How to Remove Broken Glass Fragments from a Window Frame

It’s probably happened to most of us. We’ve slammed a door too hard, accidentally hit a baseball through the window, or tapped the tip of the broom handle against a window pane. Even though glass is stronger than it used to be in the old days, it still can shatter, leaving a huge and dangerous mess to clean up.

While broken glass on the floor is relatively easy to pick up with a dust pan, it’s the glass wedged in the window or door that is dangerous to remove. These sharp pieces of glass can slice a hand open, or even send a spray of fine glass particles into the air which can blind you.

Removing the bits of broken glass from a window frame or door takes care and the proper tools. Here’s how it’s done:

The right supplies

To clean up the broken glass from a window frame, you will need the following supplies: pliers; flat head screw driver; hammer; a vacuum cleaner with hose attachment; newspaper; and a cardboard box (with lid) or thick paper bag to collect the pieces of glass.

For your safety, a pair of goggles and heavy, canvas work gloves will protect your eyes and hands from being cut. Also recommended is a thick, long sleeved shirt.

Step by step instructions

Step 1: The first step is to remove what loose glass you can with your gloved hands and place the glass carefully in the box. If the pieces are too large to fit inside the box, merely roll them up in several layers of newspaper and gently tap with a hammer to break.

Step 2: For the glass that can’t be easily removed, carefully cover the edge with a single sheet of newspaper and then gently, but firmly grab the fragment using your pliers. Carefully wiggle the glass back and forth until it starts to loosen and can be pulled out of the frame easily.

Step 3: For tiny pieces of glass that can’t be grabbed with the pliers, use the screw driver to pry the glass bits from the frame. This is done by sliding the tip of the screwdriver along the inside of the frame.

Step 4: Once all the glass pieces have been removed, vacuum the inside of the frame. You should also vacuum the floor around the area to collect any stray fragments you may have missed.

To cover the window temporarily until you can get a new piece of glass ordered, the most secure solution is to hammer a piece of thin plywood over the opening from the inside. A local hardware store will be able to custom cut the right size for you, if you don’t have the right tools to do it yourself.