I recently had an old Tenergy 12V sealed lead-acid battery in my garage burst, and now there's battery acid spilled down the wall, all over the table, and onto the concrete. Most of it has hardened, and there's also some green liquid residue. I'm wondering if it's safe for me to clean it up myself or if I should hire someone for the job. If I do need professional help, what kind of company should I look for?
2 Answers
Definitely use baking soda to neutralize the acid. After that, take the old battery to a local store like an Interstate Battery or any hardware shop that does battery recycling. Just a heads-up, in some places like Russia, they even offer discounts for trading in old batteries!
You can clean up the battery acid yourself, but make sure to do it safely! Use a lot of baking soda to neutralize the sulfuric acid. Mix it with some water to make a neutralizing solution, then clean it up with disposable towels and throw them away. Just remember, you can't toss the battery in the trash; it needs to be recycled.