A clean motorcycle helmet visor is perhaps one of the most underrated things in life! It's true, we are not exaggerating it at all. Don't believe us, just check the helmet of anyone you know. There is a very good chance that you are going to see the helmet dirty in some way or the other. The thing with helmets is that they sit high up on your body and attract a lot of dust, debris and bugs flying around in the wind especially when you are going at a high speed on your motorcycle. As a result, the helmet ends up collecting a lot of dirt and grime over a period of time. But not to worry, if you have a helmet that is getting disgustingly dirty, you are at the right place. After completing the steps mentioned below, your helmet will start looking like new all over again!
Take off the moving parts
First of all, start by taking off all the moving parts in your helmet. This includes the visors itself. If you have a branded helmet with dual visors, one for the clear visor on the outer shell and one to keep your eyes protected from the sun, make sure to remove both of these before proceeding to the next step. While you are at it make sure to remove the straps and other nuts and bolts from the outer shell of the helmet during this step. Also, be very careful not to misplace the small moving parts because it's usually difficult to find replacements unless you reach out to your nearest branded helmet shop in your locality.
Soak the helmet in soap water
Once all the moving parts are off, the next step is to mix a little bit of herbal shampoo or baby shampoo in a bucket of water and stir it nicely to create a thick foam. Now show the helmet in the bucket of water and allow it to absorb the chemicals in the shampoo which will help in removing the deeply lodged dirt and grime from the surface of the helmet. This usually takes anywhere around 15 minutes to a 30-minute period by which you will be ready to proceed to the next step. To help the helmet get rid of the crime you can also use a piece of sponge or a brush with soft bristles to remove the dirt and caked mud from the nooks & crevices of the bike helmet.
Cleaning & Washing
Allowing the helmet to be soaked in the shampoo water for 30 minutes is enough to get rid of all the mud and dirt from the surface. The next step is therefore very simple and all you have to do is use a piece of soft sponge or a piece of cotton cloth to gently agitate the surface of the helmet so that anything that remains behind is also removed and you get a clean surface to work with. To get best results, do this step under running water so that you have a steady flow to wash away all the dirt and grime as you continue to clean the surface with the peace of sponge or cotton cloth. This way you are going to make the step much easier on you and it will also take less time compared to if you keep on dunking the helmet in between.
Buffing & Polishing
With the surface, nice and clean, now you can proceed to buffing and polishing the helmet and bring it to a high-shine state. In order to do that you can easily purchase polishing clay for polishing compounds from any motorcycle accessories shop near you or you can order the same online as well. The steps to do this are very simple. Take that clean helmet and apply the compound in very small amounts and then start rubbing it over the surface with a very soft cloth. A common mistake many people make is to use a lot of the compound which will end up in removing the paint and reducing the shine even more! Another thing to keep in mind while polishing and buffing your helmet is to completely skip the polishing step if your helmet has a very thin layer of paint. If you continue to use a polishing compound in such cases it is very likely that you will damage the looks of your helmet. To ascertain whether your helmet has a thick coat of paint or a thin coat of paint you can apply the polishing compound on a small area behind the helmet and check for it.
Buffing can be done on any helmet irrespective of the material used for the thickness of paint applied on top of it. The steps to buff a helmet are also very simple. You can use carnauba wax, or any other car polishing wax of your choice. Apply a little bit of the product on the surface and gently keep on polishing until you see the product completely vanish from the surface of the helmet. Once that is done, take another clean cloth and wipe the helmet all over again. The end result will be a completely shiny and beautiful looking helmet.
Weather protection
Finally, you want to put a layer of protection on top of the helmet just to make sure that it does not start losing its sheen in the bright sun or after a bout of rain. Special weather protection materials are available at branded helmet shops in your area and other branded outlets of best helmet manufacturers where you can purchase the right products for your helmet maintenance. Even if they do not store a product themselves, they can easily help you out with the right advice which will help you keep your helmet in a new condition for a very long period of time. While you are at it, also buy some helmet deodorant to reduce the smell of sweat and dirt inside your helmet. Because of a stinky helmet your hair might also start smelling very bad.