Your motorcycle helmet is a vital piece of motorcycle equipment because it is responsible for the safety of your head. With that being said, you want to take care of your helmet and ensure it is clean so you can use it the best way.
This means that you need to know how to clean and maintain your motorcycle helmet, and in this article, we will show you the best and easiest way to do it.
So how to clean a motorcycle helmet? As a general rule, you need to use warm soapy water and a microfiber rag or cloth to soften the dirt and use alcohol to clean the helmet’s external components like face shield and outer shell. Baby shampoo is the best option for cleaning helmets inside components like cheek pads and internal liners.
In this article, we will tell you how to clean your motorcycle helmet in the easiest and most efficient way. Stay with us to learn more.
Table of Contents
How to Clean a Motorcycle Helmet?
Cleaning your motorcycle helmet is not a complicated process to do. As a matter of fact, it is pretty simple, and you can do it with household items that most of the riders have at home.
Here is an excellent article that can help you Choose a Perfect Motorcycle Helmet.
List of Items You Will Need:
- Warm water
- Microfiber cloth
- Baby shampoo or any other gentle non-abrasive cleaner
- Toothbrush
- Q-tips
Step 1: Get the Cleaning Material
You need to get the material that I listed above, and then you can start the cleaning process.
- Warm Water: Hot water will loosen the dirt and dead bugs and insects from your visor and the outer helmet shell, and it won’t damage the helmet’s material.
- Microfiber Cloths: You can use microfiber cloths to wash the face shield (visor) and the shell. It is important to use a new rag and, if not new, then clean since it will be used to remove dead bugs and dirt particles. If the rag or cloth is not clean, then any dirt from it can cause the helmet to be dirtier, or it simply won’t clean it in a proper way.
- Baby Shampoo: Baby shampoo or any other kind of mild or non-abrasive cleaner will be the best choice to clean your motorcycle helmet because it is gentle and won’t cause any damage to the helmet. You need to be careful not to use an ammonium solvent or a petroleum solvent so you don’t damage your helmet.
- Toothbrush: A toothbrush is used to clean areas that a microfiber rag can’t reach, like tiny and narrow spots. You can use a soft bristles cheap soft brush to perform this task. A toothbrush is very useful to clean the face shield vents.
- Q-Tips: You will use q-tips for hard-to-reach spots that even a toothbrush can’t reach.
Step 2: Take off Any External Components
You need to remove any electronic parts that you may have put on your helmet, like earbuds, microphones, batteries, or Bluetooth units. For the riders who need to wash their off-road helmets and dirt helmets, it would be best to take off a peak and clean it separately and return it later on your helmet.
Step 3: Clean the Outer Shell
Take a microfiber rag, soak it in warm water, and clean the entire helmet. What this will do is help loosen the dried-up bugs and grime. You should put a rag all over your helmet and let it stay for 10-15 minutes. This will make it later easier for you to remove all dirt particles.
Step 4: Take out the Interior: Cheek Pads and Internal Liner
Every rider should know how to clean the helmet pads. Different helmet types have various designs, and therefore they have different internal liners. Nevertheless, you need to wash your helmet’s liner.
- Non-Removable Liner: You need to fill a tub or sink with warm soapy water and dunk your helmet in. After the helmet has been in soapy water for at least 10 minutes, you need to clean it with your hands. Gently wash the cheek pads and liner using your hands to avoid damaging the helmet. After cleaning the helmet, use water and clean it from soapy water. Dry the helmet.
- Removable Liner: The easiest and best way to wash removable cheek pads and helmet liner is to put them in the washing machine. Use them and put them in a washing bag, and use make sure to use a mild detergent. Wash it at a low temperature of less than 86 degrees Fahrenheit so the pads and liner don’t get damaged. Set a gentle washing setting. Using soap, you can also wash the cheek pads and liner in a tub or sink. After you have cleaned them, leave them to dry.
Step 5: Clean the Vents
You need to clean the vents since there are cases where bugs or a chunk of dit get stuck in the vent’s channels. Vents are in the face shield, and you can clear the gutters with an air compressor.
Step 6: Clean the Visor (Face Shield)
A protective coating can be found on most face shields. This means that you will have to use warm water to wash your motorcycle face shield. You need to check your motorcycle manual to see specific instructions about your motorcycle care.
A wet microfiber cloth or rag is the best way to wash and clean a motorcycle face shield. This is the best way to remove dust, dirt, and grime from your face shield. Just like I previously mentioned with the outer shell, you should leave a wet rag over the face shield for 10 minutes, so the bugs and grime soften a bit, making it easier for you to clean it.
Pin-lock Shields
CAUTION: You need to be careful while cleaning the face shield if it has a pin-lock. You need to remove the face shield from your helmet, clean both sides of your helmet’s face shield, and don’t damage the gasket.
