One of the problems you can encounter with incandescent light bulbs is that when the glass bulb breaks, they’re hard to get out of the socket. But with a bit of ingenuity, you can easily take care of this job.
Now, you might be thinking, “Why do I need to know how to do this when incandescent bulbs have been phased out?” It’s true that last year, the U.S. banned incandescent light bulbs to nudge people to start using LED bulbs, which are typically made of plastic and don’t break like incandescent bulbs made of thin glass. But there are two reasons why you still need to know how to remove a broken incandescent bulb. First, you probably still have some incandescent bulbs in use around your house. If they ever shatter, you’ll want to know how to get them out. Second, while run-of-the-mill incandescent bulbs that you use to light your house’s rooms were banned, incandescent bulbs for appliances and bug lamps are still legal. So even in the age of the LED bulb, there’s still a chance you’ll use, break, and need to remove a shattered bulb.
Above, we showcase four methods for removing a broken glass light bulb. Before you use any of the methods, make sure the power is shut off to the light socket. You don’t want to electrocute yourself. Also, put on some heavy-duty work gloves and snap off any glass shards remaining on the bulb so you don’t cut yourself during the removal process. Keep those gloves on as you extract the bulb.
