How to Pick Up Broken Glass

Rate: (0 Ratings)

Changing a light bulb, putting away the dishes, bumping into the console that serves no practical purpose but to hold the porcelain urn containing your mother-in-law's ashes and a vase of dried wheat sprigs. All of these scenarios commonly result in broken glass. Sure, those big shards are easy to pick up. But some of those smaller fragments linger, only to cut up your foot days later. Here's how you avoid blood and subsequent cursing.

Flag Article

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

Things You’ll Need:

Rag
Broom
Cotton balls

Step1

Using a dry rag, pick up the larger shards of glass. Normally, only uncoordinated people cut themselves at this point, but using the rag is a good precaution.

Step2

Sweep up the smaller shards. After picking up everything you can with your hands, run a broom over the area. This will handle some of the smaller bits that are visible, but too small for the rag.

Step3

Wet the rag and wipe down the floor (or otherwise impacted vicinity). The wet rag will catch many of the fine grains of glass that can't be seen and are missed by the bristles of the broom.

Step4

Wet the cotton balls and wipe down the same area covered with the rag. This step isn't always necessary, but almost guarantees that every last invisible razor is accounted for. The weave and strands of the cotton ball serve as a net, of sorts, that catches those impossible-to-see pieces of glass.

Tips & Warnings

If you've broken the urn, buy a replica and fill it with charcoal ash. She'll never know the difference. And all of a sudden, her mother has a musky hint of lamb chop to her.
Careful not to cut yourself.
The cotton balls "almost" guarantee every bit is picked up. Some fine grains may still be there.