The way you change a non-flourescent light bulb can help determine the life of the bulb, the quality of the light you get and the ease with which you can change it the next time.

When you take the old bulb out, try not to break it, and dispose of it safely. Now, before you even pick up the new bulb, wash your hands. If the bulb sits inside a glass shade or globe, you probably want to wash that anyway. Dry the shade or globe, and your hands, and then pick up the new bulb and install it.

If you are changing a tubular halogen bulb, the new one should be packed in a foam or paper sleeve. Hold it by that sleeve while installing it, then remove the sleeve and throw it away. Try not to touch the bulb with your bare skin at all.

The point is to avoid putting a fingerprint on the bulb - at least not an oily one. Keeping the bulb clean helps reduce the possibility of forming a "hot spot," which will shorten the life of the bulb. The hotter the bulb gets when it is on, the more important this becomes. That's why the halogen tubes are packed so that they can be installed without touching them at all.

Cleaning the glass shade or globe will improve the quality of the light you see. To make a screw-in bulb easier to remove later, you can try backing it out just a little after tightening it. This should help keep it from seizing to the socket.