Battery Corrosion - any fixes?

Clean it out well of course. If the contacts are not eaten away, then a little contact cleaner on a Q Tip is what I coat them with after cleaning them to bright metal again.

 Depends on the type of battery your device uses. Many batteries are alkaline. I have cleaned up a number of battery operated devices by using white vinegar.
Disassemble as much as possible.
If the contacts are removable, soak them in household white vinegar. If not, use a QTIP swab.
It would be a good idea to wear goggles.
If the residue is alkaline, you will get lots of foam /bubbles.
Rinse away the vinegar.
First I rinse with water that has baking soda added to neutralize any remaining vinegar, then clear water.
Coat the contacts with your choice of metal protectant.

I've done TV remotes this way, and an expensive piece of automotive test gear.

I have had this happen on a remote I purchased from a local hobby shop. I did not open it up before the purchase but when I got home I found the white crud. I did have to replace one of the battery contacts after cleaning with a product Radio Shack sold, "Precision Electronics Cleaner". This was in a pressurized can with a brush attached. I used it on the remote several years back, following the directions on the can, and as the batteries are replaced in this unit I check for corrosion and it has not returned.

Ray 

Radio Shack used to have their brand of cleaner made by Caig Industries which is a premium product. I use one of their products, DeoxIT D5, which is 5 percent a preservative oil. I have saved many Heathkit potentiometers with this stuff and use it on battery contacts.

I also use the DeoxIT D5, it works great.  I first clean the contacts totally with a toothbrush and vinegar and follow that with Alcohol.  I polish the contact so I have good metal and then dab it with the DeoxIT D5.  I've used DeoxIT D5 on transformer rollers, locomotive and rolling stock rollers, etc.  It really works like magic!

Just wanted to say thank you to all who responded.  I've been off the forum for a few days.

I will give some of these methods a try.

George

I'm glad we have the search feature on this site. This thread really helped me out . It saved my first train engine  (a 2353Santa Fe f3) which has been retired to my mantel for quite a few years. my wife and I were looking at it and noticed some white  stuff  coming out the bottom. I can't believe I did such a stupid thing, I know much better than to leave a battery in a unit.AT least it cleaned up pretty good!

BTW: It was a Duracell!

Might be a good application for NO OX ID after cleaning the contacts. Matter of fact, it probably wouldn't hurt to put some on the battery contacts before any leakage occurs. I've used Deoxit on my stereo connections and tube pins for years.

I had this problem using Duracell batteries. I switched to Energizer and I've had no leakage issues since.

Andre