Cleaning Helmet Straps

CTank
CTank Posts: 46
edited February 2015 in Commuting chat
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.
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Comments

  • rjsterry
    rjsterry Posts: 27,697
    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.
    1985 Mercian King of Mercia - work in progress (Hah! Who am I kidding?)
    Pinnacle Monzonite

    Part of the anti-growth coalition
  • Cafewanda
    Cafewanda Posts: 2,788
    Spray with Febreeze and hang out the window......... it helps to have a bad sense of smell :lol:
  • ScaldedCat
    ScaldedCat Posts: 111
    MIne have gone from silver-grey to purple as I've sweated hair dye onto them. :(

    Won't wash out either.
  • Specialized Needs
    Specialized Needs Posts: 802
    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 :lol:
    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
    navt Posts: 374
    A: Remove straps.

    B: Wash.

    C: Re-attached said straps.

    There you go, easy as A-B-C.
  • hoolio
    hoolio Posts: 139
    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
    Nigel Bennett Posts: 653
    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
    biondino Posts: 5,990
    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.
    My Focus / My Bob Jackson
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  • essex-commuter
    essex-commuter Posts: 2,188
    biondino wrote:
    I microwaved my old helmet.

    Err, why? :D
  • biondino
    biondino Posts: 5,990
    essex-commuter wrote:
    biondino wrote:
    I microwaved my old helmet.

    Err, why? :D

    Pasteurisation.
    My Focus / My Bob Jackson
    Blog (incl. bikes)
  • cougie
    cougie Posts: 22,512
    Excellent. And how does pasteurisation affect the foam of the helmet I wonder ?
  • TommyEss
    TommyEss Posts: 1,855
    biondino wrote:
    essex-commuter wrote:
    biondino wrote:
    I microwaved my old helmet.

    Err, why? :D

    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.
    Cannondale Synapse 105, Giant Defy 3, Giant Omnium, Giant Trance X2, EMC R1.0, Ridgeback Platinum, On One Il Pompino...
  • rjsterry
    rjsterry Posts: 27,697
    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.
    1985 Mercian King of Mercia - work in progress (Hah! Who am I kidding?)
    Pinnacle Monzonite

    Part of the anti-growth coalition
  • jthef
    jthef Posts: 226
    Go for a ride in the rain

    :lol:
  • jthef
    jthef Posts: 226
    Go for a ride in the rain

    :lol:
  • kelsen
    kelsen Posts: 2,003
    Milton fluid solution.

    Soak.

    Rinse.
  • vitesse169
    vitesse169 Posts: 422
    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
    Runoutofgears Posts: 348
    +1 every two weeks ish, but hang up to drip dry.
    I ache, therefore I am.
  • CTank
    CTank Posts: 46
    Some good tips there. I'll buy a new helmet, and then experiment on the old one, and see what hapens.
  • shouldbeinbed
    shouldbeinbed Posts: 2,660
    CTank wrote:
    How do people clean the straps on their helmets? .

    wear it in the shower :lol:
  • fossyant
    fossyant Posts: 2,549
    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
    Babel Coglioni Posts: 6
    I sit my helmet atop a small tub and dangle the (non-removable) straps in hot soapy water.
  • CarlosDSanchez
    CarlosDSanchez Posts: 455
    +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.
    Dolan Preffisio
    2010 Cube Agree SL
  • rebs
    rebs Posts: 891
    huh.. people wash helmets? Really? :P
  • Nickolarse74
    Nickolarse74 Posts: 60
    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
    dhope Posts: 6,699
    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...
    Rose Xeon CW Disc
    CAAD12 Disc
    Condor Tempo
  • Nickolarse74
    Nickolarse74 Posts: 60
    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
    timothyw Posts: 2,482
    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
    bendertherobot Posts: 11,684
    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.
    My blog: http://www.roubaixcycling.cc (kit reviews and other musings)
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  • Nickolarse74
    Nickolarse74 Posts: 60
    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.

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