Every cyclist knows the awful lot of mistreatment that their helmets go through, especially when riding their bikes on rainy or dusty days. The helmet is the most expensive accessory that you have for your motorcycle in addition to being the most critical one. You shouldn’t ride your bike without wearing it, for your safety, as well as legal reasons.
This is why it’s essential to clean your helmet after each ride. As you might not know how to clean different parts of your helmet, I’ll walk you through nine simple steps that will help you get your helmet looking like a brand new one. Moreover, I’ll mention some tips and tricks that will help you keep your helmet clean for longer.
What You’ll Need
You may think that you need to use a specific solution or an expensive detergent to clean your helmet, but, fortunately, that’s not true. As you’ll see, cleaning a motorcycle helmet requires some simple tools that you probably already have.
Microfiber Towels
Microfiber towels or rugs are known for being gentle. This is why they’re suitable for cleaning smooth surfaces that you don’t want to damage. You should also make sure that the cloth is clean as some dirt particles can be tough on your helmet and damage it.
Soap
When choosing a cleaning agent, it’s better to opt for non-petroleum based products as they’re much gentler. Personally, I prefer using baby shampoo, but it’s up to you to choose whichever you feel more comfortable with, as long as it’s not strong enough to interfere with the shininess of your helmet or make its colors fade.
A Brush
Using a brush with soft bristles will help you clean hard-to-reach spots without scrubbing the surface. However, I like using toothbrushes as they’re smaller and thus easier to manipulate. You can use them to clean the crannies and the nooks that you can’t reach using the rag.
Air Compressor
An air compressor will help you clean the vents of the helmet. Regardless, you’re better off not using aerosol cans as they erode the EPS liner of the helmet, which in turn reduces its protectiveness.
How to Clean a Motorcycle Helmet
Step 1: Removing Accessories
As basic as it may sound, I can’t tell you the number of times I left some accessories attached to the helmet and ended up getting water all over them. Many helmets feature electronic accessories like Bluetooth units, antennas, batteries, and of course, microphones, which should all be removed before you start cleaning the helmet. Additionally, it’s better to detach all the separable parts as they’re easier to clean individually.
Step 2: Removing the Pads
Helmets have different designs, so there’s no single right way to remove the internal liner and the pads. The majority, though, are attached from the inside with snaps. Some pads come in a hook-and-loop design, and a minority are fixed by magnets.
You can always check the user’s manual if you don’t know how to remove the interior of the helmet. These parts are cleaned in a different way than that used to clean the exterior of the helmet as they’re in direct contact with your hair and skin, and hence, they usually require more cleaning.
Step 3: Softening the Gunk Stuck on the Outer Shell
Before you start using any cleaning agents, soak the microfiber cloth in some warm water then use it to cover the external surface of the helmet. This will dislodge any stuck-on dirt particles and reduce the risk of scratching the helmet during the cleaning process.
Keep the towel on the helmet for a couple of minutes, then gently rub the towel over the surface without using any soap. When you’re done, leave the towel wrapped around the helmet until you reach step 5.
Step 4: Cleaning the Internals
The inner part of your helmet is the hardest to clean, yet, as I was just saying, it’s the one part that needs to be cleaned the most. All the sweat from your face and your hair oil gets soaked up into the interiors of the helmet. Accordingly, you need to use soap or baby shampoo to clean them.
You can wash the pads and the liner in the sink after you separate them. Run the soap thoroughly and make sure to gently massage them until you get rid of all the grease.
When you’re done, leave them out until they’re completely dry, or else they will become smelly and even harder to clean.
Step 5: Washing the External Surface
Remove the towel from step 4, then use a new wet one to clean the exterior of the helmet. Start wiping the remaining dirt without using any detergents or solvents as they might damage the helmet or cause the colors to fade.
To clean the hard-to-reach spot, use a toothbrush after soaking it in warm water. As mentioned earlier, it’s better to choose a brush with soft bristles rather than harsh ones.
Step 6: Cleaning the Vents
With time, chunks of dirt get lodged into the vents of the helmets. This is why you’ll need to blow out the vents every now and then. Use the air compressor to clear the channels from any stuck particles or insects.
Step 7: Cleaning the Face Shield
Just like cleaning the external surface of the helmet, you need to avoid using strong chemicals and cleaning solutions when you’re cleaning the face shield. The reason behind that is that the shield is usually coated with anti-fog and UV-resistant materials, with which the chemicals may react, or they even erode these layers.
I always recommend referring to the user’s manual to check which substances can be used to clean the face shield and which are better avoided.
However, as the smudges might be a bit stubborn, you can use the technique we talked about earlier, and wrap a warm towel around the shield for a couple of minutes to loosen the dirt, and then you can try to wipe it off.
Step 8: Cleaning the Sun Shield
Some helmets feature a drop-down sun shield that will require cleaning from time to time. It’s pretty simple; all that you need to do is to spray it with some water then use a microfiber towel to gently rub it clean.
You don’t have to remove the sun shield because it’s usually a complicated process, and you might end up breaking it. Additionally, it’s rarely dirty, so a splash of water will do the trick.
Step 9: Reassembly
Once everything is dry, you can go ahead and put everything back into place, and voila, your helmet will be as clean as new.
Important Tips
- Avoid scrubbing the shell of the helmet even if you find stubborn stains. If you find any resistant spots, soak the helmet in warm water for as long as it takes for the gunk to soften.
- It’s better to stay away from any petroleum-based distillate or harsh soaps.
- Some bikers think it’s okay to use drying sheets to make the helmet dry faster, without knowing that they contain harsh chemicals that might damage your helmet, or even worse, inflect an allergic reaction when you wear it.
- Don’t put the liner or the cheek pads in the dryer; instead, leave them to air dry.
- You can use automotive wax to coat your helmet and prevent grime and spots from sticking to its surface.
- You can lubricate the visor hinge using a silicone-based lubricant if you feel like it’s necessary.
- To keep your helmet clean for extended periods, wear a bandana or a skullcap before you wear the helmet. These will absorb most of the sweat and the oils that get sucked into the pads.
- Keep a pack of cleaning wipes with you on your rides so that you can clean up any smudges before they harden and become stubborn.
Final Verdict
In my humble opinion, the trickiest part about cleaning a motorcycle helmet is separating its parts and then putting them back together when you’re done.
As for the tools, you don’t need to buy a fancy detergent; if you opt for a gentle shampoo or washing soap, you’ll achieve the results you’re hoping for.
On the other hand, you can buy a lubricant for the moving parts of the helmet. You can also get an automotive polish to make your helmet look shinier.
After all that’s been said, if you follow this guide step by step, you’ll have no difficulties with cleaning your motorcycle helmet whatsoever, and, hopefully, the tips will help you keep it clean for as long as possible. Enjoy the ride!