I stuck my helmet where I shouldn't have...

[Ted]

I've been off-the-scene for a couple of years, and rather hastily shoved my equipment somewhere dark and moist.

So now I have some unpleasantness in my helmet. What is the best way to clean it out? Hot soapy water and a cloth?

[DieselASFC]

The mind boggles

Is your lining and cheek pads removable? That would make it a very simple job indeed.

[Ted]

As far as I can tell its only the breath guard that comes out.

I think the main problem was I left leather gloves in the lid, and then packed it in a cardboard box with the leather jacket

So I also need a good way to clean leather!

[Beehive Bedlam]

https://i.imgur.com/MXJ5d0p.jpg

Visor cleaner - Self explanatory.

Helmet sanitiser - For the inside of the helmet though baby shampoo smells nicer and is just as affective.

Furniture polish - Make it nice and shiny it also acts as a water repellent.

Microfiber cloth - To clean the visor a normal rag will scratch it.

Cloth - Polish.

[Boris the spider]

Dettol and wire brush.

Then off to the clinic
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Yes I'm a pig....And yes... The working public do pay my wages. Tho I contribute to your benefits you lazy c##t. You do not pay my wages. So go fcuk yourself.

[waffles]

Take your lid in the bath with you (mmmmmm ) and give the inside a good scrub with kids shampoo, something like Johnsons baby shampoo will do. Rinse it out thoroughly and until the water coming out of the fabric goes clear rather than grey. Carefully shake out the excess and leave it to properly dry somewhere.
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Theory test - 19/8/09, CBT - 11/10/09, MOD 1 - 16/8/10, MOD 2 - 27/10/10
Past rides Yamaha XT125X, Triumph TT600, Honda XR250
Current rides Suzuki GSXR 600, Honda MSX125

[Jaco]

That Muc-Off stuff that BodyGuard's posted is pretty good. But you can probably attack it with any nice smelling cleaning stuff.

Also knew a guy who hotboxed his own helmet ( ) and he used soapy water to effectively combat the smell of weed

[bugeye_bob]

If it smells that bad id just buy a new lid, smells can be very hard to shift and once you get it warm and you sweat I bet it keeps returning.

[Ted]

Cheers guys, the lid smells musty more than anything else, but there is light mould on the leather gloves (which were in it).

I'll have a crack at cleaning it out properly tomorrow.

[andyscooter]

Its a few years old

Its scrap buy a new one
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gilera runner vxr200 (chavped)
if its spelt wrong its my fat fingers and daft auto correct on my tablet

[Ted]

It will be replaced in due course, due to its age and also I'd like a flip face one.

[CaNsA]

Go buy a cheap lid from J&S.

[mailee]

[Ted]

I've shelled out £***'s rebuilding the engine in my van, and am currently getting my CX back on the road... I just don't have the spare cash to buy a new lid.

A month or two after getting the CX back on the road I'll probably get a new lid, but until then a slightly stale lid will have to suffice.

[CaNsA]

£30
https://www.jsaccessories.co.uk/hjc-cs12-lotus-helmet-in-red-mc1-3897.html
£50
https://www.jsaccessories.co.uk/fl09-flip-front-helmet-black.html

Will probably offer greater protection than a lid that has been "hastily shoved somewhere dark and moist"

[Ted]

My wording was for humorous effect. It was stored in the dry, but with poor air circulation.


I'm not sure I'd trust a £50 or less lid! Probably better off with the musty one!

[Shaft]

[Ted]

You're probably right with the standards I suppose, although I did see a video online a few years back showing tests of cheap lids vs 'better' lids, some of the cheap ones didn't hold up very well.

I'd have to go to a shop to try them on first though, then try and find that lid cheaper online. I've tried some on before where I can't get my glasses to sit where they should.


Either way I'd rather give this one a quick clean to remove the musty smell, and get a new lid when I've got the time and funds. Main priority at the moment is to get the bike MoT passable and safe.

[bugeye_bob]

I have a Crevit from lidl/aldi and it is cock on, it is mainly used when im on and off road, I also wear glasses and that's why I went down the flip front design,
I also own a Caberg Flip and the only difference is road noise, the Cab isnt as loud at high speeds, but as I only tend to ride under the legal limit they are both fine,

Don`t be put off by the cheaper brands sold thru genuine outlets,
I'm not sure id buy a 99p helmet from an unknown seller in china or Timbuktu, but if a genuine outlet like J&S are selling hundreds a year I wouldn't be too worried.

[stinkwheel]

Do the leather with saddle soap. Check the stitching hasn't rotted.

You'd be amazed how good a job vanish does on fabrics. It's an oxygen bleach that'll kill most of the moulds and bacteria and remove the stains and smells.

I'd get the in-wash powder, mix it up with water and give the inside a damned good soaking with warm then lather up with the vanish solution, leave it to sit, then several rinses.

If you have drying time, I suppose you could dunk it in a bucket.

Oxy bleaches contain a compound that releases essentially a mild soap and oxygen when it comes into contact with muck, especially biological muck. Nothing that's going to damage the fundamental protective parts of the helmet.
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“Rule one: Always stick around for one more drink. That's when things happen. That's when you find out everything you want to know.”
I did the 2010 Round Britain Rally on my 350 Bullet. 89 landmarks, 3 months, 9,500 miles.

[andys675]

fill the bath up, dunk the helmet in and out, use baby shampoo on the padding, dunk it again to rinse the shampoo off

don't leave it immersed, as heaven knows what glue was used in it's construction

and let it dry naturally, no heat, hairdryers or airing cupboards and bear in mind it will take 5 days to dry
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Some people feel the rain, others just get wet.

[Alpineandy]

When it's clean, if it's still a little whiffy a little (be very gentle!) fabreeze spray can help with smell (provided you can find one that you like)
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The above comment isn't necessarily the truth and anyone that says it is, is only correct if it's the truth or they're bigger than me.

[Ted]

I washed it out this morning, fully under the tap until the water was clear (didn't actually take long), but I did leave it next to the towel rail, as I thought heat would be a good thing, hopefully it'll be alright when I get back home!

It doesn't matter how long it takes to dry, I'm not going to need it in the next couple of weeks. Just want to make sure it dries out properly.

[Alpineandy]

What did you use?
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The above comment isn't necessarily the truth and anyone that says it is, is only correct if it's the truth or they're bigger than me.

[Ted]

As I was lacking any baby bath stuff, I ended up using Lynx shampoo, as I figured it would be less likely to irritate than something like washing up liquid (which was the plan before I asked in here).

But when I rinsed it out under the tap no Lynx smell was left, and it still smelt marginally musty. So I put some fabric softener in, rinsed out again, and its much better now.

However... I probably should have looked closer at CaNsA's link, as the £35 lid is actually the same as mine (paid about £80 for mine, but was a few years back now), other than mine being black that is.

For £80 it was worth washing, for £35, probably not!

Still... Live and learn.