The reason not to touch any halogen bulb is because your hands always have a little oil on them which will be transferred to the glass bulb. The oil or other residue on the glass will keep it from reaching its operating temperature or cause uneven heating of the bulb (not exactly sure).
In any event, if you do touch it, make sure you clean it thoroughly with alcohol. You could clean it with another solvent - TRICHLOROETHYLENE (available at hardware stores, "Sunnyside" sells it as "CARBO-SOL"). This is my favorite degreaser - I always use it on the metal surfaces before applying a gasket sealer. It is similar to brake cleaner, and is excellent for removing the adhesive from lables too, but be careful, it attacks some plastics. You could also use just plain old soap and water, just be sure there is no soap residue left on it.
[This message has been edited by Stuart Moss (edited July 30, 2000).] |