Curbly

How and why you should lube your light bulbs.

If you’ve ever screwed a light bulb into a socket and heard a grinding noise, you know the sinking feeling that comes with it. Has the glass part of the bulb separated from the metal part? Will the bulb come out of the socket if I try to unscrew it?

To combat this sticky situation and forestall distress, lube the threads of your light bulb with a bit of petroleum jelly; that’s Vaseline to you and me. Just a dab on the tip of your finger will do.

But what if you have a stuck bulb already in the socket?! If you find yourself in this situation, your bulb has probably already come apart: The glass bulb part is in your hand and the metal thread part is stuck in your socket. Here’s a trick that works pretty well. Turn the power off to or unplug the fixture. Get yourself a raw potato. Shove the spud firmly into the socket–no joke–and twist. The potato embeds in the threads and will free the stuck part. But really, who wants to get themselves into this situation? Lube your bulbs from now on, and you won’t need to fuss with the spud.

"Light bulb" courtesy of yotophoto.

Tagged : lightbulbs, light, bulb, Vaseline, potatoes