Cleaning up broken egg off the kitchen floor can be a messy job, but here's a quick tip or hack that works like magic!
I've done it. You've done it. Let's face it, we've all done it. If you raise backyard chickens - or eat eggs for that matter - I'm pretty sure that you've dropped more eggs on the kitchen floor than you would like to admit!
Cleaning up spilled egg off the kitchen floor is not pretty. Paper towels, sponges, cloths...nothing can get a good grip on raw egg whites.
You can try a spatula and sponge or dustpan and brush, but neither method is too effective and you'll likely just be left with an even bigger mess on your hands.
So what to do?
There are a few effective ways to clean broken egg off the kitchen floor.
How To Clean A Broken Egg Off the Kitchen Floor
The Dog Clean-Up Method
If you have a dog (and don't use chemical cleaners on your floors, which, c'mon this is 2018, no one should still be using chemical household products!), then picking up the broken shell and letting your dog have at the egg has been the most effective method, for me anyway, of cleaning up broken egg.
But dogs really only eat the yolk, so that will still leave you with the ooey, gooey egg white mess.
A Slice of Bread
Covering the broken egg with a slice of fresh bread and gently pressing down on it, then letting it sit for a bit can work.
The bread will absorb a certain amount of the mess and then you can wipe up the rest. In a pinch, it's still going to leave a mess but its better than nothing.
The Salt Method
But really, for a broken egg mess, you need to bring out the big guns. And in this case, that's salt.
Yup, just regular table salt. The salt gives the egg whites something to adhere to and seems to absorb a lot of the liquid, turning the slime into a sort of gel-like consistency when combined with the salt turns into a crumbly paste.
That makes it much easier to pick up.
What you Do
Okay, so you've dropped the egg and it's broken all over the floor. Now what?
1. Pick up the shell and set it aside to give to your chickens or use in the garden
2. Call your dog over to lick up the yolk. If you don't have a dog, skip to step 3.
3. Sprinkle table salt over the entire egg. Any type of salt will work, but for this I would stick with your plain old Morton table salt, not your pricey pink Himalayan, but in a pinch, go for the Himalayan. About 1/2 cup should do it.
4. Let it sit for about 10-12 minutes. If you have a dog, be sure to keep them away because the salt isn't any good for them. (This would be a good time to go outside and play Frisbee or catch actually.)
5. Once you've tired out the dog, and the time is up, get back to cleaning up the egg. Use a paper towel, kitchen spatula or even a piece of newspaper to scoop up the entire mess and throw it away. Instead of slimy egg white, you'll be wiping up sort of a mealy
6. Since raw egg can contain lots of icky things like salmonella and e.coli (and yes, I know I just told you to let your dog eat raw egg, but realistically if you raise chickens, your dog is likely sneaking eggs out of the coop on a regular basis. I know ours do!
Also realistically, the bacteria will start to breed in earnest on the floor, not so much inside the egg, so go ahead and let your pups indulge! The egg is so good for their coats and skin), you'll want to wipe down the floor with an all natural non-toxic floor and surface cleaner.
The Steps Once Again with Photos to Clean Broken Egg Off the Floor
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Broken egg? No problem. |
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Pick up the shells and find the dog! Note that dogs shouldn't eat salt, so if you DO have a dog and decide to use salt, be sure to keep the dog out of the kitchen until you're done cleaning up. |
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Sprinkle about 1/2 cup of table salt over the mess |
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Be generous, you want to cover all the egg white completely |
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Let it sit for 10-12 minutes |
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Wipe up the egg mess with a paper towel... |
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Or use a spatula to scrape it onto a paper towel or piece of newspaper |
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Be sure to spray and sanitize the floor with a non-toxic surface cleaner when you're done. |
Personally, I think my record is about 3 weeks without dropping an egg either in the kitchen or the coop or on my way back to the kitchen from the coop...
Note: in a pinch, you can use sugar. Use the same method as for the salt. Sugar won't work quite as well (not really well at all actually), but it's still better than nothing.
If you enjoyed this quick tip, you're going to LOVE my book 101 Chicken Keeping Hacks from Fresh Eggs Daily
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