Thanks all for the answers. I tried vinegar on q-tips but that doesn't seem to get rid
of the blue-green...some came off but there's still plenty left. I'll try water and
baking soda next but I'm a bit worried about water seeping into the electronics...any
ideas for preventing that (I could hold the scanner upside down but that might be
awkward.

John



"NSM" wrote in message news:tE9Fe.145748$9A2.96922@edtnps89...

"jbclem" wrote in message
...

I have a portable scanner, Regency HX 1500, that I haven't used for quite
a while.
There is a lot of powdery blue-green stuff that covers the metal battery
connectors/tabs. I've cleaned it off with q-tips dipped in alcohol, but
it always comes
back. I'm storing this scanner without the AA batteries it uses...is
there a way to
permanently stop this blue-green and what exactly is it?

It's acid. Try warm water and baking soda to neutralize it.

N