The motorcycle helmet is the most prioritized protective gear for a motorcycle rider. It does the most important job; it protects your face and head from injuries. You have to wear it so that you can save your brain if you happen to face an accident or road crash.
A helmet protects us, so, we should protect it too. The riders sometimes ruin a helmet much before its lifetime ends- due to improper cleaning techniques and lack of maintenance. There are some easy steps which you can follow and keep your helmet functional like new.
Cleaning procedures of a motorcycle helmet
A motorcycle rider has to wear a helmet the whole time he rides his motorbike. The sweat of your face and head and your body oils tend to stick to the liner inside the shell. As a result, you’ll notice a bad odor coming from your helmet after using it for a couple of weeks without cleaning. This was about the inside liner. The outer shell comes in direct contact with bugs, dirt, and dust. So, it gets dirty even quicker.
To get your helmet to look and smell like new again, you need to clean it. Cleaning a helmet is not an easy task, but it’s not difficult either. You only have to follow some specific steps. If you’re thinking about getting a cleaning solution of your choice and a scrubber to scrub the helmet clean, forget that. You cannot choose any random cleaning agent. Howsoever, let’s learn the procedure of cleaning a motorcycle helmet.
What you need
- Cleaning agent (a mild shampoo)
- Cotton swab
- Microfiber towel
- Scrub pad (must be non-abrasive)
Cleaning
- Disassembling the parts: First of all, remove all the removable parts of the helmet. The cheek pads, visor, face shield, and liner. When removing these, observe how the pieces are attached because you’ve to assemble the parts again.
- Cleaning the liner and cheek pads: You need a cleaning solution to soak the liner and the cheek pads. Baby shampoo works great for cleaning the liner. The liner soaks most of your sweat and face and hair oil. The shampoo can remove all of that efficiently.
Soak the liner and cheek pads in a cleaning solution made with water and a little amount of baby shampoo. Let them soak for a couple of minutes. After that, gently rub them and remove any visible grime. Then rinse these with water. After rinsing, squeeze the excess water off the liner and cheek pads and let them air dry. Don’t use any drying tools.
- Cleaning the outer shell: Take a microfiber towel and soak it in the cleaning solution. You can use the same solution you used for the liner. Take that wet towel and place it on the exterior of the helmet. Wrapping the outer shell with the damp towel will help to loosen-up bug guts, grime, and any other kind of gunk.
After some moments, take off that towel and lay it aside. Take another clean towel or a non-abrasive scrub pad. Use either of these and your fingertips to gently wiping off the loosened dirt. Use the washing solution also. Take cotton swabs and get them moist. Use them to clean the air vents.
Don’t apply too much pressure. You’ve to work your way gently on the outer shell. After the grimes are removed, take a dry, clean towel and wipe the exterior dry. Keep it in a cool, airy place to dry completely.
- Cleaning the visor and face shield: Take a microfiber towel and get it wet with the cleaning solution. Use this towel to wipe the visor and face shield gently. Don’t use anything abrasive, because that can leave scratches and marks on these and worsen the vision. After rinsing, pat these dry and let them sit in an open place for some time.
- Re-assembling the parts: Finally, re-attach every element back to its place. Install the visor and face shield. Re-assemble the liner and the cheek pads.
- Polishing or lubricating or applying wax (optional): Use silicone lube to lubricate the hinges. If you want, use automotive wax to coat your helmet’s exterior. You can use automotive dealing spray or polish if yours is a gloss helmet.
So, this is how you can make your helmet look like new again!
How to Take Care of Your Motorcycle Helmet
Only cleaning is not everything. There are some things that you can do to keep the helmet in pristine condition and reduce the need for cleaning.
- Always keep your helmet in a dry place. After the whole day’s wearing, the helmet will be sweaty. Don’t put that helmet back in a bag. Keep it in a place where the sweat can evaporate. Keep the visor open.
- You can wear a skull cap or bandana under your helmet. These will keep sweat and body oils from getting in contact with the liner. As a result, the liner will not get sweaty very often.
- Never hang the helmet on the handlebars of the motorcycle. The construction of a motorcycle helmet is robust, but you should still handle it with care. You shouldn’t let it fall on the ground for carelessness.
- Never use any random cleaning solution and polish. Use things that are prescribed by experts.
- Always keep the air vents clean. You don’t have to clean the whole helmet for this, and you only have to clean the air vents often.
- Keep cleaning wipes with you on your rides. If you see new bug guts on the helmet, wipe it with a soft cloth before it hardens.
- Replace your helmet in every five years.
Conclusion
So, now you know how you can clean and handle your helmet with care. You can keep your helmet in excellent condition and stay safe on your rides.