Revoming car battery acid from carpet/trunk

[spidey07]

A car battery leaked in the trunk and some acid or corrosive material got onto the carpet. It really stinks and you can smell it inside the car.

So how do you clean it? I threw some baking powder and water on it to try and neutralize it.

 

[Ronstang]

Pull the carpet out and hose it off. There is a good chance the carpet is already ruined though.

 

[Eli]

Baking soda and water will neutralize it.

You need to take the carpet out, though... Battery acid in your trunk is a sheet metal hole waiting to happen.

btw, battery electrolyte doesn't really have a smell... you're smelling things corroding.

 

[KLin]

How about vinegar?

 

[Eli]

Originally posted by: KLin
How about vinegar?

Wrong pH.

A copious amount of water will also neutralize the acid...

 

[KLin]

Originally posted by: Eli

Originally posted by: KLin
How about vinegar?

Wrong pH.

A copious amount of water will also neutralize the acid...

It might counteract the smell at least

 

[spidey07]

Well I do have 10s of gallons of deionized water, that should pull them danged ions out pretty quick.

 

[AccruedExpenditure]

I find this hillarious.

 

[zerocool84]

Originally posted by: Eli
Baking soda and water will neutralize it.

You need to take the carpet out, though... Battery acid in your trunk is a sheet metal hole waiting to happen.

btw, battery electrolyte doesn't really have a smell... you're smelling things corroding.

Yea baking soda works wonders. I also head any type of Cola will work but I have not tried it.

 

[Eli]

Originally posted by: zerocool84

Originally posted by: Eli
Baking soda and water will neutralize it.

You need to take the carpet out, though... Battery acid in your trunk is a sheet metal hole waiting to happen.

btw, battery electrolyte doesn't really have a smell... you're smelling things corroding.

Yea baking soda works wonders. I also head any type of Cola will work but I have not tried it.

Coke won't effectively neutralize acids, as it is acidic itself. It will clean corrosion off battery terminals, but will leave your battery all sticky.

 

[Evadman]

I burned a hole in my truck carpet with battery acid from a battery I bought at Home Depot. It was cracked and I didn't notice. It was outside and the battery was wet, I thought it was water; didn't realize it was acid. My shirt basically disintegrated in the wash and I have a snice orange square in my carpet now.

The fix? I ordered new carpet. $170 IIRC for a $29 battery

 

[Eli]

How much leakage are we talking about here?

If an automobile sized battery completely drained in your trunk, you are going to have issues if you don't take immediate action. If it's just a little spot, that should be easier to deal with.

 

[MmmSkyscraper]

Originally posted by: Ronstang
Pull the carpet out and hose it off with acid. There is a good chance the carpet will look good as new.

Fixed.

 

[sponge008]

See you in a month.

 

[Eli]

Originally posted by: sponge008
See you in a month.

:Q

Wonder what he said.. Must've been pretty bad for the mod to delete it.

 

[Mark R]

Originally posted by: Eli

Originally posted by: sponge008
See you in a month.

:Q

Wonder what he said.. Must've been pretty bad for the mod to delete it.

It was.

 

[spidey07]

Thanks for the tips.

I'll pull the carpet and hose/wash out the wazoo. If it's ruined, it ruined. Any specific tips on any corrisve material/acid from the battery on metal trunk lining?

 

[Eli]

Originally posted by: spidey07
Thanks for the tips.

I'll pull the carpet and hose/wash out the wazoo. If it's ruined, it ruined. Any specific tips on any corrisve material/acid from the battery on metal trunk lining?

Apply a baking soda and water paste to the affacted areas.. let it sit for a bit, scrub it around.. especially if you see bubbles.. and then rinse away.

 

[spidey07]

Originally posted by: Eli

Originally posted by: spidey07
Thanks for the tips.

I'll pull the carpet and hose/wash out the wazoo. If it's ruined, it ruined. Any specific tips on any corrisve material/acid from the battery on metal trunk lining?

Apply a baking soda and water paste to the affacted areas.. let it sit for a bit, scrub it around.. especially if you see bubbles.. and then rinse away.

In other words neutralize the acid, scrub, let time to it's thing and dilute. Gotcha.

thanks!

 

[BoomerD]

LOTS of water and baking soda. Baking soda (as already mentioned several times will help to neutralize the acid, although the damage may already be done to the carpet. The water and baking soda should however help to prevent any damage to the inside trunk floor.

 

[AgaBoogaBoo]

Let us know how it works out, hopefully your car is fine

 

[FoBoT]

soak it with seltzer or club soda then dry it out

repeat