Have you ever broken a glass, cleaned up the mess and then, weeks later, almost stepped on a stray shard? Here are our tips for making sure that you safely retrieve every last piece of glass.
First of all, clear the area and protect yourself. Remove any children and pets from the vicinity, and make sure they’re free of cuts. Kit yourself out in a pair of shoes and rubber gloves.
Then get to the task at hand. Start with the biggest pieces; wrap them in newspaper and dispose of them in a heavy-duty bin bag. You’ll be tempted to reach for a broom. Don’t. The last thing you need is shards of glass caught up in the bristles and then coming loose later in a different part of the house. Instead, use the hose attachment of your vacuum (with a heavy-duty vacuum bag) to remove as much of the debris as possible.
Unfortunately, you’ll probably still have plenty of glass dust and tiny fragments left to contend with. Wipe a damp paper towel across your surface (don’t forget how far glass can travel – wipe up as large an area as possible) to retrieve as many remaining pieces of glass as possible.
As a final stroke, dab either a wet ball of cotton wool, an old piece of soap or a piece of bread over the area to make sure that you pick up any stragglers.
