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Maintaining Baskets

Note: If you purchased your basket from The Basket Lady, your pack basket has been stained with Minwax(tm) stain (in the yellow can).

bullet Never put polyurethane on any basket.  Reed is very porous.  It will seal it as hard as a rock and will become very brittle, allowing the basket to break very easily.
 
bullet If the basket becomes dusty or dirty, use a soft brush attachment on your vacuum cleaner to clean it.
 
bullet If it becomes wet, no problem, just hang it up to dry.
 
bullet If left wet there is a chance of mildew forming. It wont hurt the basket, just the looks.
 
bullet If your son takes his pack basket and bungies it to the inside of his jeep and goes mud bogging, then cleaning is more challenging. First, see if there is only a high water mark or is it a mud mark on it. If it is just the high water mark, empty the soggy toilet paper, oil filters and extra oil out of it. Hang it up to dry out in the sun. If there is a distinct mud mark on it or you can't tell the color of the basket or harness, get out the garden hose. Hose as much mud off as possible. Use a brush if needed. Let dry. If the shape of the basket has changed due to the water and bungy cord, you can try to reshape it when its wet.  Otherwise consider it patina.