basket is very dirty and you’re cleaning it one section at a time with a little brush. If you do end up just needing to wipe the whole thing down with a lightly damp cloth, it’s still a good idea to air-dry it well after that as well, just to be safe.

Of course, the very best drying method is some nice bright sunshine, which helps with odor issues as well. If it’s a cooler time of year, putting a fan on your basket or even placing it in a nice warm spot, such as next to a furnace or stove, is the next best thing.

One extra note: You want to make sure that the section that you’re drying is exposed to the air to create as much airflow as possible and to let it to dry quickly. So if you clean the bottom of your basket, turn it upside down while you’re drying it.

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Step 4: Finish and Protect

Once your basket has dried thoroughly, it can be helpful to apply a furniture polish or another product meant to nourish and protect wood. This final step is similar to what you would do to take care of your best wood furniture and will not only add moisture back into the basket but also create a protective outer coating that will help make it easier to remove dust and dirt in the future.

Apply your favorite furniture polish in a thin layer with a spray bottle or soft cloth to both the inside and the bottom of your basket. Although the rattan will absorb some of the polish, especially if it’s very dry, it’s important not to apply so much polish that it collects in the nooks and crannies, so apply sparingly. Allow the basket to dry once again fully before replacing the items that belong in your basket and putting it back into use.

And that’s all it takes. This is one of those little jobs that I find strangely enjoyable. It’s just nice to know that my beloved baskets are dust and cat-fur-free.