ISO best practices for cleaning up broken glass outdoors

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June 12,

I have a (potentially) lovely area in my yard where I'd like to put some patio furniture. Problem: it seems to have been used as a midden/trash heap at some point in the past. Things I've found there include old glass fuses, broken window glass, and old vacuum cleaner parts (some with tree roots growing right through them). I suspect the *right* way to fix it is to dig up and replace a few inches of the topsoil (or to pave it over), but I'm renting. I'm willing to put down a few inches of mulch, but I'd like to get as much of the glass up as I can beforehand. I've been picking it up by (gloved) hand but if anyone has any secret tips for locating and picking up broken glass off of dirt, I'd love to hear them!

Even if you're not the bull-in-a-china-shop type, you'vebeen there: an errant elbow, a poor grip, a precarious stack of dishes--and then the crash. There are few sounds more universally unpleasant than that of something fragile (i.e. your china teapot) connecting with something hard (i.e. the ground) and shattering into a million pieces. The blow is two-pronged. First, there's a feeling of loss, and then you have to handle the overwhelming, dangerous mess all over your floor.

But the cleanup, at least, doesn't need to be painful. After the jump, find my steps for cleaning up broken glass or china quickly and efficiently.

How to Clean Up Broken Glass

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1. Protect Yourself. First things first: Put on rubber gloves and shoes. I don't care how big a fan of Annie Lennox fan you are, no one likes walking on broken glass, especially without proper protection. If there are any children or animals near the mess, check them for injuries and then remove them from the area until it's clean.

2. Remove the Big Shards. Use your gloved hands to carefully pick up the biggest pieces and place them in either a paper or a double-layered plastic bag. Check the floor as far as fifteen feet away from the point of impact--you'll be amazed at how far glass can fly.

3. Vacuum. Suck up any remaining fragments with the hose attachment of your vacuum. Check underneath nearby furniture, as well. Don't, under any circumstances, use a broom; tiny shards can get stuck in the bristles and come loose later, making an even bigger mess. If you must use a broom, throw it away afterwards and get a new one.

4. Get the Tiny Pieces. There will likely be glass dust and tiny leftover pieces of your once-beloved Champagne flute near the point of impact. Press a soft piece of bread against the ground--it will pick up and hold any tiny stray pieces. Then use damp paper towels to wipe down the entire crime scene, including the vacuum hose and the soles of your shoes. Place the paper towels in the bag, tie it up, and put it in the garbage. Remove the vacuum bag and place it in the garbage, too, and take it out of the house.

The last of a dying breed (or the first of a new breed), Lily Fink Harrington is the only 28-year-old housewife we know. She cooks, she cleans, she bakes, she sews, she makes things from scratch. Care to join her? Check out her blog, A Charmed Wife.
Follow Lily on on Twitter at @acharmedwife

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