bonsai171

Anyone have ideas on how to wash out the inside of a helmet? I have sprayed it with a hose and that kept the odor down, now its pretty bad. Suggestions?

Dave

GlennR

Wear it in the shower.

bung

I remove the pads and clean them and the straps with shampoo in the shower.

shaun3000

Wear it in the shower. Shampoo your head and put the helmet on and slosh it around.

bonsai171

LOL. I ran it under the shower, cleaned the pads with Irish spring, and rinsed it. Covered the pad in baking soda. Will rinse it again tomorrow. Smelling better already.

Dave

illdrag0n

Don't use anything harmful to expanded polystyrene foam, in particular organic solvents

znomit

Fill the laundry tub with lukewarm water and add a few drops of gentle detergent. Soak for a few hours.

MoAlpha

I would remove the pads, soak them in vinegar, lemon juice, antibacterial hand soap, or some other synthetic-safe product with antibacterial/antifungal properties, rinse them thoroughly, and maybe dry them in the sun. Any effect will be temporary.

I spent the considerable extra $ on a Bell Z20 because the pads were silver-impregnated. I still rinse them after every sweaty ride, but there’s no stank.

Sy Reene

Where's the top rack of the dishwasher recommendation? There's usually one of those by now. Turn off the heated drying option though? Disclaimer: I've never tried this yet myself.

MoAlpha

I've tried that for various soft items and never had it work very well. It doesn't move water through porous materials the way hand washing does.

Sy Reene

Makes sense, though if OP wants a full helmet wash, maybe it works for the rest of the helmet (removing the pads before putting in the dishwasher first)?

Iride01 

How long had it been till you tried to clean it? I rinse my helmet under warm to hot water after every ride then let it dry. Those big laundry sinks with a faucet that puts out better than five gallons a minute are wonderful for rinsing things quickly.

If you live in a very humid area, then put it in front of a fan to dry.

eduskator

"I have sprayed it with a hose'' wow

Joking aside, I put my padding in the washer with my clothes and I spray the inside of the helmet with Lysol.

sdmc530

So don't use the dishwasher, that isn't so good BUT the shower method works fine or if you can remove the liner/padding washing it with kit works fine too. I also on really hot sweaty days just rinse with the kitchen sprayer right after the ride to get the salt and stuff off.

Just getting the salt and leftovers off the helmet is the huge goal IMO....and I find if I wait to long my chin straps get itchy with "crud"

zatopek

Slight variation on a few others' recommendations. Toss helmet in bucket. Put a brick or stone on it to hold it down. Them suckers are buoyant. Fill bucket with hot water above the top of the helmet. Add a bit of bleach and the detergent of your choice. I like Pinesol. Let is soak overnight. Agitate the heck out of it, making sure to massage and squeegee the absorbent straps and pads well. Rinse with hot water. Dry in the sun. Voila!

Hypno Toad

I might get a little messy on rides ... my helmet cleaning protocol: a warm bucket of mild soapy water and soft sponge, use the sponge to work in the vents and clean all surfaces including the pads; second bucket of warm clean water, soak and dunk the helmet many times at different angles; wipe dry with soft towel; let air dry overnight in a well vented place.

Edit: when cleaning up from something like the ride below, I start with spraying the helmet down in the laundry tub to remove the loose grim.



Photo credit - Markman Outdoor Photography

redcon1

I sweat like crazy-- so I clean my helmet after every ride unless it's cold outside and I have a liner underneath. I use mild soap and warm water to clean the straps, pads and the inside of the MIPS shell, and then let it air dry.
One thing that drives me crazy, though--- no matter if I gently remove the pads to clean them, or leave them in the helmet and clean them gently in place, after a time the pad foam pulls away from the lining and I have to get a new pad set.

My last set only lasted one year, (with minimal winter use). Does anyone have any suggestions to keep from having to replace pads often?

sfrider 

I sweat a lot but my helmets don't really smell. I'll rinse them it off under the kitchen faucet once in a while, especially if there's any noticeable odor. But it's usually more because having white salt stains on the straps is a bit unsightly.

oxman

Using warm water, not hot, I rinse off the entire helmet, including the straps in the kitchen sink. I then drop dish soap in a few areas and work it in into the padding and straps. I follow this up with a final warm water rinse.

I then stand my helmet on end, so the water runs and wicks off the helmet. Sometimes I place the helmet in the sun, inner surface facing up for an hour to dry to inside, over place over the floor a/c air register, inner facing down.

Never had an odour issue.

phrantic09

I’ve never cleaned my helmet, maybe that’s why my head gets so itchy.

Sy Reene

. .

you mean, like things crawling on our scalps?

canklecat

Tide Ultra or Gain. The enzymes work really well but need some time. I soak the pads for about 20-30 minutes, along with my other kit -- I usually handwash everything in a 5 gallon bucket. I'll set the helmet, sans pads, on top of the bucket with the straps dangling into the soapy water. Then sponge out the helmet with the same Tide or Gain soapy water. Rinse, air dry (usually hanging over the tub with a fan blowing), done. Never any problems.

Febreze and similar generic fabric deodorizers work surprisingly well too for funk stank. I have three cats and use a lot of that stuff on the sofa, cushions, throw rugs, etc. It doesn't just mask the funk. It's mostly baking soda in water but has some other pretty effective deodorizers too. No soapy residue after it dries.

Racing Dan

I usually pull out the soft pads and hand wash with gentle liquid soap. The shell is hosed in the shower. Then dry and reassemble.

dabac

I make a point of only buying helmets with removeable straps.
When needed, I take them and the pads out and send them through the washer. Usually in a mesh bag, but I have stuffed them in a sock on occasion. Reinstall and ride on.

Hypno Toad

I ride with a cycling cap under my helmet. I do this since I'm mostly bald, but I found when I started using a cap that it helped manage sweat and the helmet pads didn't get as nasty. The cap is easy to wash, either hand wash or run in the laundry with delicates.