Do not attempt to clean leaking batteries.

Protect work surfaces with newspaper or disposable cloths and work in a well-ventilated space.

Remove the Batteries

Wearing gloves, remove the batteries from the unit.

Open battery laid in halves with corrosion in the middle closeup

The Spruce / Sarah Lee

Neutralize the Battery Corrosion

Pour about one tablespoon ofdistilled white vinegaror freshlemon juicein a small bowl.

Dip a cotton swab or old toothbrush into the solution and saturate the corroded areas of the battery case.

Dry the Battery Case

Use a paper towel to thoroughly dry the battery case and contact points.

Materials and tools to clean battery corrosion

The Spruce / Sarah Lee

Dip a cotton swab in the mixture and rub the contact points.

Move to a new cotton tip as any rusty residue is transferred.

The contact points can also be polished with a pencil eraser to remove traces of corrosion residue.

Batteries with corrosion removed from device with yellow gloves

The Spruce / Sarah Lee

Do not mix old and new batteries.

While less prone to leakage than alkaline batteries, they are more corrosive and the clean-up is handled differently.

Remove and Dispose of Batteries

Remove the batteries and dispose of them following wasteguidelinesin your community.

Distilled white vinegar and lemon juice mixed in small bowl with cotton swab to neutralize battery corrosion

The Spruce / Sarah Lee

Do not attempt to recharge batteries that have leaked.

Empty the powder into a trash can for disposal.

Dip a cotton swab in the mixture and rub the contact points.

Cotton swab rubbing away battery corrosion with solution on device

The Spruce / Sarah Lee

When no more residue is transferred, carefully dry the contact points with a paper towel.

Insert new batteries into the unit and charge, if necessary.

But when it happens, it is very dangerous and highly combustible.

Battery case contact points dried with paper towel

The Spruce / Sarah Lee

Do not attempt to clean lithium battery corrosion.

Consult a hazardous waste professional for the proper disposal of lithium batteries.

Tips to Prevent Battery Corrosion

Sulfuric Acid Poisoning Information.

Cotton swab dipped in baking soda and water solution polishing battery case contact points

The Spruce / Sarah Lee

Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai.

Pervasive health threats of unregulated battery recycling.

United States Environmental Protection Agency.

New batteries inserted into device battery case

The Spruce / Sarah Lee

Battery with nickel cadmium corrosion removed from camera

The Spruce / Sarah Lee

Baking soda sprinkled inside battery case of camera

The Spruce / Sarah Lee

Cotton swab with baking soda paste wiping battery contact points

The Spruce / Sarah Lee

new batteries inserted into battery case of camera

The Spruce / Sarah Lee

Batteries stored in black and white checkered pattern box next to houseplant

The Spruce / Sarah Lee