Vinegar induced rust on sd card

[MegaIdiot]

A double A battery leaked and got onto my desk where there was an sd card. i cleaned it up and read that vinegar was how you're supposed to neutralize the leak. i got a glass cup, poured vinegar into it and plopped the sd card into it. i was going to leave it in for a bit, but i had to go do something. When i came back and got it out, i didn't check the metal contacts and they ended up rusting. i cleaned the excess vinegar off and let it dry. After i was sure it was dry, i put it in my laptop's built in card reader to use it again.

 

i'm worried about the rust. i'm afraid to use it because of the rust because i have severe OCD and my brain won't let me think that' its not dangerous.

 

Has anyone else done this very stupid thing? Should i worry? 

[Bombastinator]

Many batteries today that aren’t listed as “heavy duty” (which is actually lighter duty than alkali batteries) is alkali. Alkali can be neutralized by acid.  Vinegar is an acid.  You put a piece of electronics in acid and are surprised that it oxidized?  Perhaps if you carefully painted the alkali covered areas with an acid it might have done something positive, but soaking it?

[Blue4130]

2 hours ago, MegaIdiot said:

A double A battery leaked and got onto my desk where there was an sd card. i cleaned it up and read that vinegar was how you're supposed to neutralize the leak. i got a glass cup, poured vinegar into it and plopped the sd card into it. i was going to leave it in for a bit, but i had to go do something. When i came back and got it out, i didn't check the metal contacts and they ended up rusting. i cleaned the excess vinegar off and let it dry. After i was sure it was dry, i put it in my laptop's built in card reader to use it again.

 

i'm worried about the rust. i'm afraid to use it because of the rust because i have severe OCD and my brain won't let me think that' its not dangerous.

 

Has anyone else done this very stupid thing? Should i worry? 

Just get a new card. They are cheap and this one is now unreliable. 

[Arika]

If it's currently working, get all the data off it and just replace it

[harryk]

If it works, it works. 

 

But dunking the card in vinegar was definitely not the right thing to do and likely ruined the card. Vinegar is a solution of acetic acid. The vinegar likely made its way under the plastic housing and soaked the internal chips and circuitry. When the card dried (it might not have under the plastic) it left the acetic acid behind in crystalized form. Even though nominally dry, the acid will continue to corrode the circuitry. 

[MegaIdiot]

Sorry, i guess i wasn't clear. i'm not worried about the card itself, i'm worried about the rust that came off of the sd card and got inside of the sd card reader slot. There was nothing important on the card itself. i've grown up hearing stuff like "Don't touch or get close to rust" so its stuck in my head that rust = extremely harmful. i have extreme ocd and it won't get out of my head, i'm just looking for a yes or no if its harmful.

 

The question i was actually asking is if the rust is harmful or dangerous. i can't see any rust on the outside, but my worry is moving it will shake out rust onto my hands or something. The sd card is on the right side on the front.

 

No doubt, dunking it was a super dumb thing to do... which is why i made this name to ask. i'm beating myself up about it. i know the question and situation is dumb, i'm just trying to ease my mind.

[Blue4130]

1 hour ago, MegaIdiot said:

Sorry, i guess i wasn't clear. i'm not worried about the card itself, i'm worried about the rust that came off of the sd card and got inside of the sd card reader slot. There was nothing important on the card itself. i've grown up hearing stuff like "Don't touch or get close to rust" so its stuck in my head that rust = extremely harmful. i have extreme ocd and it won't get out of my head, i'm just looking for a yes or no if its harmful.

 

The question i was actually asking is if the rust is harmful or dangerous. i can't see any rust on the outside, but my worry is moving it will shake out rust onto my hands or something. The sd card is on the right side on the front.

 

No doubt, dunking it was a super dumb thing to do... which is why i made this name to ask. i'm beating myself up about it. i know the question and situation is dumb, i'm just trying to ease my mind.

It's only dangerous if you somehow manage to eat it. Touch it all you like, It won't hurt you.

 

With that said, it is harmful to electronics. It conducts electricity, so if you have it in the camera, you are at risk of shorting something out.