[gizzard]

I rode home in the rain the other evening and I swear I almost crashed half a dozen times from the smell of the rainwater washing through my helmet straps! That got me thinking about two things:
1. I need to wash my helmet more often (I ride about 300 miles per week)
2. How often does everyone else wash their helmets?

 

[DrSmile]

I wash it after every ride and I alternate 2 helmets and they still stink... I even tried bleach, no improvement.

 

[shades9323]

never

 

[android]

I give the inside a good rinsing a few times a week.

 

[amicus]

I probably wash my helmet once a week mainly because of salt build up.

 

[ahaid]

I washed mine for the first time in over a year the other day. At the end of my next ride, it looked like it did before. I figure if I'm sweating enough, then I working too hard to care what my helmet smells like.

It was nice to not have the salt sticking to my face for a while after the rinse though.

 

[Guest]

I have to at least rinse the straps daily or the salt irritates my neck.

 

[phoehn9111]

I know what you mean, thought it was snowing in August when I put my helmet
on last night. Wonder if the salt deteriorates the styrofoam?

 

[thegock]

Once a year

Soak it underwater in a strong solution of dish detergent. Seems to do the trick.

 

[Guest]

Once a year? I would not even be able to be in the same room with mine after a week.

I would think the salt would have to be hard on some of the materials. Maybe that's part of the reason you are supposed to replace them regularly.

 

[PdxMark]

I never wash the helmet. Once every couple years I'll wash the pads with hand soap under a faucet, particularly after a funny incident one night.

I was riding home from work in a much-heavier-than-normal downpour. I rode past a police action, with a taped-off street and lots of police cars. Shortly afterward my eyes started stinging horribly. I thought the police had tried to mace a house or something. Awhile later I realize that it was the rainwater running through my old helmet pads and rinsing alot of salt into my eyes. Now I rinse-out/wash my helmet pads on occasion.

 

[MR_GRUMPY]

I love the smell of the rainwater washing through my helmet straps.......It smells like Victory.

 

[tazdag]

Stinky helmets??

I don't think I've ever really noticed mine stinking. I wash the straps every once in a while, like once per year. Even when they're white with salt, I don't notice a stink. Gloves on the other hand, they reek.

 

[MarkS]

I rode home in the rain the other evening and I swear I almost crashed half a dozen times from the smell of the rainwater washing through my helmet straps! That got me thinking about two things:
1. I need to wash my helmet more often (I ride about 300 miles per week)
2. How often does everyone else wash their helmets?

Winter -- hardly ever; Spring/Summer/Fall -- about once per week, more frequently if there are salt stains on the helmet straps.

 

[Elfstone]

I always wear one of those do-rags between the helmet and my scalp, which may help. Because my helmets don’t smell, but I do wipe off the helmet and brush off the straps after every ride once the salt dries and wipe down the straps with a damp cloth every three to five rides depending on the how much I perspire.

Peace

 

[PaulCL]

Hot Tub Rinse

Stink is weakness leaving the body !! (Isn't that the saying....I think).

I never wash it...usually. A week or so ago, it stunk so badly that I took it outside to my back deck hot tub. I dipped it into the hot tub, squeezed out the pads a few times, and rubbed off the top. Yoila !! No stinky no more.

Of course, I then threw a shoot-load of chemicals into the hot tub. Heck, mid summer, 95 degrees...aint' no one getting into that tub for a couple more months!

 

[phoehn9111]

Oh, yeah, gloves smell.. just hideous. Different even from unwashed bibs
(only did that once), more skunky, not as "Fat [email protected]" like.

 

[Guest]

Yes, gloves do. I hate when I go to wipe my brow and realize my gloves are really funky.

 

[rkj__]

Does riding in the rain count? I never wash mine.

 

[Geezer]

My wife suggested using Fabreze (sp?) to get rid of the smell. I tried it and figured I preferred the funk instead. Now, once a week I soak helmet #1 and ride with helmet #2...then rotate.