Resin and Natural Wicker Baskets in rectangular and round

If you have followed my hubs recently then you will have noticed that I have recently fallen in love with wicker. Be it wicker rocking chairs, patio furniture or wicker baskets, if it is made out of wicker, I love it. Why?, I hear you asking? Good question, I simply like the clean, elegant look that wicker has. For me, wicker rocks! I can't really decide which one is my favorite material: resin wicker or natural wicker. Both do have their advantages. Take baskets for example: A basket made of resin wicker is easier to clean, withstands weather and climate better and maintains its appearance unchanged longer. But it also can look a sterile. In contrary natural wicker ages with grace, and looking more organic. Which material you choose depends entirely on the uses you want to put your wicker basket to. And obviously it also decide:

Like always, it is best to read and follow the instruction manual to the point. In the end the manufacturer knows best how to care and look after their products. As a rule of thumb, any fabric that is attached to the basket needs to be removed first and cleaned separately, if not you risk staining it, especially in the case of natural wicker. To de-dust wicker, you can use a hairdryer set to cold and simply blow the dust away. Best done outside, for obvious reasons. Resin wicker can be washed with warm, soapy water, rinsed with clean water and dried in the shade. Natural wicker is better cleaned with a damp cloth to avoid that it soaks up too much water and deforms. And in case that you have to remove something that has got into the weave, wooden toothpicks are great for that! Try to avoid abrasive materials and keep your wicker basket dry and you should have them perfectly looking for a long time to come. And now some products I found online, that show you the different types of baskets available:

This is a very specialized basket, having only one use, the storage of your water hose. Are you tired of this ugly green reels attached to the wall of your house? Then this water hose wicker basket might be the solution for you! It has a hole in the back that allows you to keep your hose attached to the tap and to store it neatly at the same time. Made from resin wicker, it is resistant to climate and weather, easy to clean and will complement your patio wicker furniture nicely. Please notice that the hose is NOT included, just the basket. Here some pro's and con' I found out about this product:

Pro's

• Attractive, very durable and weather resistant.

• Accommodates water hoses up to 80 feet as long as they are thin and flexible.

• Easy to carry the hose pot around in case you have a large garden with several taps.

• Fits well in if you have other outdoor wicker furniture.

• Hose can stay attached to the tap / faucet, thanks to the hole in the back.

• Doubles also as container for the winter storage of your hose.

• Prevents tripping / falling over or cutting with the lawn mover an untidy hose on your lawn.

• The bottom of the pot is open for better drainage and ventilation.

• The fact that it is wicker makes it easy to match it to a variety of outdoor furniture styles.

Con's

• If you have a thick water hose or it is not very flexible, this basket will not hold the length of hose advertised.

• You need to coil up the hose manually, no wheel or similar mechanism.

• You have to be careful when carrying it around as the bottom is open, the hose, or part of it, might fall out.

This Product is great for:

People who like their garden or patio neat looking and orderly. Ideal when you need to connect your water hose to many different taps as it can be carried around. A real asset for people that tend to loose their hoses to the lawn mover ;-) and people that hate the look of reels attached to the wall of their houses.

This set of three wicker storage baskets in two sizes is made from natural wicker that is woven over a metal frame to give it more stability. The baskets have reinforced handle holes which makes them very easy to carry around. As for the color, there is some discussion going on in the Amazon review section (check it out). The baskets are labeled 'Espresso' and described as having a walnut finish. That confused people as to what color these baskets really have. Especially as most people don't calibrate their monitors properly, making it difficult to see colors on their screens correctly. On my, calibrated, screen they look like a reddish mahogany to me. But remember also that natural wicker looks slightly different each time, that is the nature of the beast. Enough said about color, here some other points, good and bad, about this wicker storage basket.

Pro's

• As all storage baskets, they are great and meant to store all these small and big things you have laying around the house.

• Big enough (23in / 57cm by 10in / 25cm the biggest) to store also larger items.

• Heavy enough to not to trip easily, light enough to carry around.

• Look great on a shelf and on the floor, for a matching shelf see the Amazon listing on the right.

• Blends well with a variety of interior design styles.

• Makes a great 'hidden' storage solution, under beds, benches, desktops, tables or in cabinets / wardrobe.

• Can be arranged side or length wise to fit in different spaces.

Con's

• Check color and reviews on the site before buying them online. (Not really a con, more a suggestion).

• Might need a bit of touching up of the finish plus something (fleece / fabric) under them if they are situated on a surface that is easily scratched.

• No lid, these baskets come without a lid, if you use them for storing the same items in them for a long time, things will get dusty.

This product is great for people:

That don't mind the color of their storage baskets very much and look for a short time storage solution that fits in many spaces.

Laundry hampers are something so incredible useful that I am surprised that not everybody has one. The one on the right is especially nice in my opinion as it fits well with any kind of interior design you might have at home. A very subtle looking wicker basket for your laundry. Laundry baskets are used to store your dirty clothes in until it is time to wash them. Having more than one even allows you to sort them straight away and to see when you have enough for one washing machine load of the same color or temperature requirement. But the same item could also used as a storage solution for a variety of items that need to be kept dust-free. Something that the lid assures as it can be tightly closed with the help of a velcro strap. Made from resin wicker and is lined with breathable canvas it is resistant against humidity, but still, you should not use it to store damp or wet clothes in it for any length of time. Also make sure to air and dry it out regularly to avoid the development of unpleasant odors. On the other hand, sorry for the pun, the two handles make it easy to carry it around from the bedroom or bathroom to the place where your washing machine is. Oh, and if you don't need it for a while you can even fold it flat and store it so in a space saving manner. Oh, and did I mention that the price is really a bargain in my opinion? Here the usual pro's and con's:

Pro's

• Extremely quick and easy assembled.

• Holds around two laundry loads.

• Attractive, sturdy and does well what it is supposed to do – keeping dirty clothes from the floor. What else to say? A great basket for a great price, recommended!

Con's

• Nor the lid, nor the lining can be removed which can make cleaning them difficult.

• When overloaded, the sites tend to bulge a bit.

This product is great for people:

That need a laundry basket, simple as that ;-)

Thanks for reading about wicker baskets until the end, if you enjoyed the information provided please consider leaving a comment and / or rating it.