Q. A light bulb in our kitchen blew out and shattered above the sink. I want to remove the base and replace the bulb, but I’m a bit nervous. A friend said that happened at his house, and he used a piece of fruit to remove it. Any pointers?
A. Turn off the power to the light fixture at the circuit breaker. Then use the old potato trick. You take half of a raw potato and push it into the base, and turn the potato to remove the base of the bulb.
If you don’t have a potato on hand or prefer not to use a food product, then I would try Plan B. Again, start by turning the power off to the light fixture at the circuit breaker. Then, using needle-nose pliers, grab an edge of the metal light bulb base and bend it inward. Turn the base in the same direction you would to unscrew the light bulb. Watch out for pieces of falling glass, and vacuum the area below once you have removed the base of the bulb.
Either way you go, don’t forget to wear safety goggles in this precarious situation.