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Smelly helmets: what do you do?

Discussion in 'Tech' started by DBConz, May 15, 2017.

  1. DBConz

    DBConz Registered Idiot

    Arai RX-Q, so I washed the crown and cheek liners.

    Inside still smells from a rainy weekend. Was thinking of opening a box of baking soda and putting the helmet over it.

    Any suggestions?


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  2. Booger

    Booger Well-Known Member

    Fabreze maybe? Maybe Lysol the hell out of it.

    Last ditch effort would be to just buy a new set of interior padding. For my Bell it's about $75.00.
     
  3. Pigman

    Pigman Well-Known Member

  4. pscook

    pscook Well-Known Member

    I remove the liners and wash them by hand with Woolite laundry detergent. Then I rinse out the helmet with baking soda, then plain water, and let it air dry. So far no issues. I wouldn't wash it or treat it with anything with a scent because I don't like being trapped in a stinky helmet. Also, any "treatment" is just covering up the smelly bacteria and not removing the source of the smell, so the smell will likely come back.
     
  5. Chango

    Chango Something clever!

    Didn't someone on here recommend putting a used dryer sheet in their helmet to help keep it spring-time fresh? He specified that it must be used, not new, because a new sheet was way too potent and left the helmet unusable.
     
  6. Britt

    Britt Well-Known Member

    +2 on the dryer sheets...I use new ones, (Spring Fresh)...also I use a small Fan to dry the helmets as soon as I take them off...along with pulling the insides for washing from time to time...but anytime they are being stored in the bag...a New Dryer Sheet is inside.
     
  7. Big Sherm

    Big Sherm Well-Known Member

    I read long ago in Motorcyclist to store it with newspaper stuffed in it to keep smelliness away.
    I've stuffed mine with newspaper, but never had a really smelly helmet, so I'm not sure of its effectiveness.

    Scott
     
  8. DBConz

    DBConz Registered Idiot

    For the comments about the padding, it's already been taken out and cleaned.

    I think the liner than can't be removed might be the smelly part.

    I'll try a dryer sheet.


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  9. FZ1guy

    FZ1guy Hey...watch this

    I just dunked my RX-Q in a bucket of water a few times. Took days to dry but it worked.
     
  10. jim weaver

    jim weaver Well-Known Member

    it didn't hurt the liner?
     
  11. TurboBlew

    TurboBlew Registers Abusers

    use the same stuff you do in the shower... shampoo! My helmets smell like pantene (with pro vitamiNz)
    but the best thing is to replace your stinky helmet with one that has that "new helmet smell"... and a valid production date that allows for a solid 5 years of use! :D
     
  12. Dry your RR helmet at the track with a $12 fan. My MX helmet stinks though but dryer sheets and color safe bleach seem to cure the stench for the most part. I just wear it for hours at a time compared to an RR helmet. But thankfully MX helmets are 1/4 cost of any of my RR helmets so when they get bad I just retire them.
     
  13. stangmx13

    stangmx13 Well-Known Member

    if i cant remove the liner, i just take it in the shower w/ me and shampoo it. then i dry it with a fan.
     
    MELK-MAN likes this.
  14. SPL170db

    SPL170db Trackday winner

    Dude, don't put that shit in your helmet....I wouldn't even use that shit in the dryer. Those sheets are pure chemicals and you want to saturate that into your helmet that's in constant contact with your entire head?!?! Just take the entire helmet with you in the shower and give it all a good and proper rinse with soap and water. Its not going to hurt it at all. Soap and water is not like spraying the inside of your helmet with contact cleaner or something. I've cleaned all sorts of brands of helmets like this over the years. Yank all the removable liner parts out and clean them individually, shampoo works fine for this. Or if you want you can stick them in one of those delicate garment netting bags and throw it in the laundry on delicate.

    But yet, as far as the rest of the helmet give a nice thorough rinsing in the shower with soap and water and it'll be good as new. You might be surprised to see the stuff that can get lodged in the vents that you rinse out. I'm pretty sure Arai even tells you to do this because the salts and dirt from your sweat can break down the liners quicker over time, so they recommend to rinse the whole thing out to get that crap out.

    When they're all done just lay them out to dry someplace, and point a fan at it.
     
  15. DBConz

    DBConz Registered Idiot

    I do have a fan and use it usually.
    The helmet is new as of last year.

    This was a race weekend with no power, it poured all weekend, and was an 18 hour drive.

    So....yea there wasn't much I could do


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  16. beathiswon

    beathiswon Well-Known Member

    You can also put the helmet in a plastic trash bag, wrap tape around the bag to fit tight around the helmet and then fill with water and the detergent of your choice although hair shampoo, sports fabric washes and woolite are safer than some others and use cold water. Rinse in the tub, pat dry with a towel and let sit in the sun until dry. Or wearing it and going on a long ride or using a fan will also help to dry it faster.
     
  17. Mongo

    Mongo Administrator

    Wash the helmet like you do the removable liner - super mild (Woolite) detergent and let it dry. It'll also help the liner last longer getting the salt/sweat/ick out of it.
     
  18. Britt

    Britt Well-Known Member

    Better not use any detergents or shampoo's all contain CHEMICALS....you will DIE...:)
     
  19. SPL170db

    SPL170db Trackday winner

    Not all.....there are some natural organic shampoos and soaps out there :D


    Needless to say most people don't have an issue rubbing shampoo all over their scalps on a regular basis....I think however most people would rather not rub their scalp/forehead/cheeks with dryer sheets :crackup:
     
  20. Sweatypants

    Sweatypants I am so smart! S-M-R-T... I mean S-M-A-R-T!

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