Leaking Alkaline Batteries

[Allalonenow]

What would be the best thing to use to clean up the residue from leaking batteries?
Would water be OK, or is there something that would be safer/more effective?
There are two "pools" one rusty looking and one white crystals.

Water and a toothbrush. You have to position the item so that any water will run straight out and not into the radio, torch or whatever, it is likely to contain dissolved corrosive chemicals.

Having dislodged the crust, you can pick out the particles on the tip of a damp paintbrush. Or you could try cotton buds.

Leave it open to dry thoroughly afterwards.

You can polish up tarnished brass contacts with a dry toothbrush, finishing with a clean dry brush that has been wiped across the bottom of a pot where you have sprayed a tiny bit of WD40

Oh thanks very much, Piglet I thought it mght be corrosive, so I'll be careful.
That's a good idea about toothbrush and cotton buds, and I've got some WD40 also.

Thank you.