How Can You Remove Shattered Patio Door Glass?

As someone who likes to DIY, I always like to learn new ways to take care of things on my own instead of paying someone to do it for me. These instructions from a reader on how to replace glass if your patio door shatters was very instructive and helpful (even if you don't have a patio door to replace- did you know that bread is a great way to pick up tiny glass shards? I didn't know, but this post taught me!). Hopefully your door won't shatter, but if it does, hopefully you'll find these instructions helpful.

Having patio doors in your home, overlooking your carefully maintained lawn, can bring so much color and joy to the home - allowing tons of natural light while offering great views of the outdoors. However, the beauty of patio glass doors is more pronounced when there’s no crack or chip in it. As with all glass doors and windows – they lose their beauty when shattered.

Although patio glass manufacturers find it a habit of using toughened glasses like tempered glass for their products, which makes them thrice as strong as ordinary glass, they are not completely shatter-proof. On a strong impact with wind and heavy objects, they shatter.

REMOVING SHATTERED PATIO DOOR GLASS, while not a difficult task, can be a pain in the rear if you have no idea how it’s done. The first step will be cleaning out the shattered glass particles to avoid further damage and injuries to your kids and pets. Following the simplified and easy to follow steps below, you can do the replacement yourself so that you can resume enjoying that beautiful view.

 How to Clean Up Broken Glass?

It is not ideal to replace your patio glass without cleaning out the shattered glass. However, cleaning out broken glass can be overwhelming. Half the time, you’re wondering where to start from and the other half, you’re concerned about leaving some particles behind that could cause injuries. Below are the right steps to take in cleaning up broken door glass and in that order.

1. Protect Yourself 
 You don’t go diving into the deep without the right protective gear. The same goes for broken door glass. It would do you a lot of good if you put on rubber gloves and shoes before embarking on your glass cleaning task. If you have kids and pets in the house, ensure you check them for injuries and remove them from the area until everywhere is clean.

2. Remove the Big Shards. 

With your gloved hands, carefully remove the biggest shards and pieces and place them in a plastic or paper bag. While doing this, ensure you’re putting on your rubber shoes to avoid injuries to your foot. On impact, glass travels far so check as far as 3m to 4m from the point of impact. Some particles might be hiding under the sofa or cabinet.

3. Vacuum. 

Any remaining glass fragments should be sucked up using the hose of your vacuum cleaner. Raise your furniture and other household materials in the vicinity to ensure no particles are hidden under.

4. Get the Tiny Pieces. 

Glass leaves some dusty particles at the point of impact that could remain on your beloved patio if not cleaned properly. A soft bread would perfectly do the trick. And when you’re done picking the dusty pieces of glass, use a damp paper towel to clean the area and other materials used in cleaning. Tie all the cleaned up particles and dispose of carefully in the garbage for proper disposal.

Tools and materials required for REMOVING SHATTERED PATIO DOOR GLASS

• Heavy-duty gloves
• Safety Shoes
• Putty knife
• Dustpan
• Slices of soft bread
• Garbage bag
• Vacuum
• Masking Tape
• Plastic bag

DIY guide for REMOVING SHATTERED PATIO DOOR GLASS

Step 1

Put on your gloves and safety shoes to prevent nasty cuts and injuries.

Step 2

Place a disposable drop cloth on the floor and place all the glass particles. It is better to have two clothes, one on each side of the door.

Step 3: 

Carefully apply masking tape over the windowpane to keep the pieces of glass from flying away or dropping while you work. Ensure you don’t press hard against the glass and use a tape that’s not too sticky. Using an extra sticky tape makes it difficult for you to remove the glass particles when you’re done.

Step 4

The larger pieces of glass you picked in step 2 should be placed on a newspaper or the disposable cloth. While doing this, ensure you sweep up as many particles of the fallen glass. Use a pan to scoop up any remaining glass at this point.

Step 5

Using a piece of bread to clean up tiny particles of the glass, pour them on the disposable drop cloth or newspaper and tie carefully. Knot it tightly to avoid the particles spilling and causing more mess and dispose of in a waste bin or trash can.

Step 6

Vacuuming after you have cleaned with a piece of bread will remove other particles you might have missed to ensure no glass is left behind.

Precautions while having this DIY project

Wearing protective gear has been emphasized enough but I’ll say it again “always wear protective gear while REMOVING SHATTERED PATIO DOOR GLASS.” Even small shards are capable of causing you great pain if stepped on or handled without gloves. Shoes with thick soles and gloves with leather palms are more appropriate as the thickness prevents glass particles from cutting through. Also, wear long-sleeve clothing that covers your arms and your legs.

There’s nothing like being too protective when dealing with glass. So, ensure you remove all your kids and pets from the area until everything is cleaned up, and even when it’s clean, check to be sure before you allow your kids to play there.



Always wear long and thick clothing to cover your arms and your legs to avoid glass cuts.

Your gloves should be thick and fluffy for picking up loose pieces of glass attached to the door frame. And, do not hesitate to call on a true professional to help you remove large pieces of glass still attached.

For better results, it’s better to always vacuum the whole area two to three times to remove any particles of glass you might have missed the first and second time.