PSA: The 'use a potato to remove a broken light bulb' trick is a bad idea.

I tried it in my kitchen last night because the base of a bulb snapped off, and the potato just mashed into the socket, making a starchy, sparky mess. Had to cut the breaker and spend an hour picking wet potato out with needle-nose pliers. Has anyone actually gotten this to work without causing a bigger problem?

3 comments

3 Comments

hugo_bennett1mo ago

Honestly it works fine if you do it right. You have to cut the potato in half first so it's flat, make sure the power is OFF, and push straight in without twisting. My uncle's been doing it for years in his workshop. The problem is people try to use a whole wet potato on a live socket, that's just asking for trouble. It's a solid trick with basic safety steps.

taylor_hayes251mo ago

Cutting it flat is key for sure. I've used a slice to push out a broken plastic piece from an old outlet. Just make sure the breaker is off and you're good.

piperwhite1mo ago

Ever think about other stuff you could use besides a potato? Like @taylor_hayes25 said, the flat surface is what matters. I've seen guys use a dry bar of soap in a pinch for the same thing, just to push a stuck plug prong out. The real trick is having something non-conductive that fills the space. A thick rubber eraser might work too, as long as you're dead sure the power is off.