Cleaning Helmet Straps

CTank

How do people clean the straps on their helmets? I've got a three year old helmet, which is structurally sound, but the straps are absolutely minging. Any top tips?

I'm treating myself to a new lid on payday, will probably keep the old one for winter commuting duites. Be nice if it wasn't quite so rank.

rjsterry

Could sometimes smell mine across the room. :shock: I had some success with normal laundry detergent, preferably biological to get to work on all that sweat and dead skin, and a nail brush to really work it in. Repeat a couple of times. Could also take the straps out and pop them in the washing machine, but this is a right faff.

Cafewanda

Spray with Febreeze and hang out the window......... it helps to have a bad sense of smell

ScaldedCat

MIne have gone from silver-grey to purple as I've sweated hair dye onto them.

Won't wash out either.

Specialized Needs

Used to do this:

rjsterry wrote:

Could sometimes smell mine across the room. :shock: I had some success with normal laundry detergent, preferably biological to get to work on all that sweat and dead skin, and a nail brush to really work it in. Repeat a couple of times. Could also take the straps out and pop them in the washing machine, but this is a right faff.

Now do this:

Cafewanda wrote:

Spray with Febreeze and hang out the window......... it helps to have a bad sense of smell

I put the helmet into a cardboard box to avoid overspray and make sure the straps are soaked in the stuff. I use the Febreeze that says it is suitable for dog baskets :shock:

navt

A: Remove straps.

B: Wash.

C: Re-attached said straps.

There you go, easy as A-B-C.

hoolio

After a sweaty ride I usually spray the inside of the lid (and the straps) with shoe deodrant. Kills the bacteria and stops it getting smelly.

Nigel Bennett

My method, used on a variety of helmets:

Remove helmet from head.
Insert helmet in washing machine with associated minging cycling kit
Press the start button
Remove helmet from washing machine, allow to dry and fit on head.

Yes, it goes bumb-bump-bump like Winnie-the-Pooh coming dowstairs, but it's the only way my helmet knows of getting clean....

biondino

I microwaved my old helmet. It smelled *awful* (imagine the normal minging smell, but cooking), but afterwards it was fine. NB the plastic attachment that cups the base of the skull broke a week later. I don't know if you're supposed to microwave it.

essex-commuter

biondino wrote:

I microwaved my old helmet.

Err, why?

biondino

essex-commuter wrote:

biondino wrote:

I microwaved my old helmet.

Err, why?

Pasteurisation.

cougie

Excellent. And how does pasteurisation affect the foam of the helmet I wonder ?

TommyEss

biondino wrote:

essex-commuter wrote:

biondino wrote:

I microwaved my old helmet.

Err, why?

Pasteurisation.

Ahem - what!?

Without getting into technical points about sterilisation etc (I'm actually reviewing design guides on this at work as we speak) why on earth did you think that would be a good idea?

Plastics and EPS foam are very heat sensitive - hopefully they don't contain a high water content, else the steam produced inside would have caused quite a bang.

FWIW - microwaving food only works because the frequency of the microwaves excites water molecules - hence it only heats up things that contain moisture.

For proper sterilisation, you need to heat to 121deg C, with moist heat (e.g. steam) and hold for 15 minutes.

In order to kill most vegetative bacteria however, you only need to reach 65deg C - not sure how close that is to melting the helmet though.

Why didn't you just wash it in the kitchen sink in water as hot as you'd use for the dishes - that would get rid of the majority of bugs causing the smell.

rjsterry

biondino wrote:

I microwaved my old helmet. It smelled *awful* (imagine the normal minging smell, but cooking), but afterwards it was fine. NB the plastic attachment that cups the base of the skull broke a week later. I don't know if you're supposed to microwave it.

You have just beaten my last favourite silly microwave story, which was a housemate setting her bra on fire, when trying to dry it out in the microwave - underwiring arced and up it went.

jthef

Go for a ride in the rain

jthef

Go for a ride in the rain

kelsen

Milton fluid solution.

Soak.

Rinse.

vitesse169

Every so often I plonk the helmet in the shower with me, upsidedown, and allow the shower gel suds to wash thru the straps/padding. Dry out near the radiator, all good and clean....

Runoutofgears

+1 every two weeks ish, but hang up to drip dry.

CTank

Some good tips there. I'll buy a new helmet, and then experiment on the old one, and see what hapens.

shouldbeinbed

CTank wrote:

How do people clean the straps on their helmets? .

wear it in the shower

fossyant

vitesse169 wrote:

Every so often I plonk the helmet in the shower with me, upsidedown, and allow the shower gel suds to wash thru the straps/padding. Dry out near the radiator, all good and clean....

Once a week I do this - usually a Friday.

Also, make sure the lid can dry quickly during the week, rather than fester.

Works a treat....

Babel Coglioni

I sit my helmet atop a small tub and dangle the (non-removable) straps in hot soapy water.

CarlosDSanchez

+1 for milton fluid.

Stick the helmet in a bucket full of hot water with a cap of milton in (put something heavy in it to stop it floating) and it get's rid of the nasty smell. Do that once a fortnight.

rebs

huh.. people wash helmets? Really? :P

Nickolarse74

Sorry to drag up old dirt..... BUT In case anybody else Googles "clean bike helmet straps in washing machine" and navigates to this page, then finds that they cannot take their Spez helmet straps off the helmet..... DO NOT PUT YOUR HELMET IN THE WASHING MACHINE. I put mine in, wrapped and knotted in a tea towel and a towel and it is now fecked.

Worse still, I had to spend 30-45 minutes hoovering black GRP + foam chips out of the w/mc drum, the drain and the seal and then run 2 x 90degree cycles to get rid of the residue.

https://twitter.com/Bertiethebike/statu ... 48/photo/1

dhope

Nickolarse74 wrote:

Sorry to drag up old dirt..... BUT In case anybody else Googles "clean bike helmet straps in washing machine" and navigates to this page, then finds that they cannot take their Spez helmet straps off the helmet..... DO NOT PUT YOUR HELMET IN THE WASHING MACHINE. I put mine in, wrapped and knotted in a tea towel and a towel and it is now fecked.

Worse still, I had to spend 30-45 minutes hoovering black GRP + foam chips out of the w/mc drum, the drain and the seal and then run 2 x 90degree cycles to get rid of the residue.

https://twitter.com/Bertiethebike/statu ... 48/photo/1

Why in the world would you put a bike helmet in a washing machine?!?
The last thing you'd want to do is subject the thing that's supposed to be protecting your head to a series of impacts at random angles while soaking it in warm water...

Nickolarse74

See post no.8 on page 1, Wed Jun 23, 2010 12:17 pm

I thought wrapping it in towels etc and putting loads of other clothes in would prevent any problems. Clearly not. A friend reckons she puts hers in the dishwasher. I'm going to use the busted helmet to try it out.

timothyw

Have you tried just taking it in the shower with you?

Seems fine with mine, although I have a cool air conditioned room to dry it in every day.

bendertherobot

Mine had got very dirty. They are leather so tend to go off colour and a bit grey. Couldn't find them on the net as spares. So asked a very nice man about buying some.

And that very nice man sent me some for nothing. 5 minute job swapping them out. Good as new.

Nickolarse74

No way, I'd look a right knob wearing a helmet in the shower!

And my nice road helmet has removable leather straps. Going to clean those with a clean, extra hot watered chamois leather then rub facial moisturiser into them.