How to Clean Corrosion Off of Battery Terminals in a Digital Camera

Many digital cameras use alkaline batteries to power the device, containing potassium hydroxide. However, alkaline batteries sometimes leak when they are left in any device too long. The best digital camera may not work if you do not know how to clean corrosion off of battery terminals in a digital camera. As a rule, you may want to find out how to change the battery in a digital camera to remove or replace batteries after use. Alternatively, if the corrosion has seeped into the device, you might want to know how to perform a DIY digital camera repair.

Cleaning Corrosion Off of Battery Terminals in a Digital Camera

Anyone who has owned an electronic for a long time, especially a TV remote or camera, knows that batteries leak occasionally. Cleaning this corrosion off of battery terminals on any device can be dangerous. The batteries used in electronics typically contain alkaline acid, made up of potassium hydroxide. Although alkaline is less hazardous than sulphuric acid within lead batteries, it can still cause damage to yourself or other items that come into contact with it. So while cleaning up your camera, you need to know how to clean a digital camera sensor.

Safety Precautions for Cleaning Battery Corrosion

Battery acid, also called battery leakage, can ruin devices that come in contact with it, especially if they were holding the battery when it began leaking. To avoid further corrosion, you should carefully remove the batteries while wearing rubber gloves and safety goggles. If you come in contact with the acid, it could result in acid burns on your skin. Additionally, you will need to find out how to dispose of ruined batteries properly. Read on to find out how to clean the corrosion off your device.

Steps to Clean Your Battery Terminals

• Tools needed:
  • Lemon juice, vinegar, or baking soda and warm water mixture
  • Cotton swabs
  • Rubber Gloves
  • Safety Goggles

1. Put on safety equipment. Before touching any part of the camera covered in acid, you should put on safety goggles and rubber gloves. To prevent damage to the table’s surface, you may want to lay some newspaper or scrap paper down.
2. Make sure your camera is turned off. Trying to remove the leaking batteries while the camera is on can harm you, just as cleaning other electronics while they are plugged in would.
3. Neutralize the acid using vinegar, lemon juice, or a baking soda mixture. Each of these liquids should neutralize the acid, making it less harmful. Multiple camera brands recommend vinegar or lemon juice. A baking soda mixture should contain warm water and baking soda.
4. Dip your cotton swab in the liquid and brush the cotton swab along the inside of the battery compartment. Do not apply the liquid directly to the device, as this can fall through any cracks in the surface. Instead, make sure to gently cover the acid using a cotton swab to avoid damage to the battery terminals.
5. Repeat step four on the cover of the battery compartment. Battery acid often ends up on both these areas, so you probably will need to clean the cover as well.
6. Use a nail file, metal tool, cardboard, or fiberglass pen brush to remove hard-to-remove acid residue. You should only do this if you didn’t remove all the corrosion with the cotton swab and mixture. You still need to be gentle while cleaning.
7. Wipe the surface again with the juice, vinegar, or mixture. By doing this, you neutralize the remainder of the acid. You don’t need to wipe the surface multiple times after removing all of the acid spots. If this process still didn’t work, you may need to try using a dry cloth or damp cloth, but make sure it is a clean cloth.
8. Let the compartment dry, then place new batteries inside. If you still have battery acid on the compartment or battery contacts, you may need to send the camera in for cleaning. But, after it’s fully cleaned and batteries are replaced, connect the digital camera to a computer to test it.

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