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Tuesday, January 03, 2012

Be Sure That Your Battery Power Is Safe Just By Keeping It Clean

By Brock Bond


Was there actually a time when your vehicle required jumpstarting, and your battery was barely visible through all the gunk? Had you been wondering what the crud was, it was battery oxidation, formed by acid condensation. It may be cleaned by way of a simple chemical solution, since it has been formed by an acid. A typical household product, specifically baking soda, can easily clean battery acid very easily. You have to take some safeguards, but safe cleaning of your battery is just following a few instructions.

You will need to first get the supplies you need, most of which can be found in your home. Safety glasses are nice to have for protecting your eyes, a box of baking soda is a necessary ingredient, adjustable pliers and screwdriver, with insulated handles, and a stiff-bristled brush to begin with. Some open-end and box wrenches, a plastic or metal scraper, cleaning brushes for a battery terminal, and a turkey baster or small funnel. Some sponges or clean cloths, a spray bottle with all-purpose household cleaner, some rubber gloves and a large bucket of clean water. This might seem like a lot of things for cleaning a battery, but we did say doing it safely.

A lot of the corrosive by-products possess sulfuric acid, so it is a wise idea to use the safety glasses to protect your eyes, and the rubber gloves for your hands. It is advisable to always keep this compound away from your car, mainly because it can eat away the paint. According to the measure of dirt and decay on the battery, the cleaning can vary, and some of the steps might not be necessary. It is possible, to get every last bit of debris and corrosion off of the battery, that the battery will need to be taken out of the vehicle. First make use of the plastic or metal scraper to get off just about any dirt it is possible to, and also use the bristle brush.

The next step is to make a mixture of one tablespoon of baking soda to a pint of water, and take the turkey baster, and carefully apply the solution to the outside of the battery, along with the cable connections. Work the solution of baking soda into the heavily corroded areas with the brush, and disconnect the battery cables from the terminals for easier cleaning. Use the pliers or assorted wrenches to loosen the connection before pulling them off, starting with the negative first, and then the positive. Brush off all of the corrosion from the terminals and all of the parts, and then flush each one with the baking soda solution.

When you can still find some dirt and grease remaining, use the spray household cleaner and sponge to get rid of them. Dry everything off using a thoroughly clean cloth and then reassemble everything the way you took it apart, reconnecting the positive first. Check things are secure and you finally have a clean, safe battery.




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