How To Clean Up Glitter 

How To Clean Up Glitter 

The old joke is that there’s only one way to get rid of glitter: Move houses. I’m part of the rare breed of parents who don’t despise glitter, but my husband groans every time I let our kid go wild with it in her art projects. “The herpes of craft supplies,” he says, referencing a Demetri Martin bit. Yes, glitter is a pain to clean, especially when you think you’ve removed the most of it, and then for weeks later, find stray sparkles in your books, behind your ears, and on the cat. Luckily, there are some ways to get rid of it with items you probably have on hand.

Photo: Lampas Azami (Shutterstock)

Play dough

If you have a glitter spill on a hard surface, grab a ball of play dough and roll it around to pick up the tiny specks. The best part: Now you have glitter play dough.

A balloon

It’s a cleaning hack and a kids’ science demonstration in one. Blow up a balloon, rub it against the carpet to generate some static electricity, and hover it over the glitter.

A lint roller

If you don’t have one on hand, some masking tape wrapped around your hand will do.

Electrostatic cleaning cloths

They’re magical for dry sweeping glitter (and other tiny particles).

Hairspray

For glitter that’s stuck on washable fabrics, try aerosol hairspray. Spray the glittered area, let it dry completely, and then toss the item into wash (but don’t add other clothing, lest you want sparkly everything.)

Coconut oil

With glitter that’s stuck on skin, a little bit of coconut oil on a cotton ball should wipe it clean. Makeup remover towelettes or baby wipes will do the trick, too.

Do you have glitter cleaning tricks we didn’t cover here? Let us know in the comments.


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