Keeping all of your racing gear clean is essential, not just for the sake of good hygiene but also because it can become uncomfortable to use messy or unclean equipment. Your racing helmet is an important area where you need to use good cleaners and sanitizers.
The 6 best racing helmet cleaners and sanitizers are:
- Kleers Crash Helmet Sanitizer
- Molecule Helmet Fabric Interior Refresher
- Bell Shield Cleaner
- Muc-Off Helmet And Visor Cleaner
- Molecule Helmet Cleaner And Polish
- Plex-Rx Plastix Cleaner And Polish
We will go through each of these products in more detail below, and we will also talk about some of the best ways to keep your helmet clean. Finally, we will also take a look at some other useful tools you can use to keep your helmet and visor clean.
How to Keep Your Helmet Clean
Keep It Safe
There are lots of ways to keep your helmets clean, even if you’re on a tight budget. There are some basic rules to follow to keep your helmet safe and prevent any accidental damage to it as well. The first is to always keep your helmet in a safe and secure area, away from extreme temperatures.
This means you shouldn’t keep it stored in the trailer. Either keep it in a cupboard, or on display on a shelf. If you want, you can keep the helmet cover on to prevent any dust from collecting on it. If you want to keep your helmet smelling fresh at all times, a bar of soap inside the helmet is extremely effective.
Clean It In Between Uses
Make sure you clean the outside of your helmet after using it and be sure to check for any damage or signs of wear on the helmet. If you do not have any wax, a damp cloth also works well to get any dirt or rubber off the helmet.
Keep It Dry
Always ensure that the inside of your helmet is dry before you store it away. You don’t have to actively try to dry it, but you can just leave it to air out for a couple of hours after using it. The same goes for the outer shell if you have used a damp cloth to clean it.
Basic helmet care is actually much easier than most people think it is. You simply need to treat your helmet as something that is important and takes priority. Its purpose is to protect you and possibly save your life after all, so you should treat it with care.
Taking care of your helmet is important for safety reasons, but it can also save you some money. If your helmet stays in good condition, you can use it for a longer period of time before you need to replace it.
Normal Sanitizer Won’t Cut It
There are various sanitizing chemicals you can use for your helmet to really keep it clean. The difference between helmet sanitizer and normal hand sanitizer is that the normal sanitizer isn’t necessarily optimized to be used on the materials inside the helmet.
This means that it could either damage the lining inside the helmet, or simply absorb into it with no effect. There are a few different sanitizers for helmets available on the market, we have gone through them in more detail below. All of them function well as helmet cleaners, while also being budget friendly.
The 6 Best Helmet Cleaners And Sanitizers
1. Kleers Crash Helmet Sanitizer
The first is Kleers Crash Helmet Sanitizer, and it usually comes in a 50ml spray bottle. This sanitizer not only cleans the inner lining of the helmet, but it also leaves behind a fresh fragrance which will keep your helmet ‘wearable’. Both of these factors contribute to an ideal overall helmet cleaner.
2. Molecule Helmet Fabric Interior Refresher
Next up is the Molecule Helmet Fabric Interior Refresher which comes in a 120ml bottle. The sanitizer is cosmetic grade, and therefore it will not cause any damage to your skin or cause any other side effects. This is therefore an ideal choice for those looking to freshen up their helmet but are worried about unwanted side effects.
3. Bell Shield Cleaner
If you don’t like the idea of tear off strips for your visor, which we will discuss more in the next section, you can use a simple visor cleaning solution that will wipe off any dirt and keep the visor clear and protected. The first visor-specific cleaner that we recommend is the Bell Shield Cleaner.
It comes in a small spray bottle and is thus easy to transport and you simply have to spray the solution onto the visor and wipe it clear with a dry cloth. You can use this to clean the outer shell of your helmet as well, but it is really aimed at those looking for a visor specific cleaner.
4. Muc-Off Helmet And Visor Cleaner
The Muc-Off Helmet And Visor Cleaner comes in 2 options, the first being a 35ml bottle and the second being a much larger 250ml option. This solution is a neutral-pH formula and does not contain any harmful chemicals. It’s also 100% biodegradable, so if you’re looking for a completely clean and safe option to use, this might be the one for you.
5. Molecule Helmet Cleaner And Polish
For the outer shell of your helmet specifically, you can find some really good waxes and cleaners that really make your helmet shine. The best of these is the Molecule Helmet Cleaner And Polish. This brand was mentioned earlier for the visor cleaner as well, so it should be clear that Molecule is a good brand to go for when it comes to helmet cleaners.
The 120ml spray bottle is a convenient size, meaning it will last long and fit easily in your pocket or travel bag. If you want to try the full range of Molecule products, you can get the full care kit too which includes helmet cleaner and polish, rain repellent, helmet refreshment spray and an anti-fog solution too.
6. Plex-Rx Plastix Cleaner And Polish
Finally, we have the Plex-Rx Plastix Cleaner And Polish. This comes in a larger spray can and can be used on your entire helmet if you wish. It offers UV protection on plastics, and thus acts as a layer of protection from sun damage. This is definitely a great option for long races in hot climates when your helmet will be exposed to the sun for prolonged periods of time.
Other Useful Tools To Keep Your Helmet Clean
In terms of keeping the outside of your helmet clean and up to safety standards, there are various different tools you can use. The main areas to focus on are the outer shell and the visor. The outer shell is prone to a lot of damage including dents and scratches, and the visor can also pick-up scratches easily.
A Good Helmet Bag
The first thing you should invest in to keep you helmet safe and damage free is a good helmet bag. These are normally not too expensive. The higher quality, more expensive bags will have padding on the inside which will protect your helmet even further if you are travelling or have it stored in a trailer, so it is worth considering spending that bit of extra money if you want the best protection.
Helmet bags are extremely useful, and some will even have extra space for different visors, HANS devices, and helmet cleaners and sanitizers. They keep your helmet safe and offer an easy way to carry and transport it around.
The Peet Dryer
If you struggle to keep your helmet dry between sessions, there’s a great tool available on the market that helps to quickly dry the inner lining of the helmet. The Peet Dryer is fairly expensive, but it can be used to quickly dry your helmet and boots between sessions.
The dryer can be plugged in to a normal socket and can be used with hot or cold air depending on the time you have and the amount of moisture that needs to be removed from the helmet and boots. A glove drying port can also be added to the dryer for drying your gloves, but this needs to be bought separately.
Visor Tear-Off Strips
Your visor is a small part of the helmet, but it’s still really important. The visor protects your eyes, but you also need to be able to see out of it. Visors aren’t too expensive to replace, but it’s best to take good care of the ones that you have.
The first thing you can do is buy some visor tear-off strips. You often see these used in Formula 1, and they are thin layers of plastic that cover the outside of the visor. They do not impair your vision, but they still protect the visor from scratches and flying debris. Visor tear offs are usually quite cheap and come in multipacks.
Final Thoughts
Helmet care is crucial as it can extend the life of your helmet. You don’t need a huge budget or any fancy equipment, but you will need to take some extra time to maintain the quality of your gear. Getting a decent helmet sanitizer is a good place to start, but you can find lots of other useful tools on the market to make keeping your helmet clean even easier.
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