fastnoypi

. The ph of acetone is 7 being an organic compound has nothing to do with its effectiveness.. Chemically in the presence of copper oxides it removes the verdigris. Its been used for ages by coin collectors as a non destructive way to restore and neutralize oxidation in copper. There are many other methods that haven't been mentioned to clean copper For the purpose of cleaning your wires, you have to decide if it is worth your time and effort.

http://www.doityourself.com/stry/wha...-copper-best#b

Lexmus

After reading Fastnoypi's link, I was intrigued and then did a little research, and it turns out that acetone does form a weak acetic acid solution when in contact with copper, but only in the presence of light:
http://www.stonybrook.edu/vescalab/r...research7.html

Thus any oxides not on the outer surface will tend to be less affected, such as within the braids of the wire. But acetone does have some copper oxide reducing properties, so I stand corrected. And glad to have learned some interesting chemistry along the way!

If anyone wants to try and clean copper oxide, or any metal oxide in general, I would first try white vinegar (which is a 5-10% acetic acid solution), then rinse with water and then isopropyl alcohol to facilitate drying.

But replacing a heavily corroded battery wire if it is causing problems is the smart move.