Step 7: Clean the Internal Sun Shield (If Your Helmet Has It)
If you have a helmet with an internal sun shield, which is also a protective part of your face shield, you need to clean it as well. The sun shield is probably not very dirty. In the worst-case scenario, it could have some fingerprints if your hands were oil when you touched the shield. You a microfiber rag to wipe the shield, and it should be as good as new.
Step 8: Reassemble Your Motorcycle Helmet
Begin to reassemble your motorcycle helmet and start with the dry cheek pads and internal liner. Return the face shield and any other parts like electronic ones such as batteries, microphones, earbuds, or Bluetooth units.
Motorcycle Helmet Cleaning Tips:
What to Do:
- Use soft microfiber towels or rags.
- Use baby shampoo or any similar mild soaps for cleaning the liner.
- Polish the shell of a gloss helmet with automotive helmet polish.
- Use minimum pressure when cleaning the face shield not to scratch it.
- Use cotton swabs for cleaning small helmets parts.
- Air-dry the liner and helmet.
- Use an air compressor to dry the air vents.
- Take off electronic accessories so water doesn’t damage them.
What NOT to Do:
- Scrub the visor or shell; you will damage the visor and ruin your shiny helmet shell.
- Use any ammonia cleaner on the motorcycle visor since it will reduce its durability.
- Use the solvent-based cleaner on a motorcycle helmet.
- Use harsh soaps on either liner or motorcycle helmet.
- Do not use drier sheets inside your helmets because they have chemicals that are harmful to your skin, and you don’t want to harm yourself.
- Do not use a spray-on inner visor and face shield.
Motorcycle Helmet Maintenance
Keeping your motorcycle clean is important as well as its maintenance, and here are some methods for you to perform between your helmet washings.
- Wear a skull cap or bandana to cover your head. That way, you will prevent body oils and sweat from damaging the liner.
- Have a pack of cleaning wipes by your side on every ride and use it to clean any dirt and grime before it hardens and gets harder to clean later.
- If your visor is scratched, change it with a new one because it can lower your visibility and, at the same time, your safety.
- Don’t put your helmets in bags or dryers but always leave them on air to dry.
Frequently Asked Questions
How to Remove Sticky Material From My Helmet?
Use alcohol and wipe any sticky residues from your helmet. Alcohol is the best substance for removing any unwanted dirt from your helmet. You can remove it with alcohol that removes sticky residues from your motorcycle helmet.
Can I Use Water to Wash My Helmet?
Yes, you can use water to wash your motorcycle helmet; just be sure that you have removed all electric accessories from your helmet not to damage them.
Can I Disinfect My Helmet and How?
You can use a 70% solution of isopropyl alcohol for the disinfection of your motorcycle helmet. But before you do that, you need to remove the shield and padding.
How to Clean the Helmet Visor?
Use the non-abrasive cloth or rag to clean your motorcycle helmet visor. Use the fabric and soak it in warm soapy water and rub the visor with the fabric. Be cautious while rubbing the visor, not to damage or scratch your visor.
If there are any bigger dirt particles, clean them with your fingers carefully not to scratch the visor. You need to dry the visor in the open air and not in any dryer.
After drying the visor apply the anti-fog coating if your visor had anti-fog coating.
How to Clean the Inside of the Helmet?
You need to clean your helmets inside correctly, and to do so, use a tub or bucket and fill it with warm soapy water. The baby shampoo is the best shampoo-type for cleaning the inside. The baby shampoo is a perfect choice since it doesn’t have harmful chemicals that could harm your face skin.
Why Is It Important to Clean Your Motorcycle Helmet?
Your motorcycle helmet comes in touch with dirt, debris, and grime, especially the outer shell and visor. You probably hate when you want to enjoy your summer rides, and once you stop and want to stretch your legs a bit, you take your helmet off, and you notice that your helmet is full of insects and bugs that you will have to clean once you finish the ride.
Your helmet also gets in contact with soil, especially if you ride dirt bikes and rain if you ride during rainy weather. With all of these elements mentioned, you need to clean your helmet so it doesn’t lose its nice look, and the material doesn’t get damaged from these elements.
These were the elements that affect the outside of your helmet, and what about the inside? Well inside of the helmet is exposed to the rider’s sweat, hair, breath, and shin while you ride.
That is why you need to clean your helmet thoroughly from both outside and inside.
Final Thoughts
Motorcycle helmets are by far the most important part of motorcycle safety equipment, and I don’t want to lower the significance of any other safety equipment like motorcycle jackets, gloves, boots, jeans, or any other gear, but a motorcycle helmet protects your head which is a vital and sensitive part of the human body, and a significant impact on your head can lead to deadly injuries.
That is why you need to take care of your helmet, and cleaning it properly and checking its functionality is the best way to start. This article shows you how to take care of all motorcycle helmet components from the inside to the outside. You need to check what cleaning material you will use not to cause any damage to your helmet, and that’s it. You can start the cleaning process.
We hope you liked this article and that it has helped you with cleaning your motorcycle helmet.