What Do You Use To Clean Your Helmet?

[ron_al]

I use hot tap water and a sock - an old, clean, cotton athletic-sock-turned rag. (I keep several around the house & garage for this.)

To clean the faceshield, I'll first remove it from the helmet, soak part of the sock/rag in hot water, then let the soaked end of the sock/rag sit on anything that has been on the shield for a while. After a few seconds, a wipe of the soaked sock/rag takes off whatever it was. Then I use a clean dry sock/rag (or the other end of the same sock/rag, if still dry) to dry it off. The use of fabric (not a paper towel) seems to reduce the likelihood of scratching the clear plastic, and I've heard conflicting opinions of different chemical cleaners (thus the use of hot water only).

To clean the outer shell, I first reattach the clean & dry faceshield to the helmet, then do the same as the above - I use a sock/rag that is still dripping with hot water, let that sit atop any obstinate-looking bugs for a few seconds, then wipe. If it won't come off at first, I repeat (with fresh hot water) until it does.

Note that I am not scrubbing with the sock/rag (as I don't want to scratch either the faceshield or the shell) - I'm letting the hot water do the work.

Even then, I find that some minor scratches still happen from riding - the only 100% foolproof way I've found to prevent that is to not ride. So I have been known to buy myself a new faceshield at the start of a new riding season.

/Thread-jack:

Once, years ago, I decided to treat myself to a shiny mirrored/iridium-tinted visor. *bling* But I hit a really juicy bug on the first ride. On the ride, I tried to wipe it off with my glove, and after the ride I used a paper towel & some sort of spray cleaner to clean it off. I don't know if it was the paper towel or the cleaner or my initial glove-smear or even the excessive amount of bug guts, but something ate right through the mirrored coating - those coatings are fragile! Thus, I now use shields that are either clear or a solid tint - smoke or high definition orange/yellow, etc.

End thread-jack/

[To clean the inner liner, I remove it & wash it by hand with woolite, and rinse repeatedly. (I love the detachable liners in my Shoei RF1100 & in my Arai before that.) (Before I started using helmets with detachable liners, I previously used a helmet liner/doorag/skullcap-looking thing all the time, and I just washed that with my regular laundry. It kept the funk out of the non-detachable helmet liner.)]

YMMV,

Ron

[vfrcapn]

I use lemon Pledge Spray. Works wonders.

Lemon Pledge has been found by the State of California to cause birth defects in Pregnant VFR's.

Gee, lots of good answers there. I think I'll give the Plexus a go for the outer shell. Some distelled water for the visor, and occasional anti fog spray for stuburn bugs. I don't think we have Pledge here in Austray-lee-ar. But what about the inner liner?,.....hmmmm I know the cheek pads come out of my helmet, but I'm not sure about the rest. It looks like it just pulls out, but I'm worried that once I pull it out I wont be able to get it back in?. Its a Shoei XR 1000. It cost me $900. Only the best protection for my skull!. I'd prefer and Arai, but a decent one is around $1400, and I don't think they are $500 safer than the Shoei. In fact I think they rate the same in safty. With Arai I beleive you're paying for a name. what's your opinion?

Only the cheek pads are removable. You can dunk the whole helmet and use a gentle cleaner like hair shampoo, to clean the liner. Rinse very well and let dry for a day or two, a small fan may help the drying.

[Guest]

I use lemon Pledge Spray. Works wonders.

Lemon Pledge has been found by the State of California to cause birth defects in Pregnant VFR's.

Gee, lots of good answers there. I think I'll give the Plexus a go for the outer shell. Some distelled water for the visor, and occasional anti fog spray for stuburn bugs. I don't think we have Pledge here in Austray-lee-ar. But what about the inner liner?,.....hmmmm I know the cheek pads come out of my helmet, but I'm not sure about the rest. It looks like it just pulls out, but I'm worried that once I pull it out I wont be able to get it back in?. Its a Shoei XR 1000. It cost me $900. Only the best protection for my skull!. I'd prefer and Arai, but a decent one is around $1400, and I don't think they are $500 safer than the Shoei. In fact I think they rate the same in safty. With Arai I beleive you're paying for a name. what's your opinion?

