Alkaline batteries, or disposable batteries, are the most common kind found in household items such as your remotes or children toys. We tend to forget about them when we store items in a portable or self-storage unit but they can become quite hazardous to our health if not handled properly.
If you know you are going to store something for a period of time exceeding a few months, remove the batteries from that item prior to storage. Batteries that are not in use for awhile are at an increased risk of exploding or leaking. The junk that flows out of that battery is especially harmful to us. So, are you supposed to throw away all of those batteries? Not exactly but there are significant warnings you should heed when using or storing batteries.
- Throw away any batteries that stop working. They can damage devices.
- Avoid mixing and matching batteries with different manufacture dates in a single device or container. They can react to each other and cause malfunction or leakage.
- Never store alkaline batteries with other metal such as, staples or change. Contact with metal can cause them to short-circuit and possibly leak.
- Do not store batteries with opposing ends touching each other. Make sure all positive ends face the same way to reduce occurrence of damage.
- Avoid mixing batteries of different types and ages. Older batteries will suck energy from newer ones. Never remove caps from 9V batteries until they are in use.
- Make sure any batteries that you store can’t be smashed or damaged. Keep them in a sturdy container.
By taking extra precautions when storing batteries or storing items that use batteries, you can ensure the longevity of your stuff. It also helps in keeping you, your children and your pets safe from toxic chemicals that are especially hazardous to one’s health. And, no matter what, never store batteries in extreme heat or freezing cold. This only causes batteries to explode, leak or become damaged.
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