How to clean a cordless power tool battery and charger?

28th February 2020

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	How to clean a cordless power tool battery and charger


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			Using a soft brush, remove dust and debris from the contacts of the cordless power tool battery and charger. Dust can reduce the connection between charger, battery and cordless power tool, reducing their performances. It is also a fire hazard.

			Dust also needs to be removed from the cooling vents of a charger. It is important that the charger is able to cool the battery during charging or it will increase the length of time it takes for the battery to charge and could damage the battery.

			Unplug the charger before you clean it to prevent short circuiting the charger by accidentally joining the two contact terminals (positive and negative) together. Similarly, don’t use a metal brush to clean the contacts of batteries for the same reason.

			How to clean corroded contacts
			Contacts can corrode if a battery is left in a charger or cordless power tool during storage or if it has been exposed to a harsh environment.

			Follow the instructions below if you are cleaning a charger or a cordless power tool. If you need to clean the battery contacts, extra care must be taken to ensure you do not short circuit the battery. You can do this by very carefully cleaning and drying each contact in turn instead of cleaning them all at the same time. If you are worried, get your battery serviced instead.

			Step 1 – Remove electrical input Unplug the charger from the mains supply and remove the battery from the charger or cordless power tool.

			Step 2 – Clean contacts with vinegar Use a cotton bud dipped in vinegar (any sort will do) to rub at the corrosion on the contacts until the corrosion is loosened and the metal underneath polishes up.

			Step 3 – Clean contacts with water Wash the vinegar away with clean water using another cotton bud. The vinegar is an acid so needs to be removed thoroughly or it will corrode the contacts itself.

			Step 4 – Dry the contacts Air dry or use a hair dryer to dry the contacts. It’s essential that they are completely dry before the device is used again.