Table of Contents
Batteries are crucial because they practically power our entire lives; from car batteries for our vehicles to alkaline batteries for our devices and beyond, we’ve come to rely heavily on them. As a result, knowing how to clean battery corrosion is critical. Otherwise, debris and corrosion will render them completely useless, rendering us completely useless as well.
Whether it’s the battery in your car or a regular household battery (including 9V), batteries tend to collect dirt and sometimes corrode. Battery grime can cause acid to leak from your battery and shorten the life of your battery. Keeping your battery connections clean can not only extend the life of your battery but also save you money. Understanding how to clean battery corrosion is essential.
Cleaning your battery connections, primarily if the corroded terminals, will help your battery last longer and perform better. Corrosion appears as a crusty, fuzzy substance that leaves a mess on your car battery terminals and cable ends. Corrosion can prevent the battery’s power from flowing through the cables if enough corrosion forms between the cable ends and the terminals.
Cleaning battery corrosion would become more accessible, taking professional help. Nowadays, there are a lot of companies that provide battery corrosion cleaning. These companies have professional cleaning teams that are experienced and trained to give the best service possible. If you can’t clean battery corrosion at home, you can reach one of these companies and take their help.
Your vehicle’s battery survived the winter, but even as temperatures rise, it appears sluggish, which is a common sign of battery terminal corrosion. Corrosion interrupts the flow of electricity from the automotive battery to the battery terminal, which can impact your vehicle’s electrical system.
Corrosion Removal from a Car Battery Terminal
It is not necessary to remove the battery from the vehicle to inspect or clean it. Therefore Firstly, open the car hood to examine the conditions of battery corrosion. It is usually located on the front-left side of the engine block. Examine the general condition of your car battery visually. You can begin the cleaning process if the battery is not cracked or leaking battery acid. These steps help you learn how to clean the battery corrosion of a car here.
#1. Examine the corrosion on the battery and cables
Lift the plastic covers on top of the battery up and to the sides. The terminal/clamp interface will be revealed as a result of this. Inspect the battery cables and clamps for signs of excessive wear or corrosion. Corrosion manifests itself as a white, ashy deposit on one or both battery posts. Follow the cleaning instructions below if the cables and clamps are slightly corroded or have a small amount of buildup.
#2. How to clean battery corrosion, disconnecting the negative and positive clamps
You must first disconnect the battery before cleaning it. To do so, use a wrench to loosen the clamp nuts. Remove the negative clamp, denoted with a “-,” first. Remove the positive clamp, denoted by a “+,” only after the negative clamp has been removed.
The clamps may be difficult to remove, primarily if they are heavily eroded. To remove them, you may need to use pliers.
Avoid touching the tool to the car frame (or anything else metal) or the battery while working. This will cause the battery to short out
#3. Scrape off corrosion deposits with an old butter knife
Using the sharper edge of a used butter knife, scrape off heavy deposits from your battery terminals. To chip off bits of corrosion, hold the knife’s blade at a 45-degree angle and press it down along the surface of the battery. After removing the significant deposits, use a wire brush or steel wool to remove any remaining deposits.
#4. After brushing the battery clean, rinse it with water
When the baking soda mixture stops foaming, and there are no significant deposits to be scraped off, rinse the battery thoroughly to remove all of the corrosion dust and to cry baking soda. 2 cups (470 mL) of distilled water should be poured over the battery and the positive and negative terminals.
Rub a dry rag over the terminals 2-3 times to ensure scorched. Make sure to use a rag that is free of grease and oil!
#5. To prevent corrosion, smear petroleum jelly onto the clean terminals
Smear a thin layer of petroleum jelly across both the positive and negative terminals with two fingers. While doing this, make sure your vinyl gloves are still on. Applying hydrophobic petroleum jelly to the now-clean terminals will keep corrosion at bay in the future.
How to clean battery corrosion using home ingredients
#1 Firstly, make your battery cleaners with the ingredient you have
The recipe is straightforward. Stir together one tablespoon of baking soda and one cup of water until thoroughly combined.
