Lets face the facts boys and girls, while cranking on the bike we all expect to bust out our fair share of sweat (yes, even us sweet smelling girls). Some of us even buy jerseys to make this feature of riding more comfortable. When arriving home we all throw our jerseys in the wash (you all better be nodding YES) to keep it smelling fresh, but what about ye olde brain bucket?
Yep, that is right, smelly helmet syndrome is a problem currently sweeping the Nation. And come on people, there is just no need for it either. Now I know some well heeled folk simply toss their lid in the trash and buy new. But for the rest of us that is a no go. Since we can't go tossin' the helmet in with the next load of laundry, what do us frugal types do?
Luckily for you, I'm here to pass on a handy dandy tip to keep your helmet smelling fresh as a daisy.
The secret to a fresh smelling helmet comes in the form of the post ride shower. Next time you're hopping in for your post-ride shower (which I hope is already part of the routine!!), take the helmet in with you. Yep, you read right. After you soap up the hair, pop that sucker back on your head, move it about, rinse and in a few minutes, voila, a fresh smelling helmet.
I won't lie, you'll probably feel like a bit of a knob for the first few tries. But, whatever stop your sniveling and get over it, the benefit easily outweighs your delicate pride!
I felt I needed to share this little secret after Weasel, not so discretely (ahem), pointed out that I was suffering from this smelly helmet syndrome. When I told him I was gonna take it in the shower shortly he nearly crashed his bike into the bush (that boy is not too bright some days!).
It seems I had just assumed that this helmet cleaning method was common knowledge, but apparently not. Clearly duties calls and I am here to set the record straight. I mean what else do you do with it post-muddy mountain bike ride? Come to think of it, I've probably found more of that magnetic dirt (i.e. the type you find in the strangest places days later) after a road ride in the rain. Heck I know I've jumped in the shower fully clothed more often after braving the perils of the pavement, rather than the perils of the trail puddles.
So there you have it boys and gilrs, now that everybody has heard this random tip, I hope all you smelly folk out there (you know who you are) get the hint and take an extra 2 minutes to keep your brain bucket squeaky clean.
Your friends will soon thank you for it!
Comments
The best way to clean your bike helmet...
Take it with you into the shower of course! Learn step by step from guru-grrl how you too can avoid the smelly helmet...
Hmm yes.... social tack is not my strong point, I tend to call things as I see or as in your case smell them ;-)
No seriously, cool article. Good thing I have no social graces or I would never have learned about the whole helmet + shower paradigm... now I look forward to it after every ride... among other things I won't get into.
Anyway, I even went so far as asking other riders if they had heard of it. Some where about a 50/50 split
Weird the shit I miss out on!
I've always just removed the big front pad out of my Pro-tec, and washed it in the sink with Neutrogena face soap post sweaty ride.
That seems to keep the skin on my forehead happy.
I've never even thought about smelling it.
Now my gloves are another story altogether..
Well, I tried taking the helmet pads out once. Unfortunately, they basically disintegrated and I realized I had to find another method of cleaning. Something about road specific helmets and wimpy padding that makes it a problem.
BUT man do I hear you on the glove story...help! They've been stitched and sewn a few too many times, so I won't even start about the obvious perma-smell. I think it's finally time to hit up MEC with a few bucks and just buy a new set, one day soon anyway:)
Huh, I had never heard of this one. I was like Lyle and just yanked out the pads and washed them off every now and then.
Don't you find that you get water between the shell and the foam in the helmet? I know this isn't much different than riding through a Vancouver monsoon, but maybe if you had it upside down or something...? I'll give it a shot after my ride home tonight.
Gloves are another bag - once they pass a certain point, they never return to non-smelly-hood.
Okay... cause I am a giver I will let you all in on a little secret.
Washing Soda
http://www.care2.com/channels/solutions/home/440
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soda_ash
I throw some in with my jerseys and cycling socks. It really gets the perma-smell out. For example some of my older poly-pro shirts stink to high heaven the moment I perspire even the tiniest amount. A number of washes and that problem is gone. Of course you need to use it all the time or the perma-smell comes back
You may consider soaking your stuff in washing soda first if it is really bad. I haven't tried that but I suspect it could work wonders.
Add me to the group who washes the helmet in the sink. What the heck, though, a photo of a chick in the shower is always good for a link from my site.
Hey buddy, I'm all for spreadin the knowledge here, thanks for the link! But I ain't just some "chick in the shower," besides I don't think you could handle a picture with more of me in it!
[...] Fearless Gearless. Yep, that is right, smelly helmet syndrome is a problem currently sweeping the Nation. And come on people, there is just no need for it either. Now I know some well heeled folk simply toss their lid in the trash and buy new. But for the rest of us that is a no go. Since we can’t go tossin’ the helmet in with the next load of laundry, what do us frugal types do? [...]
You might find a new product more effective. Funk-Remover is a natural biotech product that you just spray-on or wash in, then let air dry. Works great on the really smelly stuff like jerseys, gloves, protective padding. Check it out at www.funkremover.com
Cool stuff
Can you get it in Vancouver? If so I will give it a try!
guess I was looking for more pictures
I am not creepy
just male
stink factor sucks
I have a backpack that is just a few months old
it is ready to be burned
febreeze cleans it up til the first sweat
then it is all wrong again
One of my messenger bags is totally nasty, and it's the one I bring with me on the bus, to work, into stores, to visit friends, ... I'm sure I make a great impression (not!). I might give the microbial cleaner thing a try.
A bottle of milk ruptured in my chrome bag the other day... I let it dry... it is REALLY fucking disgusting now...
I am a lazy bastard.
You can get that funk-remover stuff right off the website. It mixes into a big batch and removes anything organic (milk, sweat, skunk spray...)
Or you could just hose yer brain bucket along with yerself down on yer front lawn. The water will also do the double duty of making yer lawn green in the heat.
I discovered that deodorant works wonders. I suspect they put something in it that breaks down the chemicals actually responsible for the smell. Much easier than rinsing the helmet after each ride and worrying about drying it. And so far it has not broken down the helmet itself.
Personally, I just take my helmet pads out and rinse them in the sink with Woolite or some kinda face cleanser. I have used the shower procdure on some really nice bike shorts I had with real natural chamios pads. I used to get into the shower with the shorts on, wash my head and upper body with shampoo and soap, strip 'em off, rinse, hang up over the shower head to dry, and continue with everything below the waist. Worked great. When I eventually dumped the shorts because they had gotten all stretched out, the pad was still soft and looked great.