Any time a light bulb breaks there is potential danger with all of the broken glass, but CFLs add a new danger: mercury. Conventional incandescent light bulbs simply use electricity to light a strip on tungsten, while fluorescent light bulbs send electricity though mercury vapor to excite phosphor powder. While there is not a lot of mercury in a typical compact fluorescent bulb, it's still best to play it safe and be cautious.
Here's what to do to safely clean up a broken CFL:
- Let the room air out - Open the windows, turn off your A/C or heat and let the room air out for 15 minutes.
- Clean up the fragments carefully - Sweeping or vacuuming will stir up the dust, so we want to avoid that as much as possible.
- For hard floors, carefully scoop up what you can with something disposable (stiff paper or cardboard work well), use duct tape to pick up the finer dust and finish off by wiping down the area with a wet paper towel.
- For carpet, do everything above, leaving out the paper towel step. If you feel you still need additional cleanup, you can vacuum the affected area, though you will have to either wipe down the canister or throw out the bag depending on the type of vacuum you have.
- Properly dispose of the refuse - Put the remains of the bulb and anything you used to clean up in a sealed bag or glass jar and place the container outside. Get in touch with your local or state government to see what your options are. In some places, you can dispose of the container as you would any trash, though other areas require an alternate disposal method.
- Wash your hands with antibacterial soap for a full 30 seconds (as long as it takes to sing one verse of 'Happy Birthday').
For more details, check out the EPA's guide to CFL clean up and disposal.
