Winter is a great time to organize, clean, and get ready for the next riding season with your riding equipment. And since not many people ride in the northern hemisphere during the winter, cleaning your motorbike helmet is a smart idea before the first spring adventures. Let’s follow us to find out how to clean motorcycle helmet in this post!
Exterior Cleaning
There are two levels of cleaning for the exterior of your helmet. The first step is a quick clean-up after your ride. The second is what we’ll refer to as a deep cleaning that you perform a few times a season. We advise a fast post-ride cleaning to keep your helmet clean and prevent the dead bugs from hardening and possibly etching themselves into the finish of your helmet. Frequently, softening up the debris only requires dampening a paper towel or microfiber cloth and placing it over the goo for a minute or two.
The surface should then be gently scrubbed with a towel or two until it shines. A motorcycle-specific cleaner, like our current favorite S100 Detail & Wax, can be used to get rid of stubborn crust. Do not use harsh chemicals. Dish soap and window cleaner are too potent to use on your helmet. Particularly window cleaners can dry out your helmet’s surface and hasten its aging. If you ask the people who maintain protective gear for a living, the Arai and Shoei assistants at the racing series, they’ll tell the reader that they just use liquid and elbow grease.
The cleaning service of your helmet starts out in a similar method with placing warm, moist microfiber towels over the helmet’s shell to soften the dirt. Begin by taking off your visor. We’ll wash it separately. If your helmet is particularly dirty, such as a mud-covered off-road helmet, don’t be afraid to rinse it under running water to remove the dirtiest parts. (However, remove any electronics, such as helmet communicators, first.) Wiping dirt off a helmet, even with a wet towel, may harm the finish. Don’t worry if you get the interior wet; it will dry out, and you can help it along by using a fan (never a hair dryer).
Wipe away the grime using microfiber cloths dipped in water and a mild soapy solution (baby shampoo works excellent). Frequently rinse the towel. Cruft caught in vents or visor sealants can be removed with a small brush or Q-Tip. Dry the surface of the helmet with a fresh microfiber cloth after it has been cleaned. If you want to make sure the headgear is easier to clean in the long term, you can give it a coat of beeswax or do it in a spray-on fashion with S100 Detail & Wax.
The Delicate Visor
Because some manufacturers utilize specific coatings on the interior to prevent fogging, washing the visor with harsh chemicals may render it worthless. With warm weather and mild detergent on your fingers wet the face shield and then clean it with the slightest movement possible. It should be rinsed with warm water and dried with a clean microfiber cloth.
If your face shield has a Pinlock Visor, you should wash it in the usual manner, but be extra cautious due to the Pinlock’s easily scratched surface. However, do not dry it with a cloth. You can blow the extra water off with a hair drier set to cool and then let it air dry before reattaching it to your face.
Interior Rejuvenation
The simplest way to clean the interior of your helmet is to delete the liner and padding (if possible) and put it in a mesh garment bag. Then, using Woolite, wash it in your washer in the gentlest setting. Remove it from the machine as soon as possible and allow it to air dry. If you want to speed it up, use a fan to blow air across it. A hair dryer should never be used because it can damage the glues that hold the lining and padding together.
If you are unable to remove the headgear liner, you can still wash the interior, but the drying time will be significantly longer. Clean cloths and a bowl of mild soapy warm water are required. Remove any lining components that you can. Remove any electronics, such as a communication system. Then, using the soapy cloth, scrub the inside of the helmet each section at a time. Don’t be afraid to saturate the liner as you scrub it. After cleaning each section, scrub it down with clean, warm water-soaked cloths. You want to get all of the soap out of the liner and the padding. As the final step, don’t be afraid to completely saturate the liner with clean wet rags.
To dry the helmet interior, use clean, dry cloths to press the liner and padding until no more water comes out. The helmet should then be dried in an area with good air circulation. Helmet makers advise against leaving them in the sun to hasten the process. Instead, put the helmet in front of a fan to enhance the airflow over it.
Finally, a word of caution regarding helmet interiors. Only use cleaners designed specifically for helmets; however, some cleaners are only for the exterior. So, be sure you’ve got the correct type of cleaner. Motorex Helmet Cleaner is a favorite of ours.
