Forklift Battery Cleaning

· Gloves · Hot Water (130° F to 170° F) · ½ pound of baking soda or household ammonia · Detergent used for general cleaning · 1 gallon of clear water · Clean Paintbrush · Wire battery terminal brush · Damp cloth

Procedure

• Remove the battery from the forklift.

• Put on PPE

• Mix 1 pound of baking soda with 1 gallon of hot water

• Check the battery vent caps to make sure they are tight and secure before proceeding.

• Use the clean paintbrush to spread the solution over the top of the battery. The product will fizz—keep applying, doing your best to get under the intercell connectors and in the terminals, until the fizzing stops. Let the mixture sit for five minutes, then move on to the next step.

• Rinse the top of the battery with clean, hot water through a hose. If there is any solution or loose dirt left, keep rinsing. Check the battery to see if there’s any remaining dirt or solution left; if so, keep rinsing. Take your wire battery terminal brush to scrub away anything that remains if necessary. This is often necessary if you have a lot of calcium deposits on the top of the battery.

• Clean off the vent top with a clean, dry cloth and wait for the battery to completely dry.

• Return the battery to the forklift for operation.