How do you clean your helmet?

[oldguy]

Ok Ill ask the hard question, how do you guys n gals clean your helmet, if you do.
after a ride you go through the usual routine of cleaning your bike your gear, but what about your helmet, yesterday after the Mr moto ride, my helmet was all dusty and sweaty inside, it has removable cheek pads but the rest of it can't be removed, so I decided while I had the water blaster out to give it a quick going over in side and out did a good job, but spent most of last night with my daughters hair dryer, drying it out, came out good but theres got to be a better way.

Oh don't buy a helmet with white lining inside it shows up all the dust:doh:

[Pornstar]

I normally use the hose and detergent and massage out the gunk and rinse it, then squeeze out as much as possible then let sit in a dry room. Maybe a towel stuffed in could help. i rarely wash mine and suffer every first five minutes of a ride for it.

[oldguy]

I know what you mean, feels horrible

[CRF119]

Some detergents damage helmets. I was told to never use any cleaners on my helmet. So i use a warm water and a soft cloth. If you want to make it look shinney after you can put a bit of silicone on a rag and go over it. (Will make it easier to clean next time but will attract dust) You shouldnt get any water inside the helmet this way. So cleaning the foams you can take them to a dry cleaners or throw them in a delicates bag and put them in the wash. Some foam wont like this so be carefull.

[Crisis management]

Everything (pants, body armour, gloves, helmet) gets hosed off if needed than into the bath with warm water and one of the fabric softener / wool wash detergents, my helmet has a removable liner so that comes out but gets washed in the same way then left outside to dry.

Heated floors in bathrooms are really good for drying this stuff in winter too but make sure you have a good excuse lined up first, some women seem a bit unreasonable about this.

[p.dath]

Usually just a bit of dish washing liquid on a paper towel and a bit of water. That's for the outside. Never cleaned the inside.

[RJM]

After rides I spray everything (bike, boots, mud stained pants etc) with a mixture of 10:1 Dynamo. 10 parts water, 1 part Dynamo. It eats dirt like you wouldn't believe. Works great as a pre-rinse before throwing my gear in the washing machine.

In your situation you should be alright spraying a bit into the helmet lining, leaving it for a few minutes and giving it a quick hose out. Shouldn't take too long to dry. The few times I've skipped cleaning my helmet I've really regretted it. I hate being a sweaty bugger hah.

[flyingcr250]

i usually only clean the out side, sometimes ill put the liner in the washing machine, but most times i just buy a new one when it starts to get really rank lol

[paturoa]

Depends - if this is a serious thread, then I don't bother cleaning it until it is realy manky! I give it a mega spraying with full strenght simple green and then just give it a rub with my hand, rinse with the hose, andother rub, another rinse, and then put it on top of the hot water cylinder over a couple of days on top of a towell.

Otherwise I find Mrs P does a good job of cleaning my helmit! Faster is better.

[crazyhorse]

I use dishwashingn liquid and a soft cloth on the outside, but haven't had to wash the inside yet. Although it gets makeup on it, I think I have just given it a bit of a wipe out with detergent and soft cloth, haven't actually given it a hell clean................. yet

Good question though :niceone:

[warewolf]

Old advice from a UK Arai rep: wash your helmet with hair shampoo. The helmet is designed to survive it. Put an old towel in the bottom of the laundry tub so you can rest the helmet on it without scratching it, wash away with plenty of shampoo and lots of rinses. This advice is directed at road helmets with fixed liners. Drying is a slow process even after pressing out most of the moisture with another towel. Hot water cupboard is great for drying things out, just don't put fragiles on top of the cylinder where they could get to 80+.

Off-road helmets, the removable bits get washed with the other bike clothes in the washing machine using a gentle cycle and Sport-Wash (http://www.atsko.com/products/laundry-care/sport-wash-residue-free-detergent.html). Rest of the helmet gets a tap-pressure water wash, sometimes a sport-wash as well, if I'm doing other stuff in the tub at the same time.

I wouldn't water-blast the inside of the helmet, as you could compress the lining that's supposed compress on impact to protect your head. Don't rush the drying, just leave it somewhere warm & dry, not in the sun, not being blasted by a heater. Possibly you could use the newspaper trick, same as your boots (stuff them with scrunched up newspaper which wicks the moisture away, you can change the paper as soon as it gets damp).

