Perhaps, again, one of the things skipped when cleaning the house – light bulbs. Since they can be way up in the ceiling, light bulbs can be a chore to clean but you should. Grime from steam and vapors in the kitchen and dust can greatly reduce luminance. This is why you might suspect a bulb nearly going out with it’s dimmer than usual output. You might be replacing a bulb that’s still good, only dirty. Here are some tips on cleaning light bulbs.

• Dust them frequently. For a good cleaning, remove the bulbs from their fixtures and wipe them with a lint-free cloth. Just be careful with incandescent bulbs. They can be quite brittle so gently handle them.
• Instead of incandescent, you might want to consider using fluorescent “energy-saver” bulbs instead. They consume less energy while giving ample lighting.
• Be careful in handling hot bulbs! So better do your cleaning during the day when they’re turned off and cool to handle.
• To get a maximum effect, clean the fixtures too, especially the ones that have reflective surfaces that enhance lighting. These too can accumulate dust and affect lighting efficiency.