Rust? - Berwyn,IL

baking soda

this is general
http://www.thepontiactransampage.com/rust.html

this is specific to a flashlight
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=2006121508155...

Maybe use an Emory nail file board... and sand it off.

Rub the metal poles with steel wool

Dip a Q tip in rubbing alcohol and scrub the leakage off.

Wipe away as much of the corrosion you can and then use fine grit sandpaper to get the rest.

Rusted batteries or ones that have a crust of white are no longer good and need to be disposed of immediately. It can be dangerous to keep them, so please don't try to use them and get new batteries. Many stores have a bin so you can take them with you to get new batteries and the store will properly get rid of the batteries. You shouldn't throw batteries in the trash because then the acid inside might leak out and contaminate the local water.

To clean the contacts inside a toy you have a variety of ways to get them clean. I try using disinfecting wipes first because the rust might be very superficial without having to risk the components inside the electronic device that might affect the function. I would not submerge a handheld game in water especially while turned on.

If the disinfecting wipes don't work, the using a bit of baking soda on the contacts and a scrubby like the kind to scrub pots. The Scotch green/blue scrubbies that don't have any cleaning chemicals can work well. If the rust still isn't off using some steel wool and baking soda can work well. If there is still rust, you can dry it and sand the rust off with an emery board or nail file.

After you have removed the rust, wipe the contacts off with a damp clean cloth and then dry with another clean cloth. You can use a hair dryer to make sure it is bone dry before putting in new batteries and turning on the electronic.

The batteries are no good once they've rusted. You don't want acid oozing out. Are the batteries even good anymore? If you mean remove rust of compartment then Cheryl O. has a good answer.