I kept my old replaced battery in my boot to carry it to recycle store. The battery water/fluid leaked all over the boot liner mat. There is no damage to the mat whatsoever but it is not drying. It's been a month now. I kept it in open sunshine for a day as well. Please advise.
Thanks, DS
It is highly likely that the "battery water" is a strong lead-containing acid that you do not want to be handling without appropriate personal protective equipment. This will also explain why it is not evaporating easily.
The advisable thing to do is have it professionally disposed of, because lead and lead ions are toxic. In the absence of such a service, rinsing it with copious amounts of water should help to dilute the acid, but the resultant wash-off should then be disposed of in a responsible manner.
The electrolyte in a common lead-acid car battery is dilute sulfuric acid H2SO4 which does not contain lead. Spilled electrolyte is corrosive and hazardous. You do not want to inhale the fumes and I recommend swabbing the spilled area with household ammonia or sodium bicarbonate (baking soda), either of which will neutralize the acid.
For your next battery, consider buying a maintenance-free gel type that won't leak.
