This might sound unusual, but many people never check their batteries at all. They don’t do it for months on end to see how they’re doing.
The assumption is that anything under the hood is strictly technical, save for checking water levels, so it’s got to be handled by experts only.
In the end, such cars never have their batteries cleaned, and as months go by, the gunk accumulates to dangerous levels.
But the fact remains: a car battery is just as important as the car’s engine and it must be kept clean and functional. That said, how do you clean your car’s battery the right way?
What makes a battery dirty?
At first thought, it’s strange to imagine a battery getting dirty. After all, it’s only a plastic box with liquids in it.
Batteries, like other main parts of a car, are always prone to dirt. That’s due to the nature of their purpose, their exposed location and their involvement with chemical compounds.
Batteries tend to accumulate dust from their surroundings, gunk from any liquids and chemical spills as well as corrosion. That is the by-product of the chemical reactions that happen on its inside.
Over time, all these accumulate, especially around the + and – charge terminals.
How to clean your car’s battery?
If you cannot get your car to the nearest mobile car wash near you, or the best car wash in Malibu per se, you can still do it on your own:
- Switch off your engine. This is strictly for safety purposes (but it also helps to save gas). The battery operates when the car is on, so switching it off keeps you safe from burns and other injuries.
- Focus on the positive terminal first and look for the nut that attaches the terminal to the positive cable.
- Identify it and loosen it with a wrench. When finished, inspect your negative terminal and follow the same instructions. When you’re done, your battery will be free for cleaning.
- Get one tablespoon of baking soda and mix it in one cup of water to create a mixture. That will be used for the clean-up.
- Starting with the terminals, dip a toothbrush into the mixture and use it to scrub off any corrosion you see on them; it will be a whitish ash-like substance.
Make sure you leave each terminal sparklingly clean; you might need more toothbrush dips for that.
- Next, spray some water onto each terminal using a spray bottle or anything else you can find until it’s clean. Then, proceed to dry all the water away. If you do not have baking soda, you can always use either Pepsi or Coca Cola instead.
- Finally, apply some petroleum jelly onto the terminals for lubrication and then attach the cables back to their terminals.
- Inspect your work, close the bonnet and pat yourself on the back.
Just like with cleaning your battery, you need to keep every other part of your car clean for optimum functioning. It’s normal to get so busy that you don’t have time to clean it. The people from Mobile Wash – the best car wash in San Diego – understand that. That’s why they offer you an excellent mobile car wash package starting at only $22. Find a local Mobile Wash by calling (888) 209-5585. You can also make an order through their car wash app.