The two baskets I thrifted last week look pretty clean (and I'm careful about checking out what I want before I buy), but I still like to give them a clean before I use them. Both are made of natural fibers (wood and rattan) so it's not a good idea to get them wet or immerse them in any manner.
First I spray a towel with Lysol cleaner and wipe them down inside and out to remove any dirt.
Although the baskets don't smell, I still spray them with disinfectant spray and let them sit out in the sun for a day or two. After that they should be fine to use. I might line them with fabric or just use as they are.
When you're thrifting baskets condition is everything. Along with how clean the basket looks check out how sturdy it is. You may find a few broken pieces (my rectangular basket had one small broken piece inside) but if they don't make the basket rickety you can trim any jagged ends with scissors (for thicker materials, tin snips work well.)
One thing all brick and mortar thrift stores seem to have is a ton of baskets, and I love them because they're cheap storage and project containers as well as nice gift holders. If you take them time to clean them up then they're just as handy as the much pricier ones at the craft stores.
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