The white crusty stuff on your battery is a type of build-up that can be caused by corrosion, sulfation, oxidation, and many other processes. Your battery type plays a key role in the formation of this build-up. Before cleaning your batteries, always take proper safety precautions like gloves and eye protection. In addition, make sure to disconnect the. Whether lead-acid or alkaline, batteries should always be monitored for signs of corrosion as it indicates that there may be a leakage or other. Corrosion indicates that a battery is not functioning properly, whether it is a lead-acid or alkaline battery. In the case of a lead-acid battery,.