Corrosion in battery terminals...

[Externet]

Good day.

Typical image from the web on automotive battery.  Cleaning with wet hot baking soda is effective, the something-impregnated felt disks work well,

 

What household product is also effective to keep the corrosion away  ?

[exchemist]

16 minutes ago, Externet said:

Good day.

Typical image from the web on automotive battery.  Cleaning with wet hot baking soda is effective, the something-impregnated felt disks work well,

 

What household product is also effective to keep the corrosion away  ?

Petroleum jelly is the classic way, I believe.

[StringJunky]

Silicone grease

[Externet]

Thanks.   Can ammonia or oven cleaner work as a more 'householdish' products ?

[StringJunky]

41 minutes ago, Externet said:

Thanks.   Can ammonia or oven cleaner work as a more 'householdish' products ?

How will those work to isolate the bare metal from the atmosphere?

[Externet]

Thank you.  The same way the impregnated felt discs that work very well by 'proximity' without covering the metals  ?

Applying a grease/vaseline covers/shields the metal from fumes? to avoid the corrosion;  fluids applied do something different more in the neutralizing the fumes action, and the felt rings work in some other way I do not know.   A pertinent patent mentions lithium grease + sodium bicarbonate + magnesium oxide 🤨 as the chemicals that impregnate the felt pads.

Would felt impregnated in weak household ammonia perform ?

[TheVat]

 Longterm prevention, if you're getting the corrosion on the negative terminal, is to run the engine at idle without accessories running for a couple minutes each day.  This can prevent undercharge, which is the root cause of the buildup.  If corrosion is on positive terminal then it's overcharging.  IIRC that's less common.

Either way, a failing alternator can cause incorrect charging and so corrosion to increase.  Vented sulfuric acid vapor is reacting with the copper terminal and forming copper sulfate.  So, as others note, petrolatum is a good way to seal off the copper.

[Sensei]

7 hours ago, Externet said:

What household product is also effective to keep the corrosion away  ?

Make your own sandblaster..

(I would design and 3D print the whole thing he has in hand)