Battery Care Guides

Charge, Maintain, Rebuild, Recycle. Find Your Application.

About Recycling

Improper disposal of batteries can lead to contamination of soil and ground water. Recycling transforms the harmful elements from landfills into new products ranging from wheel weights to chrome vehicle bumpers.

Batteries Plus participates in EPA approved methods for recycling, which brings our customers in full compliance with all federal, state, municipal, EPA, and DOT regulations governing disposal of lead acid, Nickel Cadmium (NiCd), Nickel Metal Hydride (NiMH), and Lithium Ion (Li-Ion).

Cordless Tool

Charging - Charge the battery when you feel a slight decrease in power. Draining the battery down to the point where it no longer runs can damage the battery. Periodically charge the battery overnight to achieve optimum run time and life.
Maintaining - Store the battery in a cool dry place. Exposure to high temperatures and direct sunlight may reduce the life of the battery.
Rebuilding - Don’t throw that old battery away. If the original battery is no longer manufactured, our store locations can rebuild most cordless tool batteries in our on-site Tech Centers.
Recycling - NiCd, NiMH, & Li-Ion batteries are recyclable.

Cellular Phone

Charging - Activate your new battery with an initial charge of 12-16 hours before use. Maximum run time will not be achieved until the battery has been cycled (charged/discharged) 3-6 times. Continuous charging of the battery with your vehicle charger will reduce the life of the battery. Remove the battery from the charger when charging is complete.
Maintaining - The term “memory” only applies to Nickel Cadmium (NiCd) batteries. Recognize the chemistry of your battery for proper care. All current models of cellular telephone batteries are either Nickel Metal Hydride or Lithium Ion (NiMH or Li-Ion). These chemistries do not exhibit any “memory”. Store the battery in a dry place at or below room temperature without exposure to direct sunlight.
Recycling - NiCd, NiMH, & Li-Ion batteries are recyclable.

Digital Camera & Camcorder

Charging - Activate your new battery with an initial charge of 12-16 hours before use. Maximum run time will not be achieved until the battery has been cycled (charged/discharged) 3-6 times. Do not store the battery on the charger. Over charging will reduce the service life of the battery.
Maintaining - The term “memory” only applies to Nickel Cadmium (NiCd) batteries. For those digital cameras or camcorders using NiCd batteries, prevent the “memory” effect by storing the device off of the base unit/charger until the “low battery” signal is indicated. When storing the battery, store in a dry place at or below room temperature or below, without exposure to direct sunlight.
Recycling - NiCd, NiMH, & Li-Ion batteries are recyclable.

Laptop & Computer

Charging - Activate your new laptop battery with an initial charge of 12-16 hours before use. Your battery will need to be fully charged and discharged up to five times before it will perform at full capacity. Do not leave batteries discharged. Charge after every use. Leaving a charger connected with the battery installed for long periods can shorten the life.
Maintaining - If battery life is poor time after periods of low usage, let it charge and discharge three to four times to restore the charge. Turning off accessories that are not in use, such as Bluetooth® or your wireless modem, will contribute to much longer battery run time.
Recycling - NiCd, NiMH, & Li-Ion batteries are recyclable.

Cordless Phone

Charging - Activate your cordless phone battery with an initial charge of 12-16 hours before use. Maximum run time will not be achieved until the battery has been cycled (charged/discharged) 3-6 times. Continuous charging of the battery with your unit/base charger will reduce the life of the battery. Remove the battery from the charger when charging is complete.
Maintaining - The term “memory” only applies to Nickel Cadmium (NiCd) batteries. For phones using NiCd batteries you can prevent the “memory” effect by storing the phone off of its base unit/charger until the “low battery” light is indicated. When storing the battery, store in a dry place at or below room temperature, without exposure to direct sunlight.
Recycling - NiCd, NiMH, & Li-Ion batteries are recyclable.