# When you break glass in your kitchen, and you have the really tiny shards left... **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [September 18, 2005, 11:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-you-break-glass-in-your-kitchen-and-you-have-the-really-tiny-shards-left/322280 "2005-09-18T23:49:16Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![andrewdt85](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/71e660/32.png) [@andrewdt85](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/andrewdt85)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2005, 11:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-you-break-glass-in-your-kitchen-and-you-have-the-really-tiny-shards-left/322280/1 "2005-09-18T23:49:16Z")
… how well does a moist paper towel get the tiny little shards up? The ones that you can’t even see, only feel if you step on them barefoot. Sweeping can’t possibly get those up, and I’m polling to see if it’s a problem for anyone… Yep, wierd question :D. ---
**Author:** ![Campion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/4491bb/32.png) [@Campion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Campion)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2005, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-you-break-glass-in-your-kitchen-and-you-have-the-really-tiny-shards-left/322280/2 "2005-09-18T23:54:48Z")
I went through a period where I was the world’s biggest klutz; I just had to _think_ about dropping something and it was on the floor. So my well-honed method is: [ul][li]Put on shoes;[/li][li]Pick up the big pieces and toss them;[/li][li]Make a pad out of two or three paper towels, wet the pad, then wipe the floor;[/li][li]Wipe the floor with a dry paper towel;[/li][li]Sweep.[/ul][/li]If anyone’s got a better method, I’m all ears. ---
**Author:** ![rocking\_chair](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rocking_chair/32/2918_2.png) [@rocking\_chair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rocking_chair)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2005, 12:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-you-break-glass-in-your-kitchen-and-you-have-the-really-tiny-shards-left/322280/3 "2005-09-19T00:02:49Z")
use something like a tack cloth, or label, or even duct tape. dry and tacky. ---
**Author:** ![Patty\_O\_Furniture](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/96bed5/32.png) [@Patty\_O\_Furniture](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Patty_O_Furniture)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2005, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-you-break-glass-in-your-kitchen-and-you-have-the-really-tiny-shards-left/322280/4 "2005-09-19T00:13:54Z")
Vacuum cleaner? ---
**Author:** ![Plan\_B](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Plan\_B](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Plan_B)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2005, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-you-break-glass-in-your-kitchen-and-you-have-the-really-tiny-shards-left/322280/5 "2005-09-19T01:27:55Z")
> [@Patty O'Furniture](#): > > Vacuum cleaner? That’s what I’ve always used. Never had a problem afterwards. ---
**Author:** ![Inigo\_Montoya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inigo_montoya/32/124_2.png) [@Inigo\_Montoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inigo_Montoya)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2005, 2:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-you-break-glass-in-your-kitchen-and-you-have-the-really-tiny-shards-left/322280/6 "2005-09-19T02:51:43Z")
Vacuum works nicely, unless your kitchen floor is like mine: prone to random sticky spots (I have small kids). Glass shards can get stuck in a fine film of apple juice from earlier in the day and the vac won’t get 'em. The wet paper towel gets the glass AND any unseen filth that has accumulated before the mop comes out next Saturday. ---
**Author:** ![BwanaBob](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bwanabob/32/2985_2.png) [@BwanaBob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BwanaBob)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2005, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-you-break-glass-in-your-kitchen-and-you-have-the-really-tiny-shards-left/322280/7 "2005-09-19T15:24:38Z")
> [@Inigo Montoya](#): > > Vacuum works nicely, unless your kitchen floor is like mine: prone to random sticky spots (I have small kids). Glass shards can get stuck in a fine film of apple juice from earlier in the day and the vac won’t get 'em. The wet paper towel gets the glass AND any unseen filth that has accumulated before the mop comes out next Saturday. Leaving those patches of apple juice will open you up to a new set of problems - namely “bugs”. Ants will love that if they get a whiff. Be careful. Put me down for vacuuming. We have a little one too, and unless you have a really shitty vacuum, it’ll pick up glass shards despite “sticky” floors. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2005, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-you-break-glass-in-your-kitchen-and-you-have-the-really-tiny-shards-left/322280/8 "2005-09-19T17:48:49Z")
Turn out the lights and, at night or in the dark, get down on your hands and knees, and shine a flashlight across the floor. The bits of glass that remain will sparkle and be quite obvious - you can vacuum or sweep them up, or use some packing tape to “dab” at them, picking them up quite easily. ---
**Author:** ![N.Sane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/f19dbf/32.png) [@N.Sane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/N.Sane)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2005, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-you-break-glass-in-your-kitchen-and-you-have-the-really-tiny-shards-left/322280/9 "2005-09-19T18:13:51Z")
I know this sounds bizarre, but a piece of soft white bread can pick up the tiny little slivers. ---
**Author:** ![Zabali\_Clawbane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/ecd19e/32.png) [@Zabali\_Clawbane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zabali_Clawbane)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2005, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-you-break-glass-in-your-kitchen-and-you-have-the-really-tiny-shards-left/322280/10 "2005-09-19T18:17:25Z")
Shop vac if you have one. Maybe one of those [sticky lint rollers](http://www.usjesco.com/mrsticky.asp) would work, I don’t think they’d leave a sticky residue on the floor, they don’t on clothing. ---
**Author:** ![seosamh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce7236/32.png) [@seosamh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/seosamh)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2005, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-you-break-glass-in-your-kitchen-and-you-have-the-really-tiny-shards-left/322280/11 "2005-09-19T21:24:33Z")
Vacuuming might knacker your vacuum cleaner, so I would have said use a slice of soft, white bread - only **N. Sane** beat me to it. I have actually done this and lived to tell the tale. ---
**Author:** ![Hal\_Briston](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a9a28c/32.png) [@Hal\_Briston](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hal_Briston)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2005, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-you-break-glass-in-your-kitchen-and-you-have-the-really-tiny-shards-left/322280/12 "2005-09-19T21:42:14Z")
> [@Patty O'Furniture](#): > > Vacuum cleaner? Damn…wish I’d have read that before I had to burn my last three houses to the ground… ---
**Author:** ![Contrapuntal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e274bd/32.png) [@Contrapuntal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Contrapuntal)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2005, 12:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-you-break-glass-in-your-kitchen-and-you-have-the-really-tiny-shards-left/322280/13 "2005-09-20T00:11:28Z")
> [@Hal Briston](#): > > Damn…wish I’d have read that before I had to burn my last three houses to the ground… Right. Like ewe weren’t trying to obliterate the evidence. ---
**Author:** ![Inigo\_Montoya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inigo_montoya/32/124_2.png) [@Inigo\_Montoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inigo_Montoya)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2005, 12:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-you-break-glass-in-your-kitchen-and-you-have-the-really-tiny-shards-left/322280/14 "2005-09-20T00:46:25Z")
Oh, leave the poor ma’a’a’an alone. We sheer could ewes a little relief from all the sheep jokes.