If there’s a kitchen island or countertop you can stand on, go ahead and use that to access the bulb. If you need to get on the top 2-3 steps of the ladder, ask a friend or family member to hold the ladder for you.

Get a bulb in the same shape as your old bulb. Recessed lights come in 3-4 different styles (that’s what the letters BR, MR, PAR, or R on the bulb refer to). Get a bulb of the same shape just so you’re positive it fits in the socket.

The alternative here is to remove the collar of the light fixture so you can wrap your hand around the bulb. You can certainly do that—you typically just need to pry it out from the ceiling with a putty knife or flathead screwdriver. It’s easier to use tape than remove the collar in most cases. It can require a lot of force to pry the fixture out, and you risk damaging your ceiling drywall if you do it incorrectly.

You can also just press on the tape directly and put your fingers on the other adhesive side, opposite of the bulb. Do whatever feels natural to you.

Use a loop of duct tape to securely install the new bulb. Do the same thing you did to remove it, just in reverse.

A changing pole is also a lifesaver if you have really tall ceilings. Most of these poles are extendable up to 15–20 feet (4. 6–6. 1 m)!

Suction cups: These are for flat bulbs. They stick to the center so you can twist the bulb out of the socket. Spring-cage attachment: These are for round bulbs. Use the attachment that’s slightly smaller than the bulb. It’ll slide around the bulb so you can grip it. Pin-shaped attachment: This is a broken bulb extractor. If the bulb is broken, stick the pin inside the socket and twist counterclockwise.

Suction cup: Line the center of the cup up with the center of the bulb and gently press it into the glass. Tug down gently to confirm there’s resistance. Your cup may have a loop for a string you can pull on instead. Spring-cage attachment: Gently line the cage up with the center of the bulb. Then, push the cage up. The springs will spread out and wrap around the bulb. Pin-shaped attachment: Put safety glasses on to avoid getting glass in your eyes and wear shoes. Stick the pin firmly into the broken bulb’s socket.

Replace the bulb using your pole. Stick the new bulb on the suction cup or spring-cage attachment and slide it into the socket. Getting the suction cup off of the bulb can be a little wonky. If you have a string loop, pull on the string. If you don’t, gently rock the cup side to side until air gets in and it comes loose. Pull the spring cage off of the new bulb slowly.

Recessed lighting fixtures may look a little different from one another, but they’re all basically designed the same way. Spring clips or wing brackets stick out from the housing of the light fixture to lock it in the ceiling, and a collar covers the seam between the housing and the ceiling.

Whether the clips are attached to the collar or fixture depends on the design of the light, but it’s not important when it comes to simply changing a bulb.

If it feels like the housing is on the verge of coming out but the clip just won’t give, try pressing on the side of the clip with your finger.

Once you replace the bulb, reinstall your light. Slide each clip or wing into the ceiling first and push it into your ceiling.