Just wash them with bleach to get all of the pond scum off. Sorry, couldn’t resist. To finish SLA/AGM batteries, don’t discharge them more than 30% for the first 10 - 20 uses. As they become conditioned, you will see fewer battery level bars turn off for a give time of usage until the usage stabilizes. When I first started using my RM 480, 2 bars would turn off after about an hour of mowing. Two bars is less than 30% of the total charge (each bar is 10%). After a few mowings, only one bar would turn off. Later, no bars would go out after mowing for nearly an hour. It stabilized at that point and I considered that the batteries had been properly conditioned. Take a look at the RM480 article at MyCountryAcre.com and visit BatteryUniversity.com for more information on SLA/AGM batteries. Unfortunately, Ryobi doesn’t say anything about this in the Operator’s Manual and I’ve seen a few users complain about premature battery failure or shortened capacity life. Don’f Forget to show us your snow blade when you get it.