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eye protection, and was spared serious injury or blindness.

As a further precaution never wear rings or bracelets when working around car batteries. They will also weld themselves to what ever you bump against and in the process the burn to your finger will be severe. You may even loose the finger as a result of lose of circulation when it's burned all the way around the finger.

Once you have safely disconnected the battery, cleaning is straight forward and simple. A mixture of Baking Soda and water, made into a loose paste, should be brushed over the battery clamps. Not the actual terminals of the battery, just the cable clamps. If baking soda gets into the battery it will neutralize the acid and the battery will be junk.

The battery should be cleaned with a stiff bristle brush, not a steel wire brush. Once the baking soda has done it's job, and the battery has been brushed, wash the area thoroughly with the garden hose. There is no such thing as too much water. Water will neutralize any acid that has managed to spread around the area. If you have placed your acid stained hand on the painted finish, a good flushing of water will prevent any discoloration of the paint. Battery acid, if left undiluted will bubble paint in a hurry.

The next step is to use a battery cleaning tool, the best are the equivalent of a male and female wire brush that you place inside the battery clamp, or over the battery terminal and twist them. This action will give you a clean surface for the electrical connections when you reconnect the battery.

Use of a canned spray cleaning agent is not recommended. They don't do a good job of cleaning, and may leave a film that will interfere with the electrical connection.

Once you have reconnected the battery, remember Install the Positive Terminal First, and secured all connections, a light coating of grease or Vaseline will prevent corrosion from reoccurring. There is a spray coating available at auto parts stores that will accomplish this task as well.

Battery maintenance is mandatory , if you want to avoid being stranded. It's not difficult, but it can be messy. Take proper precautions and wear proper protective gear and you should be able to go a number of years between cleanings.

Learn more about this author, Curtis Carper.
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