Care Guide
Five things that keep a basket new
Add the basket to your cleaning routine every three to four weeks and that is the whole job.
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Wipe with a damp cloth
Wipe the basket with a slightly wet cloth so dust does not build up in the corners and cracks. A damp cloth also lifts dirt marks off the weave.
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Put it out in the sun
Once in a while, put the basket out in the sun. This gets rid of anything humidity has brought with it. Do this especially just before and just after the monsoon.
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Use white vinegar now and then
Clean the basket with white vinegar occasionally. It stops mould building up and keeps pests away. Use a cotton cloth while cleaning. Cotton diapers work well too.
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Brush the dust out
A dry paintbrush or nailbrush is the best way to get dust out of a weave. A vacuum cleaner with a brush attachment on low suction works as well.
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Store and handle with care
Store baskets somewhere cool and dry, away from moisture and humidity. Be gentle when handling and cleaning them. If you are hanging a basket, keep the weight on it sensible: hanging it wrongly will distort its shape.
Care by fibre
The three fibres Asama weaves behave differently, so they want slightly different handling.
Water hyacinth
Keep it dry, and it stays flexible
Hyacinth stalk is harvested from the water, dried under the winter sun and woven whole, either as it is or flattened first. It is soft, spongy and very flexible, which is what lets it be braided.
Because it starts life in water, humidity is the thing to watch. Sun it before and after the monsoon and keep it off damp floors and windowsills.
- Soft
- Very flexible
- Dislikes damp
Bamboo
Light, stiff, and easier to crack
Bamboo is slivered into thin strips before it is woven. The slivers are less flexible than cane and more brittle, though lighter, so a bamboo piece takes a knock less well than a hyacinth one.
Brush rather than scrub, and do not force a bamboo weave back into shape if it has bent.
- Light
- Holds its shape
- More brittle
Cane
The strong part of the piece
Cane is the stem of the rattan plant, used whole or split into thinner strands. It is strong and smooth, and Asama weaves it in as the support structure so a hyacinth basket stays sturdier. It is the part of a piece most likely to survive rough handling, and the part worth wiping down rather than soaking.
- Strong
- Smooth
- Sturdy
How the wicker fibres compare
Wicker is a weaving method, not a material. Different regions of India weave different grasses, and each behaves differently in the hand.
| Material | Strength | Elasticity | Sturdiness |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cane | High | Moderate | High |
| Willow | High | Moderate | High |
| Bamboo | Low | Low | High |
| Hyacinth | High | High | Low |
| Kauna | High | High | Moderate |
| Sabai | High | High | Low |
| Moonj | High | High | Low |
| Banana fibre | High | High | Low |
Asama weaves water hyacinth, bamboo and cane. The rest are listed because they turn up in Indian basketry and are often sold as the same thing.
Show a basket a little care
Give it a wipe every three to four weeks and it will keep adding to a room for years.