[Pornstar]

Faaaarrrk, you guys would faint if you beheld my excuse for a helmet. got my Arai MX pro in '93, and have used it as a battering ram ever since, used it for a year also racing jet skis off shore. it goes alright still.

[oldguy]

Although it gets makeup on it,
Good question though :niceone:

Haha your one would smell alot nicer, not so bad road helmets, but the offroad ones get a lot dust and dirt in them

[crazyhorse]

Haha your one would smell alot nicer, not so bad road helmets, but the offroad ones get a lot dust and dirt in them

I can well imagine :laugh:

[crazyhorse]

Haha your one would smell alot nicer, not so bad road helmets, but the offroad ones get a lot dust and dirt in them

Todd just said he had liners he could remove and just threw them in the washing machine :)

[Ktmboy]

Mine just goes into the shower. gets a soaping, then a shampoo and then a condition.

I draw the line at the hair dryer though. Smells great.

[oldguy]

Todd just said he had liners he could remove and just threw them in the washing machine :)

my mx helmet only has removable cheek pads


Mine just goes into the shower. gets a soaping, then a shampoo and then a condition.

I draw the line at the hair dryer though. Smells great.

we are talking about the helmet aint we:confused:

[Ktmboy]

Well...yes.
Gloves and goggles as well. All the small stuff is then thrown out the window to the washing line. Mumsie then hangs then to dry.

[Mom]

Otherwise I find Mrs P does a good job of cleaning my helmit! Faster is better.

What does she polish it with? :innocent:

[oldguy]

Thanks to who ever, for fixing my thread title. knew it was wrong but couldn't edit it.

[FlangMasterJ]

What does she polish it with? :innocent:

Elbow grease?

[Reckless]

Dynamo ( the 2x stuff) the ferking lot! Wonderful stuff, 2-3 capfuls in a 5 litre weed sprayer does two bikes and gear 2-3 times.

My helmet has removable cheek pads and lining but still gets real dusty. I have 5 galv nails in the fence where I clean my bike one each for the Helmet , goggles, knee guards and 1 especially for the pressure suit on its coat hanger. This system is especially good for the pressure suit as they get real sweaty and dusty and are quite hard to clean any other way. I rinse the bike and the gear, dynamo spray the lot with the weed sprayer, then rinse it all off. All the rest goes in the washing machine then the lot goes out on the line or in a sunny spot next day to dry.

Oldguy sounds like your Helmet is a not so expensive helmet if the linings aren't removable. My first one was too and I sweated like a bastard in it, like running down my back and forehead into the goggles! Look out for a good second hand quality helmet on Tard me buddy. I got a fox Pilot pro with that removable chamois, sweat wicking, type lining, with all the fancy venting, in hardly used condition for $100 bucks. It made the word of difference mate you won't regret it!!

After a real quick scan here's a $500-600 shark for a hundy? http://www.trademe.co.nz/Trade-Me-Motors/Motorbikes/Helmets-clothing-footwear/Helmets/auction-274520895.htm (If you have a shark shaped head???) A good quality top of the line second hand helmet for Enduro is far better than a new cheapo one??

Anyway just my 2c.

[Bren]

Well my helmet is easy top clean....just pull the protective cover down, and give it a bit of a clean with Lynx....gotta have the helmet smelling nice....nothing worse than wanting to go for a ride with a cheesy stinky helmet......a good spit and polish also does wonders....I always clean my helmet again after a good long hard ride!....

[takitimu]

Cleaning something other than the bike ???.

My helmet get's a dose of Dynamo every once in a while, never ever put the liners in the washing machine is my only tip ( mutter mutter ).

[howdamnhard]

[
QUOTE=oldguy;1129667168]so I decided while I had the water blaster out to give it a quick going over in side and out did a good job, but spent most of last night with my daughters hair dryer, drying it out, came out good but theres got to be a better way.:[/QUOTE]
Just be careful with the water blaster on the inside,might damage/compress the polystyrene.

[crazyhorse]

my mx helmet only has removable cheek pads



we are talking about the helmet aint we:confused:

ha ha - LOL

Maybe he is smellier than you and can remove the whole thing...... :rofl: