Glitter adds to the fun & excitement you and your kids feel when creating holiday cards or a super school project. The excitement, however, can be ruined by a slight spill of glitter onto your precious carpet.
If something similar has happened to you, then you must be worried thinking about how to get the glitter out of the carpet.
In this guide, we have shared five effective ways that will help you in removing glitter from your carpet and from any other affected surfaces.
Why Is It Hard To Get Rid of Glitter?
Everyone who has used glitter can relate to how challenging it is to get rid of glitter completely, be it your clothes, hair, face, carpet fibers, etc.
Glitter is composed of really tiny particles, so when it spills, each particle gets pushed down to the surface, and the air above it makes it even harder to pick up the glitter.
The surface tension of water is another reason why glitter gets stuck on a surface. The body’s moisture and sweat also attract tiny particles.
Since water molecules have negatively and positively charged sides, it attracts any charged glitter making it difficult to clean up.
How To Get Glitter Out of Carpet?
Getting glitter out of the carpet seems like a herculean task, but you can get glitter out of the carpet using any of the following methods:
1. Vacuum Cleaner
What you’ll need:
- A vacuum cleaner with a hose attachment
- A small brush or a broom
- Dustpan
1. Start by clearing the area where the glitter has spilled. If the glitter has spilled over a large area, then make sections to work on one part at a time.
2. Now, take a brush or a broom and start sweeping off the excess glitter from the carpet and collect it onto a dust pan.
3. Now, take your vacuum cleaner, and if you have a crevice tool, then attach it to the hose. Start vacuuming the affected area, starting from the edges and working towards the center. Work in slow motions so that the vacuum picks up the glitter.
4. Inspect the carpet, and if there is still glitter left on your carpet, then move on to the next method shared below.
2. Masking or Duct Tape
For stubborn glitter particles, you might have to use a duct or masking tape to get rid of the glitter properly. For this:
1. Tear a strip of duct/masking tape and apply it to the affected area. The wider the tape, the easier it will be for you to get rid of the glitter particles.
2. Press the tape on the carpet and peel it off to remove the glitter. The sticky surface of the tape will pick up the loose glitter from carpet fibers.
3. Now cut another piece of tape and repeat the process until all the glitter is removed from the carpet fibers.
3. Use a Ballon
You can also alternatively use a balloon to get rid of small leftover glitter particles from the carpet. For this:
1. Blow a balloon. Ballon, when rubbed on the carpet fiber, will create static electricity.
2. Now roll over the balloon on the affected area to get rid of the leftover glitter, and now you will have a clean carpet.
4. Lint Roller
As you may already know, lint rollers work magically in removing pet hair. However, did you know you can also use it to get rid of glitter?
1. Once you have already vacuumed the area, you can use a lint roller if you want to get rid of the leftover glitter particles from your carpet.
2. For this, simply roll the lint roller over the affected area. You can also combine this method with the duct tape method for best results.
5. Detergent & Warm Water
If you do not have a vacuum at your disposal, then you can also use warm water and detergent to remove the glitter from the carpet. For this:
What you will need:
- Bucket
- Detergent
- Sponge
- Dry & clean cloth
1. Fill a bucket with warm water and add a mild detergent to it. Mix it to create a soapy solution. Also, make sure you do not add too much detergent; excessive suds can be difficult to remove.
2. Now dip a sponge into the soapy water, squeeze the excess water (we only want a damp sponge), and press it on the glitter spill.
3. Do not rub the sponge vigorously onto the carpet, as it may push the glitter particles even further.
4. Simply glide the sponge on the affected area, lifting the glitter.
5. Clean the sponge to remove the lifted glitter. Dip it inside the water again, squeeze it damp, and apply clean again in the same way.
6. Repeat the steps until all the glitter is gone. Follow up by drying the spot using a dry clot
How to Remove Glitter From Small Area Rugs?
If you have glitter on your small area rug, then avoid the urge to shake it off, as that would spread the glitter on the area rug even more.
Instead, lay a towel on the rug and spray aerosol hairspray over it. Now let the hairspray dry. This would soak up the glitter particles to a good extent.
Now follow this up by putting your area rug in the washing machine and washing it as you normally do.
You might have to remove the process a few times if the glitter is too stubborn.
How to Get Glitter Out of Upholstered Furniture or Clothing?
Glitter spills can not only ruin your carpets but can also ruin your precious upholsteries or even clothes.
If such an incident happens to you, you do not need to worry!
You can either use a lint roller or masking tape to get rid of glitter from clothing and upholstery.
You can also wrap your hand with masking tape, sticky side facing outwards, and use it to remove glitter from the clothing or upholstery’s surface.
How To Get Glitter Out of Hard Surfaces?
There are plenty of ways to get rid of glitter from hard surfaces like tables, countertops, wooden floors, desktops, etc.
- One of the best ways to get rid of glitter from hard surfaces is to use a damp sponge and warm water. Simply wipe the surface with a damp sponge, squeeze the sponge clean, and repeat the process.
- Alternatively, you can also use Play-Doh to remove glitter from hard surfaces. For this, simply roll the Play-Doh till it is covered in glitter. And keep working the play-doh until you have a clean surface.
- Lastly, you can buy a glitter clean-up cloth specifically designed to eliminate glitter messes.
How To Get Rid of Glitter From Hair?
Until and unless you do not plan on looking like a rockstar on a Monday work morning, you must get rid of glitter from your hair.
Washing your hair with shampoo is the first thing that you should do. And if shampoo doesn’t work, then spray a paper towel with a hair spray and clean the glitter off your hair using it.
The hairspray will allow the glitter to stick on the paper cloth’s surface and will help in lifting the glitter off your scalp and hair.
How to Remove Glitter From Makeup Brushes?
If you are someone who loves doing glittery makeup, then your makeup brush should be cleaned properly unless you want the leftover glitter to stick to your face.
Removing glitter from makeup brushes is pretty simple. Dampen a cotton ball with rubbing alcohol and swirl your makeup brush with it.
The glitter will stick to the cotton ball and will make your makeup brush squeaky clean.
Tips to Avoid Glitter Spill
Although there are ways to get rid of glitter from carpet, you can save yourself the trouble in the first place by keeping these things in mind:
- Avoid using glitter in your living room, bedroom, etc., and make it a rule to only use it craft room to limit the exposure of glitter to other parts of your house.
- Lay the tabletop with craft papers if you are your kid is working with glitter so that the shimmer can be disposed of easily afterward.
- Make sure to wipe the hands of your kids after they have worked with glitter.
Wrap Up
Glitter spills, be it on your carpet, clothes, hard surfaces, skin, etc., can be removed given that you follow the right process.
In this guide on how to get glitter out of carpet, we shared with you five amazing methods that you can use to deal with this annoying problem.
We hope this helped.
FAQ
How can you clean glitter from a carpet without using a vacuum cleaner?
You can use a lint roller, duct tape, masking tape, or a ballon in case you do not want to clean glitter from your carpet using a vacuum.
Refer to our article in order to find out a step-by-step guide for all these processes.
Can glitter come out in washing machine?
A hotter and faster cycle can help in getting rid of glitter in a washing machine. However, this can lead to shrinking or fading of the fabric.
To remove glitter from a clothing material, use alternatives such as aerosol spray, lint roller, duct tape, etc.
Can oil help in removing glitter?
You can use a cotton ball dipped in coconut oil and use it to get rid of glitter on your face or hands. The sticky property of oil helps in collecting and getting rid of glitter from the skin.
Daleyza knows a lot about carpets! She has worked with carpets for over 7 years and can help with things like putting them in, keeping them clean, and replacing them. She really likes carpets and spends most of her time learning about new ways to work with them. When she’s not learning about carpets, she enjoys reading books. She’s really good at helping people choose the right carpet for their homes and making sure they’re happy with it. If you want to know more about carpets, Daleyza is the person to talk to!