How to safely clean up broken CFL light bulbs
I was peacefully eating my breakfast and reading the morning paper while the kids were playing in the living room. Peace was interrupted by the crash of glass breaking. A standing lamp had hit the floor, and not one, but two CFL light bulbs shattered. I ordered the kids out of the living room and the first thing that went through my mind was: MERCURY! The next thing that went through my mind was: WHAT WOULD GOOGLE DO?
But no, I did not go straight to google. I went straight to the dust pan and brush, and got a plastic bag to seal away all the broken glass and mercury that was surely swirling around the room and slowly beginning to kill us. Once I got it all cleaned up, then I did google it and thank goodness for green blogger moms. The first link I clicked -- in my desperation to find out if I was doing what I should be -- started loading, then made me watch an ad!! Grrrr. So I clicked through to a green blogger site, and really had a chuckle at myself because I reacted about the same as she had and did almost everything wrong.
I did learn that I should turn off the heater (which I promptly did) and put the broken bulb outside, which I then also did. And wipe the floor with a wet paper towel, and then dispose of those with the bulb. Ditto. I also then opened the windows (and oh-MAN! it was cold to be doing that for 15 minutes) to air out the room. So I guess I didn't do it all wrong. Or maybe because I did it so quickly right after first doing it wrong, I scored bonus safety points? I learned that it might have been best to use some tape to pick up the glass bits, and then throw that away too. And a piece of cardboard instead of my regular dust pan. Oops.
I'm still awaiting an email reply from our local hazardous waste collection folks to find out what to do with the bagged broken bulbs (for the time being, it'll just keep our jack-o-lanterns company on the front porch). Each municipality may tell you something slightly different, so if you ever break any CFLs, it's best to contact your local experts before making that last move to get the broken bulbs out of your home. But I post so that you may know ahead of time how to safely dispose of a broken CFL rather than after (like me). Oh, and perhaps be more adamant with the kids about why we don't play wildly in the living room.
But no, I did not go straight to google. I went straight to the dust pan and brush, and got a plastic bag to seal away all the broken glass and mercury that was surely swirling around the room and slowly beginning to kill us. Once I got it all cleaned up, then I did google it and thank goodness for green blogger moms. The first link I clicked -- in my desperation to find out if I was doing what I should be -- started loading, then made me watch an ad!! Grrrr. So I clicked through to a green blogger site, and really had a chuckle at myself because I reacted about the same as she had and did almost everything wrong.
I did learn that I should turn off the heater (which I promptly did) and put the broken bulb outside, which I then also did. And wipe the floor with a wet paper towel, and then dispose of those with the bulb. Ditto. I also then opened the windows (and oh-MAN! it was cold to be doing that for 15 minutes) to air out the room. So I guess I didn't do it all wrong. Or maybe because I did it so quickly right after first doing it wrong, I scored bonus safety points? I learned that it might have been best to use some tape to pick up the glass bits, and then throw that away too. And a piece of cardboard instead of my regular dust pan. Oops.
I'm still awaiting an email reply from our local hazardous waste collection folks to find out what to do with the bagged broken bulbs (for the time being, it'll just keep our jack-o-lanterns company on the front porch). Each municipality may tell you something slightly different, so if you ever break any CFLs, it's best to contact your local experts before making that last move to get the broken bulbs out of your home. But I post so that you may know ahead of time how to safely dispose of a broken CFL rather than after (like me). Oh, and perhaps be more adamant with the kids about why we don't play wildly in the living room.
Recent Comments