How To Safely Clean Up Broken Glass

Broken glass is still a problem in every home today. It's especially a problem in homes where toddlers live as their tiny feet are nearly always bare and their tender fingers explore everywhere.

Brooms often miss many slivers of broken glass; using a towel or sponge means you'll need to throw it away in order to avoid future cuts. And if you've ever tried using something more disposable, such as damp paper towels, you know it's very easy to get cut that way -- and larger pieces of glass are too heavy for the paper toweling to pick up.

But I found a great tip for dealing with broken glass in a column titled, Household Ideas: Prize Hints for the Homemaker in a copy of Modern Woman Magazine (Volume 14, Issue 5, 1945):

Broken glass on the kitchen sink or floor can be readily picked up by wiping with a wad of fresh bread rolled into a ball.

I've tried this trick, and a folded slice of Wonder Bread or any white bread works like magic! (With wheat or other breads it really has to be fresh -- though you can assist the bread by splashing a little water on it first.)

The stickiness of the bread combined with its porous surface really grabs the shards of glass -- and because bread slices are thicker than paper toweling, you aren't as likely to be cut during clean-up. Disposal is easy -- and less expensive than replacing sponges or towels.

Just be sure to follow-up with a good cleaning with your favorite cleanser to remove germs, crumbs and, especially if you have pets, scents left by the bread. (No need to give those dogs reason to lick kitchen surfaces!)