How To: Remove a Broken Light Bulb

Incandescent light bulbs are known to occasionally shatter in their fixtures—and when they do, it’s both difficult and dangerous to extract the bulb’s threaded base from the socket. Bits of broken glass and the risk of electrical shock should make anyone think twice before attempting to take out what remains of the bulb. Luckily, there’s a number of strategies for how to remove a broken light bulb without using your hands, and you’ll likely have at least one of these three tools on hand: a pair of needle nose pliers, a raw potato, or a commercially-sold broken bulb extractor.