Cleaning the battery bay

[ZiggySmerlap]

In my 2020 Reatta, I want to clean the bay where the batteries and the disconnects are located. There are several automotive products that can be used, but I ran across a YouTube about Total Auto Wash P21s. It gets great reviews and I thought about using it and wondered if anyone else had tried it or had some other recommendations.

[Gooma]

Baking soda and water. Cheap and works great.

[brobox]

Originally Posted by Gooma

Baking soda and water. Cheap and works great.

Been using that method since 1973 on MH's I just purchased a yard sprayer with several tips. Next battery bay wash, I'll mix the baking soda in warm water and spray the bay.

[ZiggySmerlap]

Thanks. I've used the baking soda approach on my batteries. Will it work on the rest of the stuff in the bay, like the where the fuses, the filters and such?

[Mark_K5LXP]

I guess the question would be what are you trying to clean out of there. Anything more than a bit of dust in there once in a while indicates something needs to be done to minimize the reason it's coming in. If there's residue from electrolyte, then addressing the handful of reasons that's happening is a better solution than dealing with the ongoing after effects. Neutralizing with baking soda is tried and true but in a properly operating system should never be necessary.

Mark B.
Albuquerque, NM

[brobox]

Originally Posted by ZiggySmerlap

Thanks. I've used the baking soda approach on my batteries. Will it work on the rest of the stuff in the bay, like the where the fuses, the filters and such?

Believe me: this works better for cleaning engine bays, engines, etc than any high price cleaners. AWESOME cleaner from Dollar Tree. I purchase the 1 qt bottle and put my own sprayer on it. Onilne I see it being sold for as high as $20.
Don't spray water on the fuse box, maybe a lite mist, but not high pressure

[Turbojack]

Home Depot has 1 gallon jug at $10.48

[brobox]

Originally Posted by Turbojack

Home Depot has 1 gallon jug at $10.48

4 Qt bottles at the $ store @ $1.25= $5.00 Less than 1/2 price. But goes to show how good it is, even the Big Box Stores are carrying it. It was a $ store item only, 20 years ago.

[PeterFTH]

The only thing you NEED to keep clean are the tops of the batteries - dirt and grime can form a path for current to leach from the terminals. If they are dirty, put your VOM probes on the surface and the positive terminal - you will see a small voltage reading. I'm all for cleanliness but all I do is hose down the whole compartment from time to time to get rid of the accumulated road dust.

[ZiggySmerlap]

Here's a picture of the bay that I'm want to clean up. As you can see, it's more than the batteries that need to be cleaned up. Thoughts?

[brobox]

I use my pressure washer putting a plastic bag over the round fuse box. Never a problem