Cleaning a motorcycle helmet is vital and probably one of the most important maintenance you can do for your riding partner. Taking care of a helmet with a removable inner liner is way easier than those with non-removal ones. That’s what you might be thinking until now, but is it really?
Most motorcycle helmets nowadays have a removable interior, and that’s really convenient. Do the cleaning and put it right where it was. On the other hand, some older helmets have non-removable interiors. However, it’s not recommended to use a helmet that is older than five years from the date it was produced.
But cleaning a helmet with a non-removable helmet liner can be as simple as cleaning a removable one. So here we’ll show you two super-easy formulas about how to clean a helmet inside, even if it’s a non-removal one.
How to clean non-removable helmet liner - DIY methods to clean it at home!
Formula 1: Wipe it, Swipe it (Cleaning with a spray cleaner)
As we are talking about a non-removable helmet interior, the cleaning option is pretty much limited for us. And as a solution to this problem, we can use some helmet interior cleaning products. There are plenty of brands out there for this job, and you can pick whichever you prefer.
Of course, read the helmet cleaning manual first; the helmet manufacturers themself can tell what to use better than anyone. But some of the interior cleaning sprays or foams are pretty popular and fairly effective such as Motorex Helmet Care and Motul Helmet Care. Of course, the best motorcycle helmet cleaner for your helmet will be the one that works for you, and these mentioned are pretty good at that.
The instructions for these helmet cleaners are pretty simple, they are-
- Just apply it
- Leave it for some time
- Wipe it off with a clean cloth
- If dirt or smell is still there, repeat the process one more time
And that’s why this helmet cleaning formula is called wipe it, swipe it. And basically, that’s also about how to disinfect a helmet.
Formula 2: Deep Fry Cleaning (Cleaning in a bucket)
You might be thinking, ‘so now you are telling me to deep fry my helmet?’ Hold on a minute, that’s not the case; it’s just a bad joke from my end. I’m trying to say that you can submerge or deep your helmet in the water and clean it.
# Step 1: Remove the visor and other accessories
First, remove the visor and all the helmet accessories like headset or speakers from your Bluetooth helmet. If you want to know about cleaning motorcycle helmet visors, there’s a whole post about it.
# Step 2: Fill a bucket with a cleaning mixture
Using a bucket, fill it with water and a mild cleaning solution. Try not to use a hard cleaning agent; that might damage the padding and the adhesive. Something like baby shampoo will work great; Johnson’s Baby Shampoo is a good choice. It’s a mild shampoo and won’t damage the adhesive inside the non-removable helmet liner.
# Step 3: Submerge the helmet into the bucket
Now soak the helmet into a bucket filled with cleaning solution. You can also use your kitchen sink for this, saving you from wasting water and cleaning products. Let the helmet sit in the water for half an hour or so.
# Step 4: Scrub the liner of the helmet
Next, softly massage the padding of the interior so that the sweat and dirt can wash away with the water. You can use a soft brush but don’t overdo the cleaning do the interior might get damaged.
# Step 5: Let the helmet dry
After that, take the helmet out of the bucket and gently press the interior padding to remove the extra water from the helmet. Now it’s time to dry the helmet; you can leave the helmet for a day or two to dry itself over time. You can also place the helmet in front of a fan or use a portable fan. But you shouldn’t use any sort of heated air such as a blow dryer as they might damage the interior padding.
I wonder if there’s any motorcycle helmet liner washing machine out there; what if they do? Not that I’m aware of unless they put their removable helmet liner in the washing machine and invented one.
In the case of an old helmet
if you are planning to restore a very old helmet or at least older than five years of production for riding purposes, it’s not a good idea. It’s motorcycle safety equipment we are talking about, after all. You can get a brand-new helmet instead, which gives you better protection and plenty of easy-to-use features.
Check out our detailed buying guides about different kinds of helmets dedicated to specific kinds of riding styles. We have posted about some of the best motorcycle helmets out there and even budget-friendly helmets.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
You should wash your helmet liner every few months or so. However, it highly depends on how much you use the helmet. A general rule of thumb is whenever your helmet feels dirty or smelly, you should wash or clean it, it doesn’t take much time.
Of course, helmets that have removable padding or liner are machine washable. But make sure to dry them in the air; not with a dryer (it might damage the padding). However, you can not practically wash non-removable liner helmets in the washing machine. It’s better to wash it by hand.
Depending on the conditions, sure why not? You can wash a really old helmet. However, using the old helmet for safety purposes might not be a good idea. Most helmets have expired date of around 5-7 years. If you are cleaning for decoration purposes, then make sure to carefully clean it so that you don’t damage the helmet.
Conclusion
Well, nothing’s better than a fresh and cleaned helmet; wait, there is a Ducati Superleggera V4. Apart from another bad joke of mine, it’s really important to take care of your motorcycle riding gear. And as a part of that, cleaning the helmet interior is also important, especially if it’s a non-removable helmet liner. I bet you don’t like to wear a sweaty and smelly helmet forever.
It’s better to take care of your motorcycle safety equipment and take it for a wash once in a while. And while doing that, you can look at the overall detailed condition of the helmet you are gonna wear on the road. There’s no harm in taking some time admiring the cool aesthetics and looks of your gorgeous helmet while you are at it.
Take good care of your gear that takes care of your safety on the road.
Good Day!