The Unusual Way A Slice Of Bread Can Clean Up Broken Glass

A song from the hit 2000s Nickelodeon show "Victorious" cheerfully lilts, "It's fun to run, it's fun to play, / it's fun to make things out of clay. / It's fun to fill your car with gas. / It's fun to break things made of glass." What is certain is that it is distinctly less fun to clean up things made of glass that have broken (as the song also goes on to mention). The task of safely and thoroughly collecting all of those itty-bitty (yet no less dangerous) fragments can be one of the worst messes to clean in the kitchen. But, with the help of one unusual, efficient hack, it doesn't have to be a big deal. The next time you accidentally break a drinking glass, jam jar, bottle, or lightbulb, bust out the bread.

To do it, carefully (yet firmly) press a slice of bread on top of the broken glass, sponging the area surrounding the shatter. Those irregular shards will stick to the bread and lift with ease. For maximum caution, wear thick gloves. 

There are times when toothy, wide-open-crumb homemade bread is the best (most times, actually). There are also times (like making stuffing, or acquacotta) when stiff, stale bread is the best. When it comes to picking up broken glass, however, the ideal tool is a slice of plush, store-bought white bread. That tight crumb collects maximal glass fragments, while the plush, spongy texture provides the pliability needed for adhesion.

This safety-centric tip also works for shattered ceramic. Dropped a plate? Simply swipe that bread slice across the floor to collect any loose ceramic shards that are too small to safely pick up with your hands. The bread hack can also be a thrifty way to put the heel of your loaf to good use. 

For thoroughly removing smaller fragments, the tight crumb makes bread an even better tool than a broom and dustpan, which can brush right over smaller pieces. To tidy up larger messes, it can be helpful to take a first pass with the broom, then go back in with a slice of bread to collect any smaller shards that got missed. A pliable bread slice can also help reach broken glass in tough-to-access places, like the grout lines between tiles or tight cupboard corners. 

In the interest of an overabundance of safety, it's worth mentioning that this bread hack works best for relatively small breaks. If your flushmount ceiling light sails to the floor and shatters (or, worse, your oven doors spontaneously combust), a bread slice (or even a whole loaf) probably isn't the best tool for the job. But, for smaller breaks, enlist the help of one unexpected affordable cleaning essential that most home cooks probably have stocked on-hand already — and protect those fleshy bare feet when you pad into the kitchen for a midnight snack later (ouch).