The Easiest Way To Clean Up Broken Glass You Never Thought Of

The sound is unmistakable: the crash of shattered glass. Whether it's a juice cup falling on the kitchen tile or a vase tipping over onto your wood floors, everyone seems to freeze when there's broken glass in the house.

And for good reason. Broken glass can lead to puncture wounds, lacerations, and cuts, which could result in eye injuries, exposure to disease, severed arteries or tendons, and even amputations, according to the State Compensation Insurance Fund in California.

You may be shaking your head and saying to yourself: What's the mystery, here? Why not just use a broom and dustpan and call it a day? But we all know how easy it is to overlook a small chip or shard — glass is clear, after all — which could later wind up in someone's foot.

Having a simple yet foolproof method for gathering every last bit of broken glass can safeguard the members of your household and give you priceless peace of mind. Keep reading for the easiest way to clean up broken glass that you never thought of.

You probably already have this tool for cleaning up broken glass in your kitchen and you don't even realize it. The secret is sandwich bread. Yep, you read right: regular old-fashioned Wonder Bread, or something soft like it, will do the trick, per Bon Appetit. And you won't even need a broom. In fact, you should never use a broom to clean up broken glass because bits can get stuck in the bristles and come loose later somewhere in your home.

First things first: Put on a pair of rubber gloves to protect your hands. Then, pick up the big shards of glass, and dispose of them in a double-layer plastic bag or a paper bag. Make sure you look as far as 15 feet away from the spot where the glass fell because fragments can fly that far. Then, use the attachment hose of your vacuum to clean up any other pieces you can spot, and discard the vacuum bag immediately.

Finally — and here's the trick — to make sure there are no minuscule pieces or bits of glass dust remaining, take a soft piece of bread, and press it against the floor where the glass fell. Any stray pieces that you or the vacuum missed will stick to the bread, and then you can safely throw it away. Last, wipe the area down with damp paper towels to tidy up, and you're done.