Cleaning Helmet Straps

[Trevelyan]

Not to put too fine a point on it, the straps on my cycle helmet hum. They smell worse than a sumo wrestler's jock strap, or indeed worse than a powerfully built mountain biker's helmet strap!

I've tried washing them before but found it near impossible as the straps can't be removed from the helmet. Has anyone got any top tips on how to clean them? Is there some sort of magic method of doing this or is it just a case of doing the best I can to wash the straps in the sink while still attached to the helmet?

Edited by Trevelyan on Thursday 29th September 07:41

[Rocksteadyeddