How To Clean Up Glass From A Broken Window

Blog

Something has broken one of your home's windows and you need to get the glass replaced as soon as possible. While you wait for a glass installation service to schedule the appointment for a fix, you'll need to clean up, remove broken glass from the window and -- if your appointment isn't right away -- temporarily cover the window. Here's how.

Be Safe.

The first step to working around broken glass is to take safety precautions. Make sure that children and pets are removed from the area and can't get back in until you're done cleaning up. 

You'll also need to make sure you won't get cut by sharp glass. In a worst-case scenario, shards of glass can slice into arteries in your hands and arms, so make sure you're protected.

  • Wear heavy gloves, preferably with leather palms.
  • Use eye protection.
  • Wear closed-toe shoes (never sandals or flip-flops).
  • Put on a shirt and pants with long sleeves.

Clean Up the Pieces.

Wearing the heavy gloves, you can pick up larger pieces of glass and place them in double-layered thick plastic garbage bags. Instead of sweeping up smaller pieces -- the bits can get stuck in your broom's bristles and cut the next unsuspecting user -- get a shop vac or household vacuum cleaner to pick up the rest. If your vacuum uses bags, remove the entire bag when you're done and dispose of it with the rest of the glass. 

To get the last small and hard-to-see pieces around the window frame, you can either use the sticky side of duct tape or wipe a piece of bread anywhere you think there may still be glass. The moist bread will pick up the last few bits.

Close and label your bags with a tag or sign that says "Broken Glass for Disposal." This can be left at the curb with your garbage pickup.

Remove Glass Still in the Window.

To take out the glass that's stuck in the window frame, you can often remove the glazing or caulk around the frame with a small putty knife and then wiggle the larger pieces gently out of the frame.

If you can't get all the pieces out, cover the remaining pieces with duct tape in an "X" shape. This keeps the pieces from flying or falling out. Then, place cardboard over both sides of the window. 

Your glass installation expert can, on arrival, finish removing the glass before installing a new piece. If you have questions or concerns about tackling glass removal yourself, cover with cardboard and leave it for the professional.

Share

21 July 2017

Everything I've Learned About Glass

Thanks for visiting my website. I am Benjamin Mora. I absolutely love the woods, so I made sure to look very hard for a home that would give me a perfect view of a jaw-dropping landscape. I finally found the perfect house, but after I settled in, I felt that I wasn't getting the most out of my view. The problem wasn't the view itself, but the windows. After doing some research, I found ways that I could improve my view and finally have the perfect scenery I dreamed of. After a lot of hard work, I was able to sit and enjoy my coffee in front of a window that allowed me to see everything. I've decided to write about everything I've learned about glass on this website.