Helmet Smell

I soak a hand towel with alcohol and scrub the helmet out with it about every couple of weeks or sooner. Stays nice and fresh.

I strip the intercom wiring out of my helmets, pull the removeable parts and wash everything thoroughly in sunlight liquid dish soap and warm water. Then rinse everything with lots of fresh water and pat dry as possible with bath towels. A small fan applied to all the parts overnight and the helmet can be reassembled. I do that twice a year on every helmet I've ever owned. Makes the foam last much longer and feels like you bought a new helmet every time
PS - don't forget to scrub the chinstrap too!

(1) Helmet line is great

(2) Wash or replace the pads. Your "fit" will be better, too. Usually.

when I need to air my helmet out. I just do that. place on the patio in sun for a few hours seems to work for me

Handywipes

Try putting a handywipe type cloth/paper on top of your head or in your helmet when you put it on. It'll smell better and do a little cleaning while you ride.

gpodzo

For me, I found the cure the same for both my boots and my helmets. Have 2 sets and alternate them. It gives them a chance to dry out between uses. After long trips, I'll put the helmet I used on the trip on the shelf for a bit and use my alternate.

Be careful of what you put in or spray on your helmet. Make sure it won't degrade the interior materials like the foam, both hard and soft, or the helmet will not be as effective as i should be.

1. Use an absorbent towel and blot inside after each ride.
2. Leave shield open if you set it on a flat surface to allow air flow.
3. Use a foam helmet cleaner before you ride if it needs it.
4. Remove and wash liner every week or so if needed to get it really clean.
5. Never use any petro chemicals. Styrofoam doesn't like it.
6. Warm air promotes bacteria growth. Put it in freezer if possible or a cold garage in winter to retard or kill bacteria growth.
7. Carry a terry cloth towel to dry your head at stops if you don't already. Less sweat means less work later.

Make up a baking soda solution, with about a cup of soda in a gallon of water. Pour into upside down helmet and let soak about 30 minutes. Then pour in about a cup of vinegar. Let sit until the foaming stops. Then rinse and dry out.

Shampoo

A Shoui helmet I owned years ago came with a recommendation to wash out the inside with what ever shampoo you normally use. Shampoo isn't too harsh. It definately helps to remove/reduce the funk.

37071 said:

A Shoui helmet I owned years ago came with a recommendation to wash out the inside with what ever shampoo you normally use. Shampoo isn't too harsh. It definately helps to remove/reduce the funk.

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+1 to this and the other posters suggesting shampoo.

The Shoei factory rep gave me the same info at the Cycle World/Int'l Motorcycle Show in Mpls. last year.

jdmetzger said:

Be careful with the cedar chips unless you know you're not allergic. I know it sounds odd, but I have reactions to cedar chips. Learned that lesson LONG ago when I was in elementary school and my parents got me a guinea pig. I ended up with a rash (washing fixed it right away). More testing confirmed it was the cedar and not the animal. Ended up using pine, which wasn't as good but worked OK.

I would hate to see someone cedar up their helmet and then not be able to use it ever again.

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I use a cotton bag stuffed with cedar shavings and have had no problems. I have made a lot of these bags to give to friends and members of my club and haven't heard any complaints back yet. The bags that I make are well sealed to make sure the shavings stay inside. Your problem with the shavings seems to have been caused by direct contact with the material. I've read that the aromatic oil has a slight anti-bacterial effect. YMMV.

Get a helmet with removable liner.

I've bought new helmets because of the stench in the old ones, too. But two and a half years ago, when my one year old Shoei RF1000 smelled to high heaven, I bit the bullet and bought a Shoei X-11 because of its removable liner. I have a thick head of hair and sweat like a pig, and Texas summers make my helmet get very nasty in no time. With the X-11 I remove the liner and cheek pads, and wash them in warm water and shampoo a few times each summer and once in the winter. I let it dry on a towel, reinstall it, and the helmet smells just fine. Now that it doesn't stink, I plan to wear this helmet for its full five year expected life. Even though the X-11 costs quite a bit more than the RF1000, the removable liner will add life to the helmet making it pay for itself.

MrGrocer said:

Go to a Pet store and buy a bag of cedar chips stuff a healthy bunch of them in an old pillowcase, stuff the filled pillowcase into your helmet. Preferably an absorbent flannel or silk one but any will do!

Cotton absorbs the moisture, cedar chips soak up the moisture, the dry air kills the bacteria. No more petro chemicals and ya gotta believe me, your helmet smells great. You can ride 500 miles on a hot day and yu'll still smell fresh and cedary.

ANd no, this isn't a practical joke. Get rid of the petrochemicals and get your helmet really clean.

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That actually sounds like a heckuva good idea!

Cleaning and de-odorizing your helmet

+1 on the shampoo trick. Has worked for me quite well. Use your wife's shampoo if you want a nice little (olfactory) treat while you're riding!! Just be careful if there's something about the smell of her shampoo that makes you "hot and bothered". Don't want any extra distractions while riding...

Another thing I use is Murphy's Oil Soap. It's extremely gentle, won't hurt anything inside your helmet and I really like the smell. After 2 or 3 months of riding most every day I find it's time to lather up the inside of the helmet again.

Enjoy your ride and ride safely.

After reading some of the responses I can't help but say washing is the only real way to clean. Would you put your dirty clothes out to air on the deck or put them in cedar chips to clean them? No, of course not (I hope) Helmets get body oils in the fabric and masking them with scents etc. simply is not hygienic. Try washing as my previous post suggests and look at the water before draining, you will be surprised how dirty it is.

Wash - Wear.. use WOOLITE or Lysol Laundry detergent... or could use "sham"-poo do NOT use REAL "poo".

edit.. might want to use your shop vac to suck out the excess water...

If you can pull out the liner, that's best....

Of course "SLIKS" or a "do-rag" help, too... minimize "helmet hair"

GSAddict said:

Try washing as my previous post suggests and look at the water before draining, you will be surprised how dirty it is.

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That is a fact. The first time I washed my liner I was amazed at how disgustingly brown the water was. Yuk...

stinky helmet

i have had good luck with the aerostich helmet dog but you do have to set the helmet upside down to keep it in

My Arai, as well as my Nolan N-Com 102 have removable pads which I just wash from time to time

Funky Monkey Hat

1) Regular bathing, including washing your hear, usually helps.

I try to take a bath at least once a month.

Okay. Sorry about that. Couldn't resist.

Seriously:

1) Any of the helmet liners are great and help to cut down on bacteria in the liner. You can just toss them in the washer.

2) You may want to try Motorex Helmet Care:

http://www.cyclegear.com/spgm.cfm?L1=&L2=&L3=&L4=&item=TUC_98-0070_G

It consists of an anti-bacterial foam that you rub into the lining and allow it to dry for 24 hours or so.

3) If you have removable cheek pads or liners, you can wash those when the problem pops up. I clean my check pads in the sink and use Motorex every few months.

True to form, though, Hotlanta has a similar Summer to what you guys have out West..except we throw in humidity to life make truly unbearable.

The Motorex / check pad washing has worked well for me for well over a year, but last Summer, even that couldn't get my oh-dear out of my lid. I finally bit the bullet and washed my Shoeii in the tub with shampoo (couldn't afford real poo.)

I was really worried about the drenching, liner hold-up, drying, etc. Surprisingly, the helmet held up and my manly scent was gone.

(I read in Rider a while back that most manufactures suggest that you do a full soak and wash for your helmet every six months or so.)


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Twenty years on two wheels.........$1,000 - $30,000 dollars.

That post-ride look of having just crawled out of a ditch after sleeping in it.....Priceless