How to fix – Apple Trackpad with an Alkaline Battery Leak

Don’t open up your trackpad just yet – Try this method first!

A consequence of using cheap alkaline batteries is it could leak and damage your electronic devices. Today, this happened to my Apple Magic Trackpad. I wasn’t willing to give up $69 USD to replace it just yet so I found some online remedies that would help clean and fix the the leak.

Here’s how

1. First, open up the battery compartment with a coin and remove and dispose of the batteries
   

   Apple Trackpad with Alkaline Battery Leak

   As you can see, there’s a lot of white powdery dust covering the slot where the batteries are placed.

2. Next, get yourself some regular white vinegar and some paper towels
   

   Regular white vinegar and paper towel

3. Take a sheet of paper towel and roll it up into a tube form
4. Dip the paper towel into some vinegar and insert it into battery compartment and keep twirling to clean.
   

   Vinegar is a mild acid that helps neutralizes the alkaline stains that get left behind.

   Make sure to wet the tip of the towel so that it can fully reach the end of the two battery long compartment.

   

   Vinegar damped paper towel inserted into the battery compartment of the Apple Trackpad

5. Use another dry rolled up paper towel to soak up the residue in the compartment
6. Repeat until it becomes cleaner.
   

   Note that some of the stains may become permanent if you have left your the alkaline to dry up in the compartment for too long

7. Once the slot is dried up, give it a quick blow to get rid of the dust. You may use compressed air or mouth, make sure to do this at an angle or you may get some of the dust on your face
8. Reinsert some good clean batteries and you’re good to go!

Note to self – Don’t use cheap alkaline batteries

Treat your apple gear with Panasonic or Sanyo eneloop battery!