Some Battery Basics…

Many (if not most!) of the things in our lives run on batteries. You’ll get a charge out of these battery basics.

Cheapest won’t save you money. The old zinc-carbon batteries run out of juice and may leak acid into whatever device you buy them for. Chances are these came with that toy you bought so replace them with brand-name alkaline batteries.

They have a shelf-life. Don’t buy huge quantities at a time and don’t pick out the package with all the dust on it! You can prolong their life by keeping them cool (in the refrigerator is not necessary), not mixing old and new batteries, removing them when you don’t expect to use the device for several months, and buying a battery tester. Rechargeables last longer but you should charge them every 6-9 months.

Recycling is critical. Duracell says alkaline batteries can safely go in the trash (secure the ends with masking tape), but you’re better off recycling all your batteries (in California it’s mandatory). Stores like Best Buy and Office Max will take them or use a mail-in recycling program.