Reconditioning old batteries

[56 South]

There are conflicting reports of how to "recondition" old lead acid batteries on the internet.
Most of these describe draining the sulphuric acid electrolyte, refilling the cells with a distilled water/baking soda solution, once or several times, agitating the batteries to disturb the sulphation sediment, and emptying the cells of the solution before finally refilling the cells with a solution of distilled water and epsom salts.
The battery is then recharged at 1-2 A over 24-36 hours, using an old fashioned (non computerised) battery charger.
Considering the costs of yachting batteries, I thought this would be worth asking about, as I have found the discussions on this forum highly educational.
Thank you for your input
Russ