Battery Care
Cleaning
Check the owners manual of your device to see if it has specific instructions for cleaning (if any) for the battery
For most batteries, wiping with a clean dry cloth is about the most you can do.
Do not ever spray any sort of water or cleaner directly on a battery.
Charging
Start with a battery that’s at about room temperature.
NEVER charge a frozen battery. It won’t work very well and if it’s a lithium battery, you will permanently damage (lower the capacity) of the battery.
Don’t charge hot-to-the-touch batteries. Let them cool down first. In the past some batteries would warm up significantly while charging but that’s mostly a thing of the past except for extremely cheaply designed batteries/battery chargers/devices
Charge the battery in the device if possible/applicable, otherwise use the external charger provided with the item.
If it’s something that charges via a USB port, use a quality USB power supply. That 99 cent one sold at a gas station might damage the battery.
If the battery was dropped: check it for damage first. If there are cracks/dents in the case or something is rattling around inside, it’s time to retire the battery. Otherwise, if you have a technical minded person around, have them inspect it for problems before charging it.
Please don’t try to recharge non rechargeable batteries (Alkaline or Lithium one-use batteries (coin cells))
Storage:
Lithium based batteries: charge it to about 50-80% capacity then store it. Charging to 100% can damage the battery if left for long periods.
Lead Acid batteries: store attached to a float charger or charge to 100% before storage.
Store batteries in a cool but not cold place, and recharge every 6mo to maximize life.