Yes, I think it's a good idea to clean. I've seen top post
and side post terminals. Most cars, the red / positive is
the "hot" terminal. So, it's common advice to remove the
black terminal first. Less likely to throw sparks when your
wrench bumps some other metal. As to cleaning, a wire brush
is the common way. Rinse with water, let it dry or dab it
dry with the paper napkins you get from the drive up food
place. Put a bunch of axle grease on, and put the terminals
back on (red first, black second). Now, rest your radio
clock and station presets.

--
Christopher A. Young
Learn more about Jesus
www.lds.org
..


"blueman" wrote in message
...
Perhaps not technically home repair but my car is like an
extension of
my home...

Anyway, I noticed that there is a lot of "crud" (grainy
white/green
stuff - looks like dried toothpaste) on the positive (red)
terminal of
my car battery.

Car otherwise works & looks fine.

Question:
- Is it important to clean the crud off?
- What is the best & also easiest/fastest way to do it?

Thanks