The Kitchen Ingredient You'll Want To Use To Clean Up A Broken Egg

Broken raw eggs are notoriously difficult to clean off the floor, but it's something most of us have dealt with from time to time. However, it turns out there is an easy enough fix using something you're likely to already have on hand: table salt. Part of what makes cleaning up a broken egg so tough is its texture. The gooey liquid is hard to keep in one place, and it inevitably feels as though every time you scoop some of it up, it spreads even more. The trick, then, is to get it into a more solidified state — and that's where salt comes in. 

Salt has long been known for its abilities to zap moisture, so it makes sense that when dealing with a hard-to-clean, liquid substances like raw egg, it's genius to have on hand. However, solidifying the gloop is just part of what makes this hack so useful for cleaning up egg spills. So, how does it work and how can we put this hack into practice? Let's find out.

So, you've dropped an egg — just grab your table salt and pour it over the mess. While some say it's easy enough to clean up almost immediately after applying salt, we'd suggest taking a leaf from YouTuber Ask Aunt Laura's book and let it sit for around 15 minutes. By then, you should be left with an easy-to-scoop, almost-crumbly texture. You'll still need to wipe or mop up any leftover bits for sanitary reasons once you've removed most of it — but, that's all there is to it! 

Part of what makes this particular hack so convenient is that on top of solidify the mess, salt is also known to kill bacteria. That's especially helpful when taking into account that, while not always guaranteed, raw eggs can harbor salmonella. By dousing the spill with salt, you're stopping the bacteria in its tracks. That said, to ensure everything is as clean and bacteria-free as possible, it's definitely a good idea to go over the area with some soapy water or cleaning spray. 

Whether you've had a breakfast mishap, or have run into trouble when organizing them in your refrigerator, sometimes broken egg messes are just unavoidable. Luckily, with a little salt and your regular cleaning products, you'll be good to go. Talk about an egg-cellent solution!