If you’ve ever owned a toy that runs on batteries, you’ve probably experienced what it feels like to have them leak. This can be incredibly annoying, especially if the leak managed to get into some of your other toys as well and contaminated them, too. Luckily, cleaning leaked batteries is not a difficult task. If you catch it quickly, there are things you can do to prevent the leak from getting worse and keep it from seeping into other toys and other parts of your home. Here is how you can clean leaked batteries in 5 easy steps.
Step 1: Find Out Where The Leak Is Coming From
The first thing you want to do when you see batteries have leaked in your house is figure out where the leak is coming from. You can usually tell what kind of batteries they are by their color. Nine times out of ten, this will be a leak from AA or AAA batteries. If there is a battery that has leaked inside of one of your toys, you will have to clean out the toy first in order to clean the batteries. If it’s a battery leak that has gotten out onto the floor or into a drawer, you will have to clean everything around it with a mild cleaner. Once you know what you’re dealing with, you can move on to the next step.
Step 2: Clean Up The Batteries And Area Around Them
If you’re dealing with a battery leak that has spread from one toy to another, you’ll want to clean them all off first. Use a mild cleaner to get off any of the leaked substance and make sure you clean around the batteries as well. You don’t want any of the leaked substance getting into any other toys or getting on anything else in the house. Once the batteries are clean, you can move on to the surrounding area. You will want to wipe down any of the surfaces that the leaked substance came in contact with. If some of it got on your clothes or bedding, you will want to wash them as soon as possible. If some of the leaked substance got on a toy that is still functional, you will want to wipe it down with a dry cloth to make sure you don’t get it wet.
Step 3: Use A Humidifier To Help Repair The Damage
Batteries can do a lot of damage to a toy that they leak inside of. If you’ve caught the leak early enough, you can use a humidifier to help the toy’s insides repair and become as good as new. Put the toy in a box or a plastic bag and then place a humidifier inside with it. The humidifier will emit water vapor into the box or bag and help the toy’s insides repair and get back to normal. You’ll want to leave the humidifier inside with the toy for a few days so that it truly has time to repair. You can also use a humidifier to help clean up the spilled battery acid. You will want to put an old towel or cloth inside of the box first, and then place the batteries on top of that. Place the humidifier on top of the batteries, and leave it there for at least a day or two.
Step 4: Dry Out The Area And Let It Breathe
If the battery leak is inside a toy, you will want to dry out the area first. You can use a hairdryer on low heat to dry out the insides of a toy, or you can use a towel to wipe the area down with a dry cloth. You don’t want to use a wet cloth or towel because water can actually spread the acid and make the damage even worse. Once the area has dried out, you will want to open all the windows and doors in your house so that the area can breathe and air out. Letting the air circulate in the house will help to get rid of any scent left behind by the battery leak so that it doesn’t linger in your house and affect the way the other people in your house feel while they’re inside.
Step 5: Double Check That Everything Is Dry
After you’ve opened up the windows and let the air in, you will want to make sure that everything is actually dry. You can use a dry cloth to wipe down every surface in your house that the battery leak touched. Make sure that you wipe down the floorboards as well, and don’t forget about your clothes and bedding. Once everything is dry, you can make sure that the batteries are dry as well. If the batteries are still wet, you will want to leave them out in the open so that the sun can dry them out. You don’t want to try to put moist batteries back in a toy because the moistness can corrode the toy.
Conclusion
Batteries can leak for a variety of reasons. It can be because they’re old and worn out, or it can be because they’re just not being used correctly. Whatever the reason may be, batteries can get messy if they leak. Luckily, cleaning leaked batteries is not a difficult task. If you catch it quickly, there are things you can do to prevent the leak from getting worse and keep it from seeping into other toys and other parts of your home.