# I spilled an entire saucepan of hummingbird food **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [September 25, 2022, 5:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-spilled-an-entire-saucepan-of-hummingbird-food/972185 "2022-09-25T05:52:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![dummygladhands71](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c0e974/32.png) [@dummygladhands71](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dummygladhands71)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2022, 5:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-spilled-an-entire-saucepan-of-hummingbird-food/972185/1 "2022-09-25T05:52:31Z")
Sugar water, that is, all over my ceramic tile kitchen floor. I have mopped with Fabuloso, I used my steamer, I’ve scrubbed with microfiber cloths and I have swiffered by 2x4’ squares the entire floor. The damn floor is still sticky. I suspect the grout. Ideas?? ---
**Author:** ![CairoCarol](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cairocarol/32/3825_2.png) [@CairoCarol](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CairoCarol)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2022, 6:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-spilled-an-entire-saucepan-of-hummingbird-food/972185/2 "2022-09-25T06:27:35Z")
I was going to recommend a very effective cleaner I’ve bought locally called “Citrus Green” but upon Googling it, I’m not sure it’s available outside Hawaii. So … pour some lemon juice on the affected area and let it sit for a while, then mop it up? A classic solution for nasty stuff that won’t come off is to smear peanut butter on it and then clean it. However, I think that’s usually recommended for gummy things like, well, chewing gum. I wouldn’t think it would be useful for a sugar-based mess. But, you asked for ideas, so … that’s one. ---
**Author:** ![Section\_Maker\_Jupe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/section_maker_jupe/32/1424_2.png) [@Section\_Maker\_Jupe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Section_Maker_Jupe)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2022, 6:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-spilled-an-entire-saucepan-of-hummingbird-food/972185/3 "2022-09-25T06:45:24Z")
Machine carpet or floor cleaner. You can rent or buy them. These machines have controllable water nozzles which spray water down on the then floor or carpet, then pick it right back , before it spreads or soaks too deeply. How much solution, and what kind is sprayed and how fast you vac it up is up to you. They really work well, once you get the hang of them. They have rotating brushes as well, which should reach down into the grout lines. Wet or Dry shop vac could also work with a spray bottle? Small area at a time. ---
**Author:** ![scudsucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scudsucker/32/14101_2.png) [@scudsucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scudsucker)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2022, 10:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-spilled-an-entire-saucepan-of-hummingbird-food/972185/4 "2022-09-25T10:56:43Z")
Invest in a small child. When EVERYTHING is sticky you won’t notice the floor as much. ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2022, 11:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-spilled-an-entire-saucepan-of-hummingbird-food/972185/5 "2022-09-25T11:45:23Z")
_Food_, not _blood_. I was wondering what sort of ancient mesoAmerican eldritch being you were trying to summon. Anyway, [this site](https://ask.metafilter.com/149833/Sugar-syrup-cleanup) has some useless suggestions and some more useful ones. Probably the most helpful bits are these: > [@](#): > > Dissolving the syrup is easy. Hot water will do nicely, but the key is in the technique. Once your mop, sponge, rag, or whatever is saturated with it, it’s not going to pick up any more. You either need to be rinsing it out rather frequently or going through a few trees worth of paper towels. I side with rinsing out something reusable. > … > Don’t use a mop bucket (your water will become sugary and useless). Do you have a two-basin sink? If so, fill one side with hot soapy water, and use the other side to rinse out the mop between sweeps across the floor. IOW, traditional mopping technique is going to keep spreading the sugar across the floor. ---
**Author:** ![Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mean_mr.mustard/32/3865_2.png) [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mean_Mr.Mustard)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2022, 11:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-spilled-an-entire-saucepan-of-hummingbird-food/972185/6 "2022-09-25T11:51:40Z")
> [@dummygladhands71](#): > > I spilled an entire saucepan of hummingbird food Username checks out. Sorry, couldn’t resist. I feel your pain. mmm ---
**Author:** ![Al128](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/al128/32/16541_2.png) [@Al128](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Al128)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2022, 12:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-spilled-an-entire-saucepan-of-hummingbird-food/972185/7 "2022-09-25T12:27:12Z")
> [@scudsucker](#): > > Invest in a small child. > > When EVERYTHING is sticky you won’t notice the floor as much. as a father of 3 let me guarantee you that small children are the worst investment there is … now back to the hummingbird food saucepan… 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Al128](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/al128/32/16541_2.png) [@Al128](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Al128)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2022, 12:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-spilled-an-entire-saucepan-of-hummingbird-food/972185/8 "2022-09-25T12:29:21Z")
on a similar note (and pardon any hijack) … anybody of the esteemed members here noticed a marked increase of clumsyness at around 50 year mark??? especially fine motricity … like threading needles, etc… 😬 ---
**Author:** ![gnoitall](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bb73d2/32.png) [@gnoitall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gnoitall)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2022, 2:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-spilled-an-entire-saucepan-of-hummingbird-food/972185/9 "2022-09-25T14:35:18Z")
I find that my rapidly fading near vision saves me from the inevitable frustration of attempting fine handiwork. So very thoughtful of my farsightedness. ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Lendervedder](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happy_lendervedder/32/8488_2.png) [@Happy\_Lendervedder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Lendervedder)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2022, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-spilled-an-entire-saucepan-of-hummingbird-food/972185/10 "2022-09-25T14:39:59Z")
Throw a big rug down, at least it’ll stay in place. ---
**Author:** ![dummygladhands71](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c0e974/32.png) [@dummygladhands71](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dummygladhands71)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2022, 3:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-spilled-an-entire-saucepan-of-hummingbird-food/972185/11 "2022-09-27T03:03:30Z")
Double sink and a mapped out grid of the floor worked, and all of the shoes we wear in the house have been scrubbed. Thanks ---
**Author:** ![Kimstu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecd19e/32.png) [@Kimstu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimstu)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2022, 3:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-spilled-an-entire-saucepan-of-hummingbird-food/972185/12 "2022-09-27T03:08:00Z")
> [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](#): > > _Food_, not _blood_. I was wondering what sort of ancient mesoAmerican eldritch being you were trying to summon. The spirit of our late lamented Colibri, obvs. (Although if you actually killed those hummingbirds to get their blood, he is going to be PISSED.) ---
**Author:** ![superwombat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/superwombat/32/16616_2.png) [@superwombat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/superwombat)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2022, 6:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-spilled-an-entire-saucepan-of-hummingbird-food/972185/13 "2022-09-27T06:32:24Z")
Would have been cool to have a (swarm? flock? gaggle?) of hundreds of hummingbirds descend upon your generous offering…