6 Ways to Remove a Broken Light Bulb

Co-authored by Ryaan Tuttle and Hannah Madden

Last Updated: November 15, 2022 Approved

Changing a light bulb should be a quick, easy task—but what happens when the bulb breaks inside of the socket? Rather than calling for help, you can quite easily manage to remove the bulb on your own using a few different household items. With a few safety precautions taken into account, you'll be broken-bulb free in no time.

1

Turn off the breaker or unplug the lamp.

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Keep yourself safe by disconnecting from any power sources. The absolute must-do first step of removing a broken lightbulb is making sure that it is completely disconnected to all power.^{[1]
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Expert Source

Ryaan Tuttle
Home Improvement Specialist

Expert Interview. 24 September 2021.} Head to your breaker box, and turn off the corresponding breaker with the room your broken bulb is located in. Or, unplug the lamp that the lightbulb is in.
- It’s a good idea to double check that the power is off if you flipped a breaker. Try turning on a light switch or plugging something else in—if the power is truly off, then you’re good to go.

2

Put on gloves and safety goggles.

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Gardening gloves or rubber gloves will keep your hands protected. If the broken lightbulb is in your ceiling (meaning you’ll be looking up at it), put on some safety goggles to protect your eyes from any broken glass that may rain down on you.^{[2]
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3

Use needle nose pliers to untwist the bulb.

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Needle nose pliers can help unscrew a sharp, broken bulb.^{[3]
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Expert Source

Ryaan Tuttle
Home Improvement Specialist

Expert Interview. 24 September 2021.} Don’t try to pinch the base or broken glass with the pliers! Instead, insert your pliers into the base of the bulb, then spread the handles open so they catch. Slowly twist the pliers counter-clockwise to unscrew the bulb without touching it.^{[4]
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- Watch out for any broken glass—if there are any large shards stuck in the base of the bulb, they might fall off at this point.
- Needle nose pliers will work even if all the glass has broken off the base of the bulb. Since you’re only twisting the metal base, you don’t necessarily need any broken glass shards to grab onto.

4

Try a raw potato if pliers didn’t work.

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A raw potato will collect broken glass without hurting you. Grab a potato and cut it in half, then stick the raw side into the broken light bulb. The jagged edges will stick to the potato, preventing it from cutting you.^{[5]
X
Research source} Twist the bulb counter-clockwise to remove it from the socket.^{[6]
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Expert Source

Ryaan Tuttle
Home Improvement Specialist

Expert Interview. 24 September 2021.}
- You may have to wipe up any potato juice left behind with a clean, dry towel when finished.
- If all the glass has broken off the base of the bulb, that’s okay—cut your potato so it fits inside the base of the bulb, then push it in and start turning it counter-clockwise. The starchy potato will catch on the threads of the base and turn it so you can pull it out of the socket.

5

Use a wad of duct tape if you have it handy.

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Sticky duct tape will grab onto a broken bulb fast. Cut a long piece of duct tape, and roll it back on itself to create a sticky wad about the size of your broken light bulb. Stick the wad into the center of the bulb and apply a bit of pressure, and then turn the bulb counterclockwise. Any remaining glass should stick to the tape, all while giving you a bit of leverage.
- You can also use duct tape to clean up any small glass pieces that might have fallen on the floor.^{[7]
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6

Try a bar of soap if you don’t mind some cleanup.

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Simply push the soap up into the broken bulb; the glass will harmlessly become stuck in the soap, and the soap will give you a means to twist the base. Spin the soap counter-clockwise to remove it from the socket. You may need to wipe off any soap residue that remains after taking out the glass.^{[8]
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7

Use a piece of cork if you have it.

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Hold the cork up to the bulb and apply pressure so that the rough edges of the bulb stick to the cork. Then, simply remove the bulb as you normally would by twisting the cork in a counter-clockwise direction until the bulb pops out.

8

Buy a broken bulb extractor as a last resort.

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Broken bulb extractors are special tools that remove bulbs. Buy a broken bulb extractor, then insert the rubber tip into the socket. Twist the tool counter-clockwise to catch the threads of the broken bulb and unscrew it.^{[9]
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- Broken bulb extractors usually come in 2 different sizes, so you can find the right size for your socket.

9

Throw the broken bulb in the trash.

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Keep your gloves on and remove the broken bulb from your tool of choice, then chuck it in the garbage. Be sure to vacuum up any tiny bits of glass to keep yourself safe.^{[10]
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Question

What do I do if the glass from the bulb is hanging or dangling? How do I remove it to untwist the part stuck in the socket?

Hannah Madden

Community Answer

If there is glass dangling from the base, put on thick rubber gloves and carefully break the hanging glass off the base of the bulb. Throw the glass in the garbage to free up the base, then use pliers, a potato, or any other DIY method to untwist the base from the socket.

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