Enough Caution should be exercised

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When light bulbs break, people tend to get too careful, even confused on what to do and how to ensure that no broken part will remain on the floor. Apparently, it is not just the shattered glass people are worried about, but also the chemicals inside the light bulb.

Website Lonlockwoodelectric.com enumerated steps on what to do once a light bulb breaks, and shatters into pieces.

“Let’s start with the how a fluorescent light bulb works. They get their glow from the mercury trapped inside and although compact fluorescents (CFLs) are more energy-efficient, they work in the same way. You don’t want to play around with mercury but don’t worry, the amount inside your light bulb isn’t enough to do much harm. However, you’ll want to follow these steps and exercise extreme caution regardless: Air out the room as soon as the bulb breaks. Open the windows and get everyone out of the area for at least 15 minutes. If your central air conditioning system is turned on, turn it off right away in order to prevent mercury from circulating throughout your home.”

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Broom, not vacuum.

Website Fark.Com assures homeowners that the mercury in a lightbulb will not cause harm, but still if it gets shattered it should be cleaned using a broom, and not a vacuum cleaner.

“The typical mercury exposure from breaking a CFL bulb is only about 0.07 mcg. To put this in context, a can of albacore tuna has almost 700 times more mercury and an old mercury thermometer, if broken, would release more than 6,000 times the mercury. While any broken bulb should be handled with care, it is perhaps best that broken CFL bulbs be swept up with a broom instead of a vacuum cleaner, which may disperse some of its contents into the air. If the bulb is not broken, there is no exposure risk whatsoever. But even so, many CFL bulbs are now sold with protective coverings to help mitigate the risk.”

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Related Electrical Services

It is also important to clean up lightbulbs on a regular basis to ensure that you the area could maximize the light that the bulb emits.

In its website, LBC Lighting shared tips on cleaning light bulbs. “Homeowners are embracing the new LED and CFL technology that have longer life spans compared to the older bulbs. Which means you don’t switch out your bulbs as often and those bulbs end up collecting more dust without regular cleaning. A thorough wipe with a dry cloth is the best method to rid the dust and dirt. A damp cloth or spraying solution are not recommended as they can do damage to the bulb.”

Electricians. The website also detailed some safety tips. Read it here.

So how do you clean up your shattered light bulbs?