If you’re one of the people in awe of woven items, you may have some baskets at home and need to know how to clean mold from wicker baskets as part of maintaining them. Even if you’re not on the collector level, you may see these wicker baskets from the parks, where they usually come with picnic goers.
Wicker is a name of a weaving technique that produces a very different pattern. It was initially used on plant materials, particularly rattan, bamboo, willow, abaca, and reed, but is now widespread in synthetic, extruded materials.
While the mold problem is never observed on synthetic materials, molds are probably a repeating mess if the ones you have are organic. In this article, let us talk about how you can keep this problem from ever happening again.
Steps In Cleaning Molds From Wicker Baskets
Wicker baskets are made from plant material, one of the favorite mold spots to grow on, especially with just enough moisture. If you’ve spotted some of these unlikable spores in your bag, here are some steps on how you could deal with them.
Step #1. Dust off the molds
Before starting, we recommend you get yourself enough and proper safety equipment for the cleaning process. We’d recommend some gloves if you’re allergic, but a respirator is a must; here, you can read what kind of respirator is needed for mold.
After wearing protective materials, the first item you need to do is dust off the mold using a compatible vacuum, if you have one. This will ensure that the mold will not fly everywhere when you wipe it down later and minimize the amount that might seep through should the basket get wet.
Step #2. Wash the residual molds
The next thing for your basket is a thorough wash. Mix up some dishwashing liquid with water and then scrub all the surfaces of the wicker basket (including outer and inner parts), even those that don’t have any visible molds in them.
Doing this is necessary, so any spore that hasn’t started a colony yet that may have been blown and spread to uninfested sites can be exterminated. You can then rinse the basket until all the soap is gone, preferably with slightly pressurized water.
Step#3. Soak the basket with bleach
After you wash your wicker basket, we recommend you let it stand for at least 10-15 minutes to let the water seep off it. This way, it can then soak as much bleach solution afterward.
Soaking the basket in a bleach solution will act as a preventive measure so the molds don’t come running right back into your basket. Mix a solution of bleach to make at least 30% solution, then slowly brush this solution to all parts of the basket.
Let the basket soak in the bleach solution for about an hour before rinsing it. You can rinse it as much as until all the smell of bleach is gone from your basket.
Step #4. Dry your wicker basket
After bleaching, you need to dry the basket properly. Wipe it down with a clean cloth, and then take it out to dry somewhere hot, preferably under the sun.
Molds and their spores die under the sun, so drying your basket with sunlight can definitely help keep them off your basket. If you’re anxious if the washing has damaged your basket, you can check this article on how to detect water damaged wood.
Now, you’re done cleaning your wicker basket! If you wish to add another layer of protection, you can opt to reapply varnish or other similar coatings to your basket.
Why do molds keep coming to your wicker basket?
Molds and their spores need moisture and organic materials to thrive and multiply. Water aside, your wicker basket can fulfill the need for that resource.
Another is that when your wicker basket gets constantly exposed to food and starchy substances for when you take it with you on picnics, these foods are desirable to mold. This is why you need to clean your basket thoroughly every after use before storage.
Can you prevent molds from reaching your wicker basket?
Yes! You can absolutely keep molds off your beloved wicker basket.
We’ve previously mentioned that soaking with bleach is an important way of doing it. However, there are still so many ways you do this, like vinegar and even commercial mold removal solutions.
Another thing you can do is keep the moisture away from your basket. Make sure you regularly expose your basket to moderate heat and sunlight, as well as recoat it with varnish to limit contact with surrounding humidity and moisture.
Conclusion
You’ve now wholly discovered a new way on how to clean mold from wicker baskets and how to prevent them from coming back as well. They are pretty easy to follow and remember, so we hope you take the time for them.
Maintaining your things should come as naturally to you as maintaining yourself, like when you’re bathing or washing your teeth regularly. Just like this self-care, you can definitely care and lengthen your property’s lifeline with the right amount of attention.