How to deal with smelly helmet after ride
01-26-12, 09:12 AM
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BlueTrekker
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How to deal with smelly helmet after ride
So after each ride that makes me sweat profusely, my helmet stinks. I've tried rinsing it with hot or cold water, dabbing the underside areas with antibacterial soap, but the smell is still there. Yes, it's better after I wash/rinse it than if I don't, but I wonder if there is a better way to get rid of the smell?
01-26-12, 09:55 AM
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Clean with white vinegar. Then rinse. I have done this with my cycling wrist bands that start to stink after use. Really works!
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Gary F.
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01-30-12, 10:54 AM
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The shower idea & the vinegar idea are good ones - you can also use a sport wash that is made specifically to clean stinky, sweaty clothing.
01-30-12, 06:42 PM
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1) Put it in a bucket with water and dish detergent. 2) Rinse 3) Dry 4) Repeat as necessary. This also works with head bands and gloves.
01-30-12, 08:57 PM
#7
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"Sunshine is the best disinfectant" - Supreme Court Justice Potter Stewart
You're in Texas? Put it outside in the sun for 30 min - 1 hour; thats what I do here in sunny Southern California. Dries out the straps and all the other sweaty parts, and no stink (possibly the UV rays 'nuke' the bacteria?). I also give it a light spray of Febreeze when I bring it in after drying.
You're in Texas? Put it outside in the sun for 30 min - 1 hour; thats what I do here in sunny Southern California. Dries out the straps and all the other sweaty parts, and no stink (possibly the UV rays 'nuke' the bacteria?). I also give it a light spray of Febreeze when I bring it in after drying.
01-30-12, 09:34 PM
#8
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When it gets bad enough... denture cleaner... dump in it for 15 minutes... fresh as new... (or fresher).
Actually I use denture cleaner for water bottle, etc... everything but denture (don't have one yet...)
Actually I use denture cleaner for water bottle, etc... everything but denture (don't have one yet...)
02-03-12, 02:29 PM
#9
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Pull out the pads and wash them.
02-07-12, 06:06 PM
#10
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OP, wash your hair. 
Just bring the whole helmet in the shower with you afterwards. They're made to handle pouring rain, sleet and snow, so what's a few minutes in the shower with some shampoo?
Just bring the whole helmet in the shower with you afterwards. They're made to handle pouring rain, sleet and snow, so what's a few minutes in the shower with some shampoo?
02-12-12, 01:10 AM
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or just rinse it good after riding
02-12-12, 01:48 AM
#14
Bike ≠ Car ≠ Ped.
I'm actually serious about what I posted earlier. ^^^ The funk that gets into your helmet is the same funk that comes off of your head, so whatever you use to wash your hair will also wash the helmet and the pads. Shampoo won't hurt anything on the helmet, either. Unless you've blasted a sparrow with your helmet on a 50-mph downhill, a simple lather n' rinse will clean it well enough.
02-12-12, 02:04 PM
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For really stubborn stink do this.....
Shampoo the inside of the helmet then set in direct sunlight with the inside facing the sun for a day or two.
The sunlight will kill all the bacteria, mold, etc that is the cause of the stink.
Shampoo the inside of the helmet then set in direct sunlight with the inside facing the sun for a day or two.
The sunlight will kill all the bacteria, mold, etc that is the cause of the stink.
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My preferred bicycle brand is.......WORKSMAN CYCLES
I dislike clipless pedals on any city bike since I feel they are unsafe.
Originally Posted by krazygluon
Steel: nearly a thousand years of metallurgical development
Aluminum: barely a hundred, which one would you rather have under your butt at 30mph?
My preferred bicycle brand is.......WORKSMAN CYCLES
I dislike clipless pedals on any city bike since I feel they are unsafe.
Originally Posted by krazygluon
Steel: nearly a thousand years of metallurgical development
Aluminum: barely a hundred, which one would you rather have under your butt at 30mph?
02-12-12, 09:35 PM
#17
Cycle Year Round
For a really good cleaning, I put mine in a bucket with Borax overnight. You need a weight to hold the helmet under water.
https://www.amazon.com/Twenty-Mule-Te...uct/B000R4LONQ
When the pads wear out, I just pull them out (along with the velcro) and just use a headband. Then there is even less of a problem with the helmet getting smelly.
https://www.amazon.com/Halo-Headbands...9104079&sr=1-1
https://www.amazon.com/Twenty-Mule-Te...uct/B000R4LONQ
When the pads wear out, I just pull them out (along with the velcro) and just use a headband. Then there is even less of a problem with the helmet getting smelly.
https://www.amazon.com/Halo-Headbands...9104079&sr=1-1
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02-12-12, 09:58 PM
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Good ideas, most of them.
What I ask is, how old is the helmet? Maybe it is time to replace your brain bucket. I relie on the build date inside the helmet to determine when to replace. Styrofoam shells dry out naturally over a couple seasons of use.
What I ask is, how old is the helmet? Maybe it is time to replace your brain bucket. I relie on the build date inside the helmet to determine when to replace. Styrofoam shells dry out naturally over a couple seasons of use.
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