A broken CFL can give off a little mercury vapor, so get people and pets out of the room and air it out before you clean up. Don’t vacuum. The EPA’s steps are below.
If the bulb broke in a lamp or fixture, unplug the lamp or turn off the breaker before you touch what’s left in the socket. If the base won’t come out easily, have an electrician remove it.
Before cleanup
- “Have people and pets leave the room, and avoid the breakage area on the way out.”
- “Air out the room for 5-10 minutes by opening a window or door to the outdoor environment.”
- “Shut off the central forced air heating/air-conditioning system, if you have one.”
- “Collect materials needed to clean up broken bulb: Stiff paper or cardboard; Sticky tape; Damp paper towels or disposable wet wipes (for hard surfaces); and A glass jar with a metal lid or a sealable plastic bag.”
During cleanup
- “DO NOT VACUUM. Vacuuming is not recommended unless broken glass remains after all other cleanup steps have been taken. Vacuuming could spread mercury-containing powder or mercury vapor.”
- “Be thorough in collecting broken glass and visible powder. Scoop up glass fragments and powder using stiff paper or cardboard. Use sticky tape, such as duct tape, to pick up any remaining small glass fragments and powder. Place the used tape in the glass jar or plastic bag.”
- “Place cleanup materials in a sealable container.”
After cleanup
- “Promptly place all bulb debris and cleanup materials, including vacuum cleaner bags, outdoors in a trash container or protected area until materials can be disposed of. Avoid leaving any bulb fragments or cleanup materials indoors.”
- “Next, check with your local government about disposal requirements in your area, because some localities require fluorescent bulbs (broken or unbroken) be taken to a local recycling center. If there is no such requirement in your area, you can dispose of the materials with your household trash.”
- “Wash your hands with soap and water after disposing of the jars or plastic bags containing bulb debris and cleanup materials.”
- “If practical, continue to air out the room where the bulb was broken and leave the heating/air conditioning system shut off for several hours.”
Keep children and pets out of the room until the cleanup is finished.
Hard floors, carpets and plastic bags
For hard surfaces, the EPA’s detailed steps also say, “Wipe the area clean with damp paper towels or disposable wet wipes. Place the towels in the glass jar or plastic bag.”
With only a plastic bag to use, the EPA notes, “Since a plastic bag will not prevent the mercury vapor from escaping, remove the plastic bag(s) from the home after cleanup”.
If broken glass is still there after every other step, the EPA’s tips for vacuuming are:
- “Keep a window or door to the outdoors open;”
- “Vacuum the area where the bulb was broken using the vacuum hose, if available; and”
- “Remove the vacuum bag (or empty and wipe the canister) and seal the bag/vacuum debris, and any materials used to clean the vacuum, in a plastic bag.”
Vacuuming a carpet afterward
“The next several times you vacuum the rug or carpet, shut off the HVAC system if you have one, close the doors to other rooms, and open a window or door to the outside before vacuuming. Change the vacuum bag after each use in this area.”
“After vacuuming is completed, keep the HVAC system shut off and the window or door to the outside open, as practical, for several hours.”
Which bulbs the steps are for
The EPA’s steps cover CFLs and other bulbs with mercury, among them straight, U-shaped and circular fluorescent tubes, black lights, bug zappers, tanning and germicidal bulbs, neon bulbs, and metal halide, high pressure sodium and mercury vapor lamps. The FTC’s rule has a household bulb with mercury, such as a CFL, say “Contains Mercury” on its package. Tubes and the other bulbs on the EPA’s list contain mercury even when the package doesn’t say so.
If you couldn’t follow every step
The EPA says not to be alarmed, because the steps are precautions and a CFL holds less than 1/100th of the mercury in a mercury thermometer. If you’re worried about your health after a cleanup, call your local poison control center at 1-800-222-1222.
Avoiding a broken bulb
- Switch a CFL off and let it cool before you handle it.
- Hold it by its plastic or ceramic base, never the glass tubing, and screw it in gently until it’s snug.
- In a lamp that’s easy to knock over, or a play space, the EPA suggests choosing a bulb other than a CFL, such as an LED.
- Lay a drop cloth, such as a plastic sheet or a beach towel, under you when you change a fluorescent bulb.
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