How to Clean Up Glitter

Sparkling silver, gold, red and other hues add pizzazz to crafts projects, the holidays and more. However, glitter messes are an annoying problem almost every time your ornaments and craft supplies come out. Even something as simple as brushing up against your Christmas tree or turning on the ceiling fan is enough to send sparkles flying through the air.

Some people avoid using glitter and buying décor with glitter simply because of how difficult it is to clean up. While glitter can be tough to remove, it’s easier to do than you might think when you use the right techniques.

Why Glitter Is So Hard to Clean

Glitter is typically just over one square millimeter in size. In many cases, these tiny, metallic pieces are barely visible until the light hits them just right.

Even when you think you’ve completely cleaned up a glitter mess, you might notice a few sparkles the next time you walk by. It can seem like it takes days or weeks until you stop noticing random pieces here and there after a big spill.

What Not to Do When Cleaning Glitter

Some of your go-to cleaning tools and methods are ineffective at cleaning glitter. Things like wiping the glitter with a broom or cloth are ineffective as well.

These techniques simply move the majority of the glitter around rather than picking it up. Heat is also not suitable when cleaning glitter. This is because some glitter will melt when it gets too warm.

How to Clean Glitter From Different Surfaces

Glitter seemingly gets everywhere, and there are different techniques for various surfaces. Here’s how to clean glitter the right way.

Hard Floors

While you shouldn’t use a broom to clean glitter off of a hard floor surface, a wet mop works well. Try to remove as much of the glitter as possible with a damp cloth first. This will keep your mop from getting coated with glitter.

For both the cloth and the mop, you will need to rinse them off frequently if you are trying to remove a lot of glitter from the floor. As a rule of thumb, dump your glittery mop water outside when you are finished cleaning.

Carpet or Rugs

While some people advise against using a vacuum to clean up a glitter mishap, it is a quick and easy solution. This is particularly true if you have a pile of split glitter sitting in front of you. It’s best to use the hand-held attachment to clean glitter. This prevents glitter from getting in your vacuum head. Once it’s on the vacuum head, the glitter may be transported to other areas of the house.

Fabric & Upholstery

You might not think about using a lint roller to remove glitter, but it works wonders. The sticky paper clints to glitter in the same way it clings to hair and lint. If you’re dealing with a big mess, be prepared to use several sheets of lint roller paper.

Skin, Hair, and Pets

One of the best ways to get glitter out of your hair and your pet’s hair is to take a shower or bath. Use plenty of shampoo, and rinse thoroughly.

This is also an effective way to get glitter off of your skin. Use a high-flow stream of water for the best results. If glitter remains stuck in hair, spritz hairspray on a paper towel. While the hairspray is still wet, dab at the glitter until it is gone.

Preventing Glitter Disasters in the Future

Glitter mishaps can and do happen even with the greatest precautions. However, you can minimize glitter disasters by adopting a few strategies.

• Lay a piece of paper underneath your artwork when making crafts.
• Always replace the lid on a glitter bottle as soon as possible.
• Keep glitter far from the edge of your work area.
• Consider using glitter glue rather than loose glitter.
• Minimize loose glitter on ornaments, clothing and more by spritzing it with a sealant or hairspray.

Whether you’re dealing with post-holiday glitter, a crafty mess or something else, there’s no need to be frustrated by glitter. Regardless of how much glitter you’re dealing with and what it’s on, our Cleanzen will deliver the results you need without delay. Book your first Cleanzen cleaning services with us today.