Why You Should Keep the Battery Clean
Have you ever tried to jump start your car battery and was surprised that it was covered in gunk? Had you been wondering what the glop was, it was battery corrosion, formed by acid condensation. It may be cleaned by a simple chemical solution, since it has been formed by an acid. Something as simple as baking soda could easily clean the battery acid. Cleaning up your battery is not very difficult to carry out but you should take necessary precautions.
First off, you’ll want the tools which you can locate easily at home. The basic tools you need are a pair of safety glasses to protect your eyes, adjustable pliers and a screwdriver with insulated handles, a stiff bristled brush, and the key component, baking soda. Other items you need includes a metal or plastic scraper, box or open-end wrenches, cleaning brushes for the battery terminal, and either a turkey baster or small funnel. It is also necessary to have a container of water,rubber gloves, spray-on household cleaner and some sponges or clean cloths. This all will make sure a safe cleaning of the battery.
Safety Glasses Are a Must
You are going to have to have the safety glasses and rubber gloves to protect yourself from the sulfuric acid that’s contained in the corrosive deposits. Be careful to never get the deposits on the car since it will probably damage the car’s paint job. Depending on how corroded the battery is, the amount of cleaning that is needed may vary. It is possible, to get all of the debris and corrosion off of the battery, that the battery will need to be taken out of the vehicle. For this initial cleaning, you utilize the scraper and the bristle brush to remove as much of the dirt and corrosion as you can.
Basic Cleaning Solution
The next thing to do should be to mix one tablespoon of baking soda along with one pint of water then use it to clean the battery and the cable connections using the turkey baster. After that you can use the bristle brush to loosen and remove the debris from the battery and you want to remove the cables so that cleaning will be easier. Use the pliers or maybe assorted wrenches to loosen the connectivity before pulling them off, starting with the negative first, and then the positive. For other parts of the battery, use the brush to remove the deposits then rinse with the baking soda solution.
You can use the squirt cleaner and sponge to get rid of any additional dirt and grease. Dry everything off using a thoroughly clean cloth and after that reassemble everything the way you took it apart, reconnecting the positive first. At last, be certain that everything is attached and now you have a clean and safe battery.