Only the cheek pads are removable. You can dunk the whole helmet and use a gentle cleaner like hair shampoo, to clean the liner. Rinse very well and let dry for a day or two, a small fan may help the drying.

I took the cheek pads out of it and took it in the shower with me. Closed the visor and vents. Did the chin strap up and held it like a bucket. I filled it about 1/4 of the way with warm water, then gave it a good squirt of shampoo. Then I fill it the rest of the way and swirled it around just like it was in a clothes washer.

Man, the water turned grey. There was ALOT of stank in there. I did it 3 times until the water came out clean, then just rinsed it. I highly recommend this. I can't believe how much better the inside of the helmet looks. It looks brand new!.

MODERATORS: Would you like me to do a complete write up with photos to be pinned?

[swimmer]

MODERATORS: Would you like me to do a complete write up with photos to be pinned?

No shower pics please.

[PACIFICMAN]

I have 2 Shoei helmets, a RF1000 and a X-11. The X-11 liner and pads come out so it is easy. I use my bath soap (Dr, Bronner's all purpose hemp oil peppermint bar soap) and just let the pads etc... dry (the cheeks pads have a lot of vinyl trim attached and take along time to fully dry, FYI). The RF has an attached liner, I take out the cheek pads and clean as above. I then spray clear water on the liner and then rub it with a micro fiber towel saturated with the bath soap and water mixed. I then "rinse" with clear water, also on saturated micro fiber towels and repeat until it rinses and smells clean. Then let it dry, I thought about total submersion but I think the drying would take longer and I was worried about getting moisture between the layers of the helmet.

For the visors I use saliva and a micro fiber towel, no scratch and it dissolves any and all material on the visor.

For the outer shell, clear water and M F towel

[jaimev34]

Soap and water for the outside, and throw the liners and cheekpads in the clothes washer. Never had a problem. Air dry.

[mello dude]

These guys are the manufacturers of the now discontinued Pro Honda Spray Cleaner Polish. Works great on most any painted surface...except flat black:

http://www.originalbikespirits.com/products.aspx?pid=667

Ok, but how can it be the original "stuff", if it's 50 state VOC compliant? :offtopic:

Dunno about the VOC compliance. But I read (sorry I forget which moto rag) that Honda dissed the orginal guys and came out with a new formula for the the official "Honda" polish for the VOC issue because of California. Again dunno if that is really true. But grab a leftover can of the real previous generation Honda polish, and a can of the new "original" polish and spray a squirt on your fingertips and rub it, smell it. Try it side by side on your tank. I swear by the feel,smell, tryout test - it's the same old super polish and clean it stuff.

MD

[whitelightning]

I always just use the blue stuff the gas stations supply in the wash buckets to wash the visor off, the rest I usually don't care about. It's just going to get dirty again when I get back on the bike. I'll wash it before I leave the house each day and apply a wax to the visor to keep bugs from sticking.

[NorthernVFRDave]

why clean a helmet :laughing6-hehe:

[Guest]

To clean my helmet, all I do is take a soft rag, wet it, toss it in the microwave for maybe a minute and half then slap it on the shield for about 30 seconds, even the most crusted on bugs will wipe right off....

I've read many articles showing how cleaners and polishes if not specific for 'helmets' I've read they can damage the EPS liner inside the helmet, and make it weak. So I've always just stuck with a hot towel and water. Works like a charm!

[pres589]

At work I use LCD monitor wipes. At home, just water. On the road, I have a little spray bottle that holds maybe four ounces of water; I mix 2 parts tap water to 1 part rubbing alcohol. Throw that in a retired athletic sock, throw the whole thing in my tank bag for a trip, by the time I'm back home the sock is pretty funky and gets thrown in the trash.

[keithbob]

Rain. PNW riders swear by it.

Just did mine today.

[IntAceptor]

I just sit back and let my bird do the work.