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A stair or step basket is a funny shaped gem! The first time I saw one of those in a shop it was like ??? But after I saw them the first time in action I was an immediate fan. The idea is simple, the basket is shaped in a way that it fits securely your staircase step. Whenever you have something small that has to go upstairs or downstairs you put it in the basket and next time you do go, you grab the basket and take it with you. Especially clever is it when you have two of them, one for each end, you will never make an empty journey again. They are also great to teach your children to become more organized and orderly, they can place there toys in them and even when they are too small to carry the basket alone, they still can put things in its place and wait for mum, dad or an older sibling to do the carry job.
But they are not only practical, they are also very decorative. Instead of using them for transporting something, you can line them with plastic, a thick bin liner will do nicely and place flower arrangements or plants into them. Or you can get really creative and use them to display all other sorts of things, like vintage garden tools or old dolls and lace for example. Your creativity has no borders, except your imagination.
Materials and size
A lot of these so-called step or stair baskets are made of rattan, wicker, willow, chip wood and other natural material, but you find also some that are made of resin wicker. To choose the right size for your home simply measure the depths of your staircase step and look for a basket that has similar or smaller dimensions.
Please Click Image to see More Stair Step Baskets!
Care and Cleaning
Each basket will come with some sort of manufacturer advice included, but generally speaking a wet cloth from time to time should be enough to keep your new basket looking good. You should never soak it and in case it needs one day a good wash, make sure that it dries out completely before using it again. Especially natural materials like wicker tend to become even more flexible when wet and may take on new, unwanted shapes if you don’t dry them thoroughly before use. They also don’t take to kindly when put over a longer time in full sunlight when wet, always dry them in the shade. One special tips on how to de-dust all woven baskets quickly is to empty them and take them outside and hold a hair dryer set on cold into them, blowing the dust from the inside to the outside.
Keeping your stair baskets organized
Like I said before, the ideal case is when you have two of them, one for each end of your staircase. But no matter if they are one, two or even more, from time to time you should completely empty them, clean them (see above) and throw all the little things away that have aggregated at the bottom and that you don’t need or want anymore. As for available models, I like the ones best that have two or more compartments, one for taller and one for smaller items. This way it is even easier to make the best use of a stair step basket!
