If a light bulb breaks in the socket, below are three tricks to help you safely extract it, without damaging your light fixture.
Bulb Removal Technique #1: Needle Nose Pliers
This method is simple, but proceed slowly and cautiously that you do not damage the light fixture. Grab a pair of needle nose pliers from your toolbox and carefully grab the metal rim of the bulb’s base; bend it slightly inwards if you necessary to get a better grip. With your pliers firmly latched on to the broken light bulb, try to gently unscrew it. If it doesn’t budge right away, repeat the process of bending the metal of the base inwards in a few more spots until it starts to budge or the base breaks apart altogether. Then remove any remaining remnants and throw them and the bulb in the trash.
Bulb Removal Technique #2: Raw Potato
Remember that grade school experiment when your teacher powered a light bulb using a potato? It turns out potatoes can do even more for light bulbs than just provide electricity. They can be used to safely extract the broken end of a light bulb from the socket.
There are two ways to try this method. First, slice a medium-sized raw potato in half, short ways. Dry off excess moisture with a paper towel, then push the cut end of the potato firmly onto the base, as deep as it will go—the glass filament support on the bulb’s base and any broken glass pieces protruding from the base should cut through the potato and bond the two together. Turn the potato counterclockwise until the lamp base begins to unscrew. Remove the broken light bulb’s base, throw away the potato and bulb, then pat dry any part of the fixture that may be wet.
If that attempt fails, you may need a tighter fit. So carve the round the end of the other half of the potato into a cylinder to fits snugly inside the socket (not overhanging the screw threads, like the previous method allows for). Press it firmly into the base of the lamp until it is securely attached, and twist the potato counterclockwise until it turns the base along with it.
Bulb Removal Technique #3: Commercial Broken Bulb Extractor
You may already have a commercial bulb extractor on hand or decide now’s the time to buy one. Available for around $10 at home improvement centers and well-rounded online retailers (see this well-reviewed tool from Bayco on Amazon), these tools are typically made to extract both standard sized or smaller incandescent bulbs. They have rubber tips that you simply wiggle into the bulb’s base, similar to the other methods, and rotate counterclockwise. If you have your pick of options at the store or online, consider choosing one with a base that enables it to be screwed onto a longer threaded pole—that way you have the flexibility to use it again if you need to remove hard-to-reach overhead lights in the future.
Information Provided by Bob Vila - How To's & Quick Tips