A bike helmet is exposed to all the dirt, mud, dust, and everything the forces of nature throw at you on the road, while the interior of the helmet has to deal with all the sweat and oil from your hair.
After a couple of months, cleaning your bike helmet is generally a good idea. But cleaning the bike helmet isn’t as simple as just taking a wet cloth and wiping it off the helmet’s surface.
Well, it is a small part of the entire cleaning process. Cleaning the interior and straps of the helmet is much more complicated than cleaning the outer shell of the bike helmet. In this guide, we’ll teach you how to clean the bike helmet straps and the rest of the helmet parts as well.
Why should you clean the bike helmet?
All the dirt, dust, grime, and dead bugs that you come in direct contact with while riding can stick to your helmet and cause it to corrode with time. The oil and other chemicals from your hair also stick to the EPS foam liner on the helmet’s inner side and start to deteriorate.
Cleaning a bike helmet also increases its life and ensures that it will last for a long time. Cleaning is also a great way to make sure that your helmet will be able to protect you completely or not in case of a crash or an accident.
How to clean a Cycling helmet:
Cleaning a bike helmet is extremely easy. Bicycle helmets are designed to face the forces of weather such as rain and are also fairly durable. Since the bike helmets are usually waterproof, it means that you can use warm water or water-based cleaners to wash the helmet easily. Follow the steps below to make your bike helmet clean.
Step 1:
The first step in the cleaning process of a bike helmet is to remove the helmet’s inner liner. Most modern bike helmets come with removable liners, which can be easily removed from the helmet shell.
If your helmet doesn’t have a removable liner, you can wash the entire helmet.
Step 2:
Rinse the entire bike helmet in warm water. If you’re washing the helmet and the liner, make sure you dry it properly afterward.
Step 3:
Now, use a microfiber cloth or small piece of soft sponge and wet it in water. Use the dampened microfiber cloth or piece of sponge to wipe the outer shell of the helmet. Make sure you wipe the area around vents, edges, and around the bicycle visor if your helmet has one since these hard-to-reach areas got the most dirt.
Step 4:
Let’s move on to the interior of the helmet. You’ll have to use a damp microfiber cloth or a small piece of sponge along with mild soap to clean the helmet’s insides. Mild soap and water will most likely take care of all the chemicals on the inside of the helmet. If you didn’t remove the liner, then make sure you avoid it and clean the rest of the helmet.
Step 5:
Once you’ve cleaned everything, leave the helmet to dry. You can leave it outside or anywhere for a couple of hours to make sure it dries up properly. Don’t wear or store the helmet anywhere unless it has completely dried.
How to clean bicycle helmet pads:
If you wear the bike helmet regularly, its pads tend to get dirty over time with all the sweat to the point that you can even smell the helmet odor whenever you wear it. This is more common in mountain bike helmets. The cheek pads present in full-face helmets suffer the same issues. Cleaning bike helmet pads will make sure they smell fresh and are comfortable to wear for a long time.
Cleaning bike helmet pads is quite easy. You can just soak them in a bucket full of cold water with some washing powder. Let it soak there for a while, and then wring out the inner padding and cheek pads so that they can dry quickly. Don’t use a drier to dry the pads, as the drier can easily damage those. You can also use air dry to dry the helmet easily.
You can also clean bike helmet pads by throwing them into a washing machine and giving them a cold wash in the gentle cycle mode, but doing so has a chance of wearing out the pads in the long run.
Also, if you’re a heavy sweater, you should check out our guide on how to prevent sweating on a helmet.
How to clean bike helmet straps:
Cleaning bicycle helmet straps require you to wipe them gently with a microfiber cloth or a cotton swab. Make sure you wipe carefully around the buckle, so there’s no dust or dirt left there. If using warm water doesn’t work, you can also use cleaning products such as washing powder to get that soapy water.
If a piece of microfiber cloth or a cotton swab isn’t enough to dig out some of the dirt from the helmet chin straps, then you should try using a bristle brush to scrape all the dirt, and then you’ll have clean bicycle helmet straps.
What to avoid while cleaning a bike helmet:
It is important that you don’t use chemical cleaners or any cleaning products with harsh chemicals in them since those products can damage the helmet’s body. You can also read the manufacturer’s instructions to determine what type of cleaning products are safe to use on the helmet.
Once you’ve put your helmet through some thorough cleaning, it will look like a new helmet, so make sure it stays clean by taking proper care of the helmet. If we were able to help you out in any way, you should also check out our guide on how to clean a motorcycle helmet visor.
Conclusion:
Cleaning your bike helmet is a very simple process
Frequently Asked Questions:
How do you clean a dirty and smelly bike helmet?
The smell usually comes from the inner padding that has absorbed a lot of sweat. The best way to clean a dirty helmet is to wipe the helmet’s surface with a piece of wet cloth and soak the padding in a bucket full of soapy water to get rid of the smell.
Can a bike helmet be washed?
Yes, bike helmets are waterproof and can be washed easily with warm water and a piece of cloth, a soft sponge, or a soft brush.
How can I clean my bike helmet at home?
The cleaning process of a bike helmet can be done at home. All you need is some warm water and a piece of cloth, or a soft sponge. Just wipe the dampened cloth or sponge over the surface of the helmet and make sure it reaches all the hard-to-reach places.
Can you put a bike helmet into a washing machine?
You can put a bike helmet into a washing machine, but when you’re spinning the helmet around, there’s a chance that the helmet’s parts will begin to separate from each other. Putting a bike helmet in a washing machine can lead to excessive wear and tear over time.
How do you clean a dirt bike helmet?
Use dampened cloth, a soft sponge, or a brush to clean around a bike helmet’s edges properly. You can also use soap and water to make sure there’s no dirt stuck anywhere on the helmet.
How to clean a bike helmet with a non-removable liner?
The best way to clean a helmet with a non-removable liner is to fill a bucket with soapy water and let the helmet soak in all the water. Scrub the helmet for a while, and then rinse all the soapy water before leaving the helmet to dry.
Can you machine wash bike helmet liners?
Yes, you can easily machine wash bike helmet liners. But, keep in mind that washing the liners like this can lead the liners to disintegrate due to excessive wear.
