How to Clean Battery Corrosion

Batteries leak, which can cause a lot of problems over time. Even if you keep up on your battery maintenance and religiously follow their expiration dates, you still might wake up to find that your batteries are coated in white flaky substances or other evidence of battery corrosion.

Fortunately, cleaning up battery corrosion in Jefferson, WI is an easy task to undertake, and will help encourage better performance from your batteries. You’ll also save money, since cleaning your batteries will help you avoid needing to purchase new ones for a while. Here are some tips to get you started:

• Protect yourself and your workspace: Since you’ll be working with chemicals, make sure you protect your workspace. Use newspaper to protect the surface of your workspace, and consider using rubber gloves and goggles to ensure your eyes and skin aren’t harmed by the battery acid, should there be complications or you accidentally rub your eyes.
• Grab a handy household cleaner: Good old white vinegar is all you really need to clean up a corroded battery in Jefferson, WI. That’s because, despite the term “battery acid,” batteries actually leak an alkaline chemical that is a base on the pH scale. All you have to do is place a drop or two of vinegar or lemon juice on the surface where the corrosion is present, then wait a couple minutes to let it do its job.
• Use cotton swabs to clean up the corrosion: Dip your swab in the cleaning liquid and gently wipe away the crystallization. You should also wipe away any places where the crystallization has spread, such as in drawers or on packaging. Make sure not to get the chemicals on your skin or in your eyes.
• Remove other crystallization with a toothpick or other small pick: If there are crystallized bits that your cotton swab didn’t get rid of, use a toothpick or other small pick to remove the rest of the crystallization.

What to do to prevent future battery corrosion

Looking to prevent battery corrosion from being an issue in the future? Here are some measures you can take:

• Avoid using expired batteries: Expired batteries are far more likely to leak than fresh ones, so check the expiration date and safely recycle them when they are past their prime.
• Store at or below room temperature: Batteries are very sensitive to heat, which can affect their performance as well as how likely they are to leak. Make sure you always store your batteries at room temperature or below (not freezing) to ensure the longest lifespan possible.
• Never mix old and new batteries: If you’re changing batteries, don’t just replace one battery in your bay—replace them all at the same time. Mixing battery life as well as battery brands causes problems, and you’ll get better performance if you change them all at the same time.

Remis Power Systems Inc. has been providing high-quality commercial and industrial batteries and related services, such as cleaning battery corrosion, to Jefferson, WI clients since 1980. We can also help you safely recycle your expired batteries. Call us today to learn more about what we can do for you.

Categorised in: Batteries

This post was written by Writer