Cleaning corrosion in Pb battery terminals...

[Externet]

Hi.

The typical suggestion found is to use hot baking soda (base) paste/solution to dissolve/neutralize the acid (as read somewhere)   But the corrosion buildup is a salt; isn't it ?  Like copper sulphate ?

Also found the use of vinegar often mentioned.  But vinegar is an acid.  How that works ?

What about borax ?   What about Portland cement (strong base) ?  Would they work cleaning the corrosion well enough ?

[MigL]

After you make a good connection between cables and posts, coat them liberally with petroleum jelly, and you won't need to worry about corrosive build up.

The build up is mostly a surface effect, but it is  acidic/corrosive.
I don't recommend spraying large amounts of water on your battery ( although little doesn't hurt ).
And if you're concerned about getting the stuff on you, or in your eyes, a small steel brush is probably not a good idea either ( although that is what I do )
The baking soda will neutralize the acid, making it safer to handle, but it still needs to be scraped off.
The vinegar or lemon juice will actually help it dissolve better with a little water ( never actually done this; just guessing ).

Edited June 6, 2020 by MigL

[Dord]

I cleaned some terminals with lime juice and an old toothbrush the other day - they came up a treat. Thanks for the Vaseline tip, I'll give it a go +1.