How To Clean A Light Bulb, According To The Experts

There are no spots in your home that are immune to dust buildup. Dust will accumulate anywhere and everywhere, from the top of your refrigerator to the inside of your PC tower. One frequent hiding spot for dust that you may not have thought of is the bulbs in your home's various lighting fixtures.

A light bulb is actually one of dust's favorite squatting spots. You don't normally look at a light bulb unless it burns out or malfunctions somehow, and the ambient electricity it produces attracts dust like a magnet. If you're looking to get your home properly, extensively clean, that includes wiping all that accumulated dust off of your bulbs. To ensure you don't damage anything, you should endeavor to handle this with professional-level care, even if you're not a professional yourself.

For information on how we came up with these tips, check our methodology at the bottom of the page.

The precise tools and materials you'll need to clean any particular light bulb largely depend on two factors: the bulb's location, and its condition. For the former, if the bulb is located in a high spot like a ceiling fan or similar dangling light fixture, you'll need a ladder or stepladder to reach it. Don't try to stand on a chair, stool, or anything else that won't stand steady.

As for the bulb's condition, dust accumulation can take a couple of forms. In the best-case scenario, the bulb will just have a thin coat of loose dust on it. In such a case, you can handle that with a duster or dry microfiber cloth, the same kind you'd use to clean your phone with. If the bulb has been sitting for a long time, it may have become crusted over with solid, accumulated dust and dirt that won't budge from just a cloth. For that, you'll want a bit of water handy for a more thorough clean.

Before you do anything, make sure the lighting fixture that the bulb is inserted into is powered off and unplugged. If you can't unplug it, disable its power in your circuit breaker instead. With the power off, you can unscrew the bulb from its fixture. If you need to climb a ladder to reach it, take the bulb off and descend the ladder before you start cleaning. If the bulb has been lit for a long time, you should also wait until it cools down.

With the bulb in hand, grab your dry cloth or duster and gently rub it across the bulb's glass surface. If the dust is light, it should come right off. Once the surface of the bulb is clean, you can insert it back into the fixture. If the bulb is still visibly dirty, though, dip your cloth into the water and continue gently rubbing it along the surface. Make sure not to touch the metal components at the bottom. Let the bulb dry completely and thoroughly, and then you can reinsert it.

If the bulb cannot be removed from its fixture, you can clean it while it's in there. If the dust is light, you can gently rub your cloth on it in the same manner. For a more thorough cleaning, put your water in a spray bottle and spray a very small amount onto your cloth before rubbing. Again, ensure the bulb is completely dry before you restore power to the fixture.

The preceding instructions are all intended for cleaning traditional glass light bulbs. Of course, glass light bulbs aren't the only kind there are; there are also LED light bulbs that use LED lights instead of filaments, and these are just as vulnerable to dust accumulation. In the case of mild dust accumulation on the outside of the bulb, you can clean it in much the same way as a glass bulb: just gently rub a microfiber cloth around the surface of the light-up section while avoiding the plastic and metal components. 

However, since the light-up section is attached like a cap, it is possible for dust to make its way inside of the bulb. In this case, you'll need to unscrew the cap and rub the inside of the bulb. As with the glass bulb, you may need to dip your cloth in a small amount of water to get rid of any stubborn, stuck-on dust. You should be especially careful if you do this, though, as there may be a circuit board on the inside of the bulb, right under the cap. If that gets wet, the whole thing will be fried, so be absolutely certain the cap is completely dry before reattaching it.

Unfortunately, some LED bulbs are built in such a way that the cap cannot be easily removed from the plastic section. If the cap is completely sealed and cannot be removed without cutting it off, you might just have to cut your losses. You can still clean the outside of it, but the inside will just have to stay dirty. If the inside has gotten dirty despite being sealed, it may be a sign that it's time to replace the bulb anyway.

Even if cleaning a light bulb is a relatively small chore in the grand scheme of your home, it's still just as important that you handle it properly. To ensure we provided accurate, safe information, we sourced it from websites and publications with an emphasis on home care and light fixtures like Lightbulbs.com, Apartment Therapy, and Rowabi, particularly those with a named expert attached.