I enjoy going thrift shopping and one of the things I love to thrift are wicker storage baskets. I use them all over our home to keep things neat and organized. With that said, I always give the baskets a good cleaning before using them in my home. You never know what kind of environment they came out of!
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Before taking them into our home I lay them on our front porch. I shake them out and then give them a good spray with Lysol. They will sit on the front porch overnight.
The next day I like to lightly wash them. You should NEVER submerge them into water or soak them in water. I wash them in my kitchen sink with a light misting of Dawn Platinum Powerwash Dish Spray. Dawn does a great job at getting dust, debris and odors out of the baskets. I rinse them thoroughly using clean water and then towel dry as much as I can. Next…I get out my hair dryer (yes, the hair dryer) and give them a good blow dry to help speed up that drying process. Moisture can cause mold and mildew, so I like to take the time to dry them.
Give each basket a good “sniff”. If it has any odors you can spray it again with Lysol Disinfecting Spray or sprinkle a little bit of Baking Soda inside it. Let it sit for several hours and then vacuum out the baking soda.
You can use wicker baskets all over the home to keep things organized. They’re great for storage in the closet, underneath beds, in cabinets, on shelves, underneath sinks, etc. Don’t like a color of a basket? Don’t be afraid to paint it! These days you can find gorgeous colors of spray paint at your local hardware store.