Alright, folks, let's dive into my little weekend project: battery washers. Sounds simple, right? Well, it kinda was, but there were a few hiccups along the way, as always.

It all started when I noticed some corrosion building up around my car battery terminals. Nasty stuff. I'd cleaned it off before, but it always comes back. I remembered seeing those felt battery washers somewhere – you know, the ones that supposedly absorb acid and prevent corrosion. Figured I'd give 'em a shot.

First things first: I hit up the local auto parts store. They had a few different kinds, but I just grabbed the cheapest set. They looked like simple felt rings, nothing fancy. Also snagged a can of battery terminal cleaner, just in case.

Okay, so back home, I popped the hood and disconnected the battery. Important safety tip: always disconnect the negative terminal first! Don't wanna accidentally short something out. I used a wrench to loosen the nut and then carefully pried the cable off. Repeated for the positive terminal.

Next up: cleaning. The corrosion wasn't too bad this time, but there was still some white, powdery stuff clinging to the terminals. Sprayed 'em down with the terminal cleaner and scrubbed with an old toothbrush. That stuff works pretty well, dissolved the corrosion right away. Wiped everything down with a rag.

Now for the washers. They were a bit too thick to fit snugly between the terminal and the cable connector. This is where I ran into my first minor snag. I thought about trimming them with scissors, but worried about fraying the felt. Instead, I just kinda mushed them down a bit as I tightened the cables. Not ideal, but it seemed to work. I made sure the felt washer was sitting flat against the battery post, before puttin' the cable back on.

Reconnected the cables, positive first this time, tightened the nuts good and snug. Gave everything a final wipe down. Job done! Or so I thought…

A few days later, I noticed the car was struggling to start. Uh oh. Popped the hood again, and what do you know? More corrosion! Not as bad as before, but still there. The washers hadn't completely solved the problem. Lesson learned: these things are probably only part of the solution, not a magic bullet.

So, what now? I decided to try a different approach. I re-cleaned the terminals (again!), this time applying a thin layer of dielectric grease to the posts before putting the washers back on. The grease should help seal out moisture and prevent further corrosion. I also made sure the cable connections were extra tight this time. Hopefully, this combo of washers and grease will do the trick.

It's been a couple of weeks now, and so far, so good. No more corrosion. But I'll keep an eye on it. Battery corrosion is a persistent little beast, and it takes more than just slapping on a felt washer to completely get rid of it. Gotta stay vigilant!

• Cleaned battery terminals
• Installed felt washers
• Applied dielectric grease

We shall see!