There are over 264 million cars and trucks registered to be on the road. Each one of those cars has a battery to help power it on and run the electronics. 

With that many batteries in use, there are bound to be some mistakes and mishaps. Each of these car batteries has battery acid in them, which is extremely caustic. 

If you find spilled battery acid, you need to use proper procedures to clean it up to ensure that no one gets accidentally burned. 

Protect Yourself 

The liquid inside of your battery is caustic, and these chemicals can irritate your skin, eyes, and lungs. Do not start any cleaning project before you put on protective gear. Always wear gloves that are latex, rubber, or nitrile. 

For the greatest amount of protection, you should also wear goggles and a mask. Battery acid can get into the air around a spill, which you can then breathe in. 

If at any time you feel a burning sensation, leave the area immediately, remove contaminated clothing, and rinse the burning area with lukewarm water for at least 30 minutes. 

What Is Battery Acid? 

Car batteries typically have sulfuric acid in them. Full strength sulfuric acid will eat through several materials, including metal. At lower concentrations, like in batteries, it's still dangerous. Upon contact with the skin, it will cause chemical burns and secondary thermal burns. 

When cleaning this caustic chemical, you need to focus on neutralizing and diluting. 

Remove the Battery 

Since a car battery is large, place it inside of a trash bag. Then put it all into a second trash bag. It's best to skip those flimsy kitchen bags and instead opt for the thicker yard/garage bags. 

Do not throw the battery away in the regular trash. You need to look up how to properly dispose of it in your area. 

Clean the Spilled Acid 

Locate the entire area where the battery acid spilled and pour baking soda over it. Be generous with your pour and keep adding baking soda until the new stuff doesn't fizz or bubble. You should also pour some into the trash bags holding the battery. 

Hard surfaces will clean up relatively quickly. Soft or fabric surfaces may require you to let the baking soda sit for a few hours so it can soak up all of the acid. You should see the baking soda turn into a crusty mud-like consistency. 

Clean up the baking soda and then rinse the area thoroughly. Using plenty of water will dilute any remaining acid. The better it gets diluted, the less dangerous and caustic it becomes. 

Clean up Your Spilled Battery Acid 

If you discover that your battery has spilled its acid, you need to act fast. The longer the acid is allowed to sit somewhere, the more corrosion and damage it will cause. So put on your gloves, goggles, and mask. 

Start by removing the battery, so you prevent more acid from spilling and creating a bigger mess. Then work to neutralize and dilute the spilled battery acid. 

Prevent a battery acid leak in the future by replacing your battery with a sealed one from our inventory.