#2 Inspect the battery after undoing the cables
Check that your engine is turned off. First, open the hood and disconnect the negative battery cable. Then connect the positive cable to your battery. Some batteries may be found in the trunk or beneath a seat. (For more information, consult your owner’s manual) Then, evaluate your battery. Buildup, battery corrosion, and grime on the terminals can all hurt the performance of your engine and battery. If the battery case appears to be leaking, swollen, or bloated, skip the cleaning and head to your nearest Firestone Complete Auto Care for a new battery. It’s on its way out!
#3 Drain your cleaner from a toothbrush and start scrubbing
Scrub the terminals with an old toothbrush dipped in baking soda cleaner. This will require some elbow grease, and you will need to clean off the toothbrush as you work. Thoroughly clean the terminals until all of the buildups have been removed. Do not return the toothbrush to the bathroom!
#4 Use water to rinse the residue off the dry
Give the battery a quick rinse after you’ve removed all of the corrosion and dirt from the terminals. Fill a spray bottle halfway with water and squirt it down the terminals. If you don’t have a spray bottle, you can also use a damp rag to clean everything. Then, using another rag, completely dry the terminals.
#5 Reattach the cables after rubbing petroleum jelly on the terminals
After the terminals have dried, dab some petroleum jelly on them. This will lubricate them, aid in preventing further corrosion, and strengthen the connection. Reconnect the positive and negative cables, and you’re good to go! Caution: Using too much petroleum jelly can result in a poor connection.
Safety precautions
- Not allowing the corrosion to touch your skin, wearing eye protection, and working in a well-ventilated area.
- Put on some gloves for protection (made from rubber or similar material).
- Remove the leaking battery from the battery compartment.
- Remove the faulty battery and place it in a plastic bag.
- Using a cloth, remove any white, solid materials (loose corrosion).
- Fill a cup or a bowl halfway with white vinegar.
- Wipe the contacts with a cotton swab dipped in white vinegar.
- Then, dunk a new swab in clean water and wipe away any excess vinegar from the contacts.
- Using a clean towel, dry the contacts.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q-What is the symptoms of battery terminal corrosion?
Following are symptoms of battery terminal corrosion –
- Slowly turning the crank.
- The engine is difficult to start.
- When the key is turned, there is a lot of clicking.
- Check Engine or other dash warning light illuminated due to lower-than-normal voltage.
Q: What are the ingredients you already have that help you clean battery corrosion?
Following are the ingredients that we already have –
- gloves or other protective gloves
- Sodium bicarbonate
- Water, an old toothbrush, a rag, and petroleum jelly
Q-From where do we get professionals who know how to clean battery corrosion?
Get their contact number online or may even contact them through email. They have the expertise and would quickly get your battery free of corrosion. They advanced techniques and knowledge to clean each battery corrosion. They even charge reasonably. Thus you can take professional help on how to clean battery corrosion.
Conclusion
Finally, answering how to clean battery corrosion is a challenging task. However, it is essential to maintain the good life and health of your electronic devices and automobile. Every electronic device is expensive, and battery corrosion can damage them entirely. Even your vehicles are valuable, and any damage can primarily affect your pocket. Maintaining a good battery would help your devices, vehicles, and even you. Try to check battery corrosion in a fixed time to prevent yourself from bigger damage.
Check out this article on how to clean thermal paste off your CPU. It’s pretty related to the process of cleaning battery corrosion.
The steps mentioned above and tips you can apply and perform to clean battery corrosion at home. Follow the step by step to clean the corrosion. While cleaning or removing corrosion, you must take care of your hands. Use proper safety measures, or else you can cause yourself trouble. Handle everything with utmost care and slowly. Hastily doing it can harm you and your device. Following each step with proper care would make your battery clean and remove corrosion from them. Well, no one will ever face a problem with how to clean battery corrosion anymore.
