Jute Baskets: Where to Use Them and How to Keep Them Good

What jute is good at

Jute is a plant fibre spun into a coarse, strong yarn with a warm natural colour. Our baskets are natural jute. A jute basket is light, it is soft enough not to scratch floors or furniture, and it brings the same texture as a jute rug in a smaller dose.

Its weakness is water. Jute absorbs moisture, softens when wet, and can mark or develop a smell if it stays damp. Every rule below follows from that.

Where to use one

Beside a sofa for throws and blankets, which is the classic use. A blanket basket within reach keeps throws off the arms of the sofa and makes a room look finished.

In a bedroom or bathroom for dry laundry and towels. Put clean, dry towels in; let damp towels dry before they go in.

In a child's room or living room for toys. Jute's softness means no sharp edges, and it is light enough for a child to drag across the floor.

In a hallway for shoes, bags and scarves. A low, wide basket by the door catches things that would otherwise land on the floor.

Baskets and plants

A jute basket makes a good cover for a plant pot, but never plant straight into it and never let it sit in water. Keep the plant in its own pot with a waterproof saucer inside the basket, and lift the pot out to water it. That one habit decides whether the basket lasts.

Cleaning

Vacuum inside and out with a brush attachment, or shake the basket outdoors. For a mark, dab with a barely damp cloth and a little mild soap, then blot dry. Do not soak, wash or steam a jute basket.

If a basket does get wet, dry it quickly with air moving round it, out of direct sun and away from a heater. Stuff it with a towel while it dries so it keeps its shape.

Shape and storage

A basket that has been crushed in transit or storage can usually be reshaped. Mist the inside very lightly, fill it with rolled towels to the shape you want, and let it dry fully. Do not store anything heavy on top of a jute basket for long.

In a humid season, keep baskets off damp floors and give them air. The same advice applies to a jute rug; see rug care in the monsoon.

Pairing with the rest of the room

Jute sits easily with wool rugs, cane furniture and plain linen. If your rug is already jute, a basket in the same fibre repeats the texture; if your rug is a coloured wool, a jute basket gives the eye a natural rest. Each basket is made to order and ships free.

Choosing the right basket for the job

Think about what goes in it and how often you reach in. For throws and blankets, a tall basket with a wide opening lets you pull one out without lifting the others. For toys, a lower, wider basket lets a child see what is inside and put things back without help. For a hallway, a shallow basket keeps shoes and bags visible and stops it becoming a place where things disappear.

Check the dimensions against the space it will sit in, for example the gap between a sofa arm and a wall, or the space under a console table. A basket that is a little too big for its spot gets pushed out into the room and becomes an obstacle.

Grouping and placement

Baskets look best either alone or in a deliberate group. A single large basket beside a sofa reads as a chosen piece. Two or three of different heights grouped in a corner or under a bench read as a set. Scattered single baskets in every room tend to look like overflow storage.

Jute's warm colour sits well against wood floors, white or limewashed walls and green plants. On a dark floor it stands out more strongly, which can be a good thing in a hallway where you want the basket to be easy to find.

What not to store in jute

Damp or wet items: wet towels, swimwear, damp shoes. Let them dry first.

Anything that leaks: cleaning products, cut flowers in water, plants without a waterproof saucer.

Very heavy loads that make it bulge, such as stacks of books. The basket will lose its shape and the base can sag.

Food, unless it is wrapped. Natural fibres can attract insects to crumbs.

Common mistakes

Using a basket as a planter directly. Water will soak into the base, discolour it and, over time, weaken it.

Putting a basket against a cold, damp outside wall in a humid season. Leave a small gap so air can move behind it.

Cleaning with a wet cloth or washing it. Jute should be cleaned dry, with only the lightest damp dab for a mark.

Storing baskets stacked inside each other for long periods while damp. Make sure they are dry, and if you nest them, unnest them now and then to let air through.