How To Remove A Corroded Battery From A Torch/Flashlight

While cleaning recently I came across a torch that I had forgotten about. It wouldn’t turn on so I unscrewed the end of the battery chamber and found a very badly corroded battery. It looked like it had corroded onto the inside of the torch. I tried to wiggle the battery out gently with a small screwdriver but it was stuck and wouldn’t move at all.

I was just about to give up and throw the torch away but decided to have a quick look online first to see if anyone had posted a solution to this problem. I was sure that I wouldn’t be the first person to forget to take the batteries out of a torch!

Some websites suggested drilling a hole in the battery and using a screw to get it out, but that sounded like way too much effort to go to for a cheap torch. I thought that there must be a chemical way to free up the battery.

Sure enough the link below suggested the use of lemon juice or vinegar with bi-carb soda (baking soda). That was something that I could easily try.

eHow home website: How to Get Corroded Batteries Out of a Flashlight

I recommend removing any unaffected parts first (such as the globe) so that they are not damaged during the process.

My torch is small so I added a teaspoon of white vinegar and a couple of small lumps of bi-carb soda. It fizzed and bubbled quite a bit and I had to tap the torch body on the bench several times. I repeated this process about 3 times and eventually the battery slid out.

I then cleaned the inside of the torch with a small brush, dried it out with a dry cloth and put the torch out in the hot sun to ensure it was dried out completely.

When I put the torch back together and inserted a new battery it worked perfectly so I can highly recommend the above link.