How To Get Glass Shards Out Of Clothes (Not Barehanded!)
Have you ever been washing the dishes and accidentally dropped a cup only to send shards of glass or china flying everywhere? Not only are the glass shards all over the floor, but they’re also all over your clothes!
If you’re in this position, don’t panic. Assuming no one got hurt, you can quickly proceed to clean the mess out.
With a few simple steps, you can get glass shards out of your clothing for good.
To get glass shards out of clothes you’ll need duct tape, thick gloves, and a little bit of patience. Then, you can wash your clothes on your machine’s normal settings.
Step One: Gather the Clothes
If you’ve got glass shards on your clothes, the first thing you need to do is to take them off very carefully, being mindful of the part where the glass shards might be. You should then set it aside by putting the clothes in a plastic or paper bag—don’t just leave it nearby especially if you’re still working on something.
Leaving it exposed instead of putting it away increases the chance of having glass shards spread somewhere else. Don’t take the risk—you or someone else in the family might get hurt if you do.
Step Two: Grab Some Gloves
Once you have the clothes in an area where you can safely remove the glass shards (without worrying about getting them on the carpet or spreading on other clothes), you’re ready to get to work.
Start by getting a pair of thick gloves. Wearing these will protect your hands as you work.
Gently pick the largest glass shards out of your clothing. Dispose of the glass shards in a plastic bag right away.
Step Three: Apply Duct Tape
After you’ve got the largest glass shards out of your clothing, there’s still likely to be smaller shards to tackle. Small glass particles can easily wedge themselves into your clothing’s fabric making them tough to remove.
However, you can usually get rid of glass shards with duct tape or any other tape with strong adhesive. To start, grab a strip of duct tape and cover the entire affected area with the sticky side of the tape facing down.
Once the area is fully covered, rip the duct tape off the clothes. Repeat the process until you’ve got as many shards out of your clothing as possible.
Step Four: Vacuum the Clothes
If you’ve still got glass shards stuck to your clothes after using duct tape, you can grab a hand vacuum cleaner to get the last of them up. If you don’t have a hand vacuum you can use an attachment on a regular vacuum cleaner.
Run the vacuum cleaner over the clothing to suck up any glass shards that are on the clothes. This should help pull out stragglers that are wedged deep into the fabric.
Step Five: Wash Your Clothing
After getting rid of as many glass shards as you can, it’s time to wash your clothes. Doing so will help you get rid of the last pieces of glass and make sure that you can safely wear your clothes again.
To do so, use your laundry machine to wash your clothes. Add a scoop or sheet of laundry detergent; skip the fabric conditioner. Wash the clothes on your normal laundry cycle. This should get rid of any straggling glass shards that are still stuck in your clothes.
Remember that when you wash your clothes, you should NOT wash them with any other garments. Doing so could cause the glass shards to transfer from one cloth to another—we don’t want that, right?
Frequently Asked Questions
Have you still got some questions on your mind about getting glass shards out of clothes? Check out these commonly asked questions and their answers!
How do you get glass out of laundry?
If you’ve got glass shards in your laundry, you’ll need to carefully find and separate all the affected garments. Then, follow the above steps to get the glass out of each individual clothing item.
How do you get glass shards out of a blanket?
Getting glass shards out of a blanket is similar to getting glass shards out of clothing. You just need to follow the right steps to help you remove any shards from the blanket safely and easily.
How do you get broken glass out of towels?
To get broken glass out of towels, you’ll first want to gather them up and shake the towel off into a garbage can. Then, follow the above steps to get the glass shards out of your towels.
Can you vacuum up glass shards?
You can vacuum up glass shards to help get rid of them. In fact, using a hand vacuum cleaner on your clothing can be a great way to pick up smaller shards that are wedged into your clothing. Simply spread out the cloth on a well-lighted area, pin both sides to ensure the vacuum won’t suck it up, then proceed on vacuuming your clothes until you’re confident that there’s no shard left.
Is broken glass recyclable?
Generally speaking, no, broken glass is not recyclable via most municipality’s recycling programs. In order to recycle broken glass, you will need to find a dedicated program.
