After that, sweat and oils from your scalp will have got to the interior while sunlight and heat cycles will begin to affect the performance of the outer shell. Time to bin it, or hang as a trophy on the garage wall.
Until then, you need to keep your lid in top condition:
- Never sit on your helmet, put it under pressure or distort the shell
- It’s a one-crash item. Unless you’re certain the helmet didn’t take a knock, bin it
- Don’t shove your gloves in your helmet - the sweat, road dirt and leather compounds attack the inner shell
- Don’t paint your crash helmet - this is essential if the shell is polycarbonate. If you want a custom job, give it to a professional who’ll use the right paint formula
- Keep the outer shell clean with a soft sponge - nothing abrasive - and car shampoo. Avoid dishwashing liquid (it’s saline and rots metal, like the fastening) and anything corrosive like bleach or cleaning compounds
- Clean the visor frequently with a soft, wet sponge or cotton cloth. You can use dishwashing liquid but try not to spill it over the rest of the lid - best take it off anyway, to clean both sides
- Dry your washed visor with a clean cotton tea-towel. Avoid scratching
- Take out all removable parts of the cushioned liner and wash at least once a month. Hand wash in cold water, rinse throughly and allow to dry naturally out of direct sunlight
- Replace any parts of the cushioned liner that have compressed or have worn through the plush nylon covering
- Check the neck strap for fraying once a week. At the first sign, get a new helmet
- D-rings are usually pretty tough but check with your fingers for any roughness or developing cracks
- Check ‘seatbelt’ type fasteners carefully for secure engagement and spring function
- Check the visor mounting plate screws for fastness every week
- Check to remove baked-on flies across your lid and visor. Leave a soaking wet cotton cloth across it for an hour or two. They’ll wipe right off.
