[blparent] cleaning up broken glass

[Steve Jacobson]

Leslie,

There are two approaches that have worked for me.  First, I was always concerned about broken glass because of my kids, but I have never been overly 
concerned if I make a mistake and get a small cut so I may not be as careful as some.  However, carefully feeling around and picking up the big pieces is 
where I would start.  Generally it makes the most sense to throw glass into a paper bag rather than a plastic one as it is less likely to cut through and fall out.

When I get down to the small pieces, I have used a damp paper towel.  A damp paper towel does a pretty good job of trapping small pieces of glass.  You 
will probably want to not throw that into the paper bag, though, as the dampness of the towel might weaken the paper bag.  

A second approach is to use a shop vac.  These are vacuums that are designed for heavier duty pickup than a home vacuum.  The normal vacuum places 
dirt and such in a bag, and glass may well cut a paper bag or even a cloth bag and cause dust and even the glass itself to end up in the motor wrecking the 
vacuum.  Shop vacs usually deposit the dirt in a bucket which minimizes possible dammage.  Usually one can find other uses for shop vacs as well.  Also, 
such vacuums usually have a larger opening that allows glass to more easily be picked up.  Many of the handheld dustbuster type vacuums will work all 
right as well and have filtering systems that glass will not get through.  

Finally, there is just no way to avoid feeling around when you are done to try to be sure that you got everything.  I've had it happen where I missed a large 
piece that was too big for a vacuum or a paper towel, for example.  Always be aware of the fact that if you drop something, pieces of glass can fly a long 
way.  If you have any pet dishes in the same room, change the water and throw out the food just to be sure that there isn't any glass in it.

Once you have a solution, try it when someone is around if you don't feel confident so you can build up confidence.  However, learning to trust your own 
ability to check out an area is important, even if it occasionally means removing a glass sliver from a finger.

Best regards,

Steve Jacobson

On Wed, 23 Mar 2011 13:59:47 -0500, Leslie Hamric wrote:

>Hi all. I was just about to prepare Michael's lunch when the baby food jar I
>was holding slipped out of my hand and shattered on the kitchen floor.  I'm
>wondering if anyone has any tips on how to safely clean up broken glass when
>you can't see it.  Luckily, my husband's working from home today so he was
>able to help.  But what to do if this were to happen when I'm by myself?
>Thanks in advance for any suggestions.

>Leslie




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