Picnics are some of the most favorite outdoor activities that people love to do whenever they have free time, especially during holidays. You may go for a picnic with your loved ones and have some memorable moments. Thinking of a picnic, the first thing that may come into your mind are the items that you are going to use. Some of the important items necessary for taking to the picnic include wicker picnic baskets that you can use to carry your stuff.
It’s worth noting that wicker baskets are designed to carry items like plates, napkins, wine glass, and other items. As you can see, these wicker baskets are important for your picnic. However, it’s crucial to make sure that you take good care of your basket so that it can last long. This article discusses how you can take care of your wicker baskets.
Keep baskets away from some elements
It’s a good idea to keep wicker baskets away from the wood-burning stove, fireplace, or kitchen stove. In other words, you must keep them away from areas where they might become dirty with smoke, grease, and soot because these can make them hard to care for and clean.
Likewise, you need to keep baskets out of sunlight and heat. As explained earlier, you must keep all wicker baskets away from high-temperature sources, such as wood stoves, fireplaces, heat registers, gas stoves radiators, and sunlight. The strong heat and ultraviolet rays of the sun may cause bleaching and fade as well as lead to the drying of the fibers.
Use wicker baskets properly
You should avoid contaminating the wicker baskets that you use for food storage. It means the wicker baskets you use to hold perfume, potpourri, soaps or oils must not be used for carrying foods. Simply put, the wicker baskets that are intended for food storage should be separate from those you use for other purposes. For baskets that hold food, make sure that you line them with a plastic liner to protect both the baskets and food.
It’s also important to hold wicker baskets with care. So you can hold your basket with clean hands that are free of grease, lotion, or oil of any kind. Body oils can spoil the baskets as well as high moisture by causing mildew, mold, and stains. You should also lift baskets by supporting the bottom, more especially if it has any contents inside. It also makes sense to wear cotton gloves when you handle them.
Lastly, you need to clean your baskets regularly. You can use a dry natural bristle paintbrush, but a feather duster is the best way to get rid of dust from a wicker basket. You can also use the upholstery attachment of your vacuum cleaner with a nylon stocking placed over the end.
For deep cleaning, moisten a white cotton baby diaper cloth very slightly with clean cold water and blot gently. You can then let the basket air dry completely. Remember that soaking a basket in water can result in swelling of the fibers, and can contribute to color fading.
