How to clean up glitter and confetti

Confetti and glitter always seem like a great idea. Adding a little sparkle is the perfect way to spruce up your celebrations. Until it comes to cleaning up…

Whether your glitter or confetti has been released from a popped balloon, sprinkled for table decoration, or just thrown in the air! Getting rid of glitter and confetti can be a tricky task.

Removing glitter  

Glitter is the tiny particles of sparkle you find on cards, and the slightly larger pieces we often use in arts and crafts.  

Whilst glitter is pretty and adds a nice touch to decorations or arts and crafts, it can be hard to remove from flooring and soft surfaces like sofas.

Removing Glitter from Upholstery and Hard Surfaces

To begin the glitter removal process, you want to collect the glitter into mounds where possible. If glitter is on a hard surface like a countertop, use a wet paper towel and a wiping motion to group the glitter particles. Then, wipe away as much as you can, taking the glitter in the paper towel and throwing it in the bin.

For any remaining glitter proving harder to wipe away, use a lint roller to collect the glitter. You could also wrap a piece of masking tape around your hand, sticky side facing outwards and dab over the glitter. It should stick, lifting it from the surface. This will also work for fabric surfaces such as chairs and sofas.

If glitter is in small crevices, use compressed air to blow the particles out before wiping or hoovering away. You can find air sprays to use for this marketed as keyboard cleaners, or use a household alternative like the hose end of a foot pump. You could also use a piece of Play-Doh or putty to pull the glitter particles away from the surface.

‍

Removing Glitter from Carpets and Flooring

The post-party clean-up can be tricky when it comes to your carpet! Removing wine stains, spillages, crumbs...

How to clean glitter from carpet flooring? Thoroughly hoover the carpet, trying to get as much as you can out of the fibres before using a lint roller or sticky tape. For laminate, wooden, or tile flooring, remove any remaining particles with the lint roller or sticky tape method.

For glitter on the floor, use a vacuum cleaner to hoover any large areas where the glitter lies or is more visibly present. This stops spreading the glitter over the floor before tending to the other areas where the rest of the glitter is.

Then, work across any other areas where you can still spot some sparkles. Use the hose attachment of your hoover to avoid getting glitter stuck in the brush attachment.

Top tip - rub a balloon lightly on your head. Then, use the static electricity to attract any remaining glitter particles onto the balloon.

Removing confetti

Confetti is larger than glitter, and can be made from petals, paper, or metallic plastic. This should make disposing of it much easier as the confetti is less able to find its way into small crevices. However, it’s important to dispose of confetti effectively, as it can be very dangerous to pets if ingested.

Cleaning up Confetti from Floors and Furniture

To clean up confetti, use a feather duster to remove any large pieces that you can’t see from countertops and furniture.

Then, sweep the remaining confetti into piles or into a dustpan and pick up as much as you can. We advise this since hoovering large pieces may clog your vacuum, especially if clumped together. You can then use the hoover to suck away any remaining pieces of confetti.

Top tip: When carpet cleaning, be sure to keep the floor dry, as water may release dyes from the confetti into the fibres.

‍

How to remove glitter and confetti from outside

Unless the glitter or confetti is biodegradable, there shouldn’t be lots of it outside. Glitter and confetti are harmful to the environment because of the microplastics they are made from. They can be dangerous if the small pieces make their way into water systems or are swallowed by animals. It is also much harder to clean up glitter and confetti from outside when it’s windy!

If small amounts of glitter and confetti have made their way outside, create piles that you can sweep up using a dustpan and brush. If there are large pieces of confetti all over the place, pick them up with your hands and throw them away.

If there are pieces of confetti in the grass, you should use a rake to create a small pile. If there is pathing beside the grass, bring the confetti onto the concrete and sweep or hoover if you are able to do so. If not, you will, again, need to gather the individual pieces using your hands, and then throw them in the bin.

Still proving tricky?

If you’re having a hard time trying to remove glitter or confetti from carpets, floors, or soft furnishings, a professional cleaning service can assist!

ACS works across Bristol, Bath, and South Wales, offering specialist cleaning services to help get your home feeling fresh again.

To get help removing your glitter and confetti, you can learn more about our cleaning services or get in touch today.

‍