Have you ever noticed the acid corrosion on your car battery. This corrosion build up makes the contact between the terminals and the battery cables poor and will make your starting effort inefficient. This will shorten the life of your battery.  Here's how to deal with it.  Make a paste of baking soda and salt. Apply the past liberally to all corrosion surfaces.  After the paste bubbling stops, wipe the area thoroughly and then dry with a clean cloth