What to do when batteries leaks

[atw1226]

Hi all,

 

I just wanted to share a tip when you have alkaline batteries in your devices. Alkaline batteries (AA, AAA, 9V, etc.) are used in electronics such as remotes. When it leaks due to low voltage or due to it being expired it's usually really bad for the electronic its in. Even if you wipe it off, it's still attacking the metal traces in the device. You'll most likely see a blueish corrosion on the battery terminals. What most people will refer to this process is the battery is leaking "battery acid". Even though most people will call this battery acid, it's not technically an acid. It is actually a base. So, in order to  neutralize the so called "battery acid", you'll need to use some acid. The most common acid we have around the house as acetic acid, or in other words, vinegar.

 

What I do when this happens is that I use a dropper (or an oral syringe) and I drop some drops to the parts that touched the leaked battery. The contact between the vinegar and the leaked battery will being to fizz. I continue to do this until the solution no longer fizzes. Once that's done, I remove the solution carefully with a napkin. Then I use 99% rubbing alcohol to clean the connectors, to make sure there's no more water in the electronic.

 

Hope this helps someone.