The Best Method For Cleaning Broken Glass Off Carpet
Knocking over your favorite piece of glassware is more than just upsetting. Not only do you have to mourn breaking it, but it creates a complicated and dangerous mess to clean up. When glass shatters on a carpet, it's even worse, as each piece falls into the fibers. If you don't clean them up completely, they'll stay hidden and can potentially cut someone who walks over that area.
The shaggier a carpet is, the harder it will be to pick up every piece. That's why you need to use duct tape along with your vacuum. Pressing the duct tape into the fibers is the best way to clean up the broken glass before you can suck up the remaining pieces with your Hoover.
You don't want to use only a vacuum when cleaning up the glass. You can damage the machine even if you're using the right attachments. Broken glass is so sharp it can cut into the hose. Once this happens, your vacuum becomes useless because it won't have the same section power that it needs to pick up dirt. Even small pieces of glass can do this. By using duct tape to pick up these tiny shards, you're protecting the longevity of your machine. Then you can vacuum the area to ensure that even the most minuscule specs are gone.
Use duct tape
The first thing you need to do after breaking any glass on a carpet is put on shoes and rubber gloves. You want to protect yourself in case you accidentally step on any of the pieces. The thick gloves used for cleaning are perfect for stopping glass from cutting you while picking up the larger chunks. It's best to pick up as much of the mess as you can see. Then you can move on to using duct tape for any glass that's too small to grab.
Cut off long strips and places them sticky side down onto the carpet. Continue adding more until the area with the mess is covered. Then press on the duct tape with as much force as possible. This is when the glue can grab onto all the tiny glass shards. Next, carefully pull the strips off and throw them away in the same bin as the larger pieces. Continue this process until you believe all the broken glass is gone.
Vacuum the shards you can't see
It's still essential to vacuum after using duct tape to pick up the tiny shards of broken glass. You want to ensure that every last piece is cleaned up, and the vacuum cleaner will help you do so. That said, you need to make sure that you're using it correctly. You can't just roll it over the carpet like you usually would. The beater in your vacuum can actually cause the glass to fly all over the room instead of picking them up. The pieces also have the potential to get stuck in the roller and fall out when you're using the machine in a different room, so it's safer to use the hose.
Place an attachment without bristles onto the hose. Then turn on your vacuum and begin going over the area. You'll want to pass over the carpet in every direction to ensure you get into every crevice between the fibers. Start by moving the hose horizontally, then vertically, and finally diagonally. You can judge when the mess is gone by the sound of glass being sucked into the machine. It's clean when you don't hear any rattling. Then do one final pass just to be sure. Now that the glass is out of your carpet, empty the debris from your vacuum into your bin and take that bag to the curb.