A motorcycle helmet is the most important item any rider must carry with him every time he sets out for a ride. It performs the vital job of protecting your head in the event of a crash. Besides that, it also protects your face from dust and keeps your head insulated in the most extreme weather conditions. You feel comfortable wearing it. No matter how expensive, high end and a stylish helmet you buy it’s all about maintenance. You don’t want it to look grim and beaten up within a few months. So here we will share some tips following which your helmet will keep you safe for years.
Lack of maintenance damages helmets the most. Even while cleaning people tend to use solvent or scrub it with an abrasive cloth which damages it even more. Hence it is important to know the Do’s and Don’ts of helmet care. One should use mild soaps when cleaning the liner and a towel soaked in warm water. It will loosen the big guts which will make it easier to wipe them away. Soft, scratch-free towels should be used to clean the helmet. While cleaning visors and shells care must be taken to use minimum pressure. Cotton swabs should be used to clean out vents and joints. Helmets should be dried completely after a wet ride. Automotive wax can be coated to prevent any waters spots and guts. The visor hinge and other moving parts of your helmet can be lubricated using a silicone-based lubricant. You may wear a skull cap to protect your helmet from sweat and body oil and thus prevent the foul odor. The shell of the helmet should be polished. One should never use any solvent based cleaner like petroleum distillate on his helmet. It should not be scrubbed to remove the guts. No ammonia-based cleaner or harsh soaps should be used. Dryer sheets which have harsh chemicals should not be used and the helmet linen should not be put in the dryer. Fabric softener should not be used to clean the liner.
The cleaning process is different for the helmets with a removable liner and for the ones without a liner. The process is much simpler if you have a removable liner as you can clean the shell separately. First, the liner and pads are pulled out and washed with a mild laundry detergent. Wipe them with a towel and let them air dry. For cleaning the shell you should first remove the visor from the helmet. A solution of mild soap and warm water can be prepared. A towel is to be soaked in the solution and all the guts are to be cleaned but here care must be taken that too much pressure should not be applied to the towel. The guts should first get soft and only then they should be gently rubbed. Cotton swabs should be used to clean the vents. Residue if any should be wiped away with a towel and let the shell and visor air dry. After the wash, you can use a spray to polish the shell of your helmet. A coating of wax may be applied to give it more protection and make your next cleaning easier. Now you can reinstall visor and lubricate it if necessary.
To clean a helmet without a removable liner you will need a large basin because you will have to scrub the entire helmet. First, the basin is filled with a solution of warm water and a mild detergent. At the bottom of the basin, a folded towel should be kept to prevent any scratches. Visor and pads are to be removed. Keep the helmet in the solution for several minutes. The guts are to be removed with the fingertips and you can rub the liner with your fingertips. You can now remove the helmet from the basin and rinse it. This has to be done several times such that the soap gets rinsed away completely. Pat your helmet dry and remove any moisture using a towel. You can wipe the joints with cotton swabs. Let it air dry and use the fan if required. Once it is dry you can use an automotive detailing spray to polish your helmet. Apply a coating of wax to provide more protection and reinstall the visor.
It is clear from the above process that helmets with a removable liner are much easier for maintenance purposes so you will be advised to use one to make your cleaning hassle-free. After all the hectic effort you have but I am sure you will like to keep it that way for a long time. So here are some tips to do the same. To clean the big guts before they harden always carry a pack of cleaning wipes with you. You should never scrub your visor as it will get scratches. Never keep your helmet in a bag after a ride. You should rather keep it in the open so that the sweat will not evaporate and you will not get bad odor the next time you will wear it.
