We here at Boulevard Auto Repair recommend that you check your car, truck, utility vehicle, or van’s battery regularly. Check the battery case for bubbling, cracking, or warping. Check the battery terminals for corrosion. If you see any of these things, it’s a good idea to have your battery tested before you bother to clean the terminals. If the battery is still good, you can clean the battery’s terminals to help keep the battery operating as it should be. If the battery is too old, it’s better to replace it.
To Clean the Terminals, Gather Some Supplies
When you are ready to clean your battery’s terminals, gather some supplies that you’ll need for the job. It really is a simple DIY job, and you probably already have everything you need to do it in your home. What you need are rubber gloves, distilled water, baking soda, a spray bottle, an old toothbrush, a lint-free cloth, and petroleum jelly. Head to the store and pick up anything that you don’t have.
Mix the Cleaning Solution and Disconnect the Battery Cables
With your car parked in a well-ventilated area, turned off, and the parking brake set, put on your rubber gloves and mix one tablespoon of baking soda with one cup of distilled water. Stir the mixture until the baking soda dissolves completely in the water. Set the cleaning solution aside and disconnect your negative battery cable first, which is the black cable, and then the positive cable, which is the red cable.
Scrub Away the Corrosion Using the Old Toothbrush
Dip the old toothbrush into your cleaning solution to saturate the bristles completely. Use the old toothbrush bristles to scrub away the corrosion that has built up on your car battery’s terminals. Make sure that you scrub away all of the corrosion. Once all of the corrosion is gone, rinse the battery terminals using a spray bottle filled with distilled water.
Protect the Terminals and Reconnect the Cables
Dry the battery and its terminals thoroughly with the lint-free cloth and then take the petroleum jelly and put a little bit on your fingers. Coat both of the terminals lightly with a small amount of petroleum jelly. Reconnect the battery cables by connecting the positive (red) cable to its terminal first, and then the negative (black) cable to its terminal.
Voilà! Your battery terminals are clean. Boulevard Auto Repair is the best auto service shop in Sherman Oaks, CA, and if you notice that your battery terminals corrode again quickly, stop by our shop so we can replace your battery.
