Things You'll Need:
- Wrench
- Baking soda
- Toothbrush
- Rag
- Battery post brush
- Battery clamp brush
- Petroleum jelly
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Step 1
Use a wrench to loosen the nuts securing the battery cables to the battery. The size of the nut and wrench needed will vary depending on the make and model of the vehicle. Remove the black, negative cable first, usually marked with a minus sign. Remove the red, positive cable next, marked with a plus sign.
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Step 2
Pour baking soda onto both posts on the battery. Wet the toothbrush with water and scrub the baking soda into both the terminal posts and clamps. Continue to scrub until no more debris is visible. Use the rag to clean off each terminal post.
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Step 3
Slide the battery post brush over the top of one of the terminal posts. Move it up and down several times to remove all of the corrosion. Repeat for the other terminal post.
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Step 4
Use the battery clamp brush to scrub the corrosion from the battery clamps. Continue to scrub until no more debris remains. Dry and clean everything off, using a clean rag.
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Step 5
Cover all exposed metal on the battery cable, clamps, and terminal posts with petroleum jelly. This significantly slows the corrosion process. Replace the red, positive clamp first, then the black, negative clamp. Use the wrench to tighten the nuts and start the car to ensure everything is reconnected properly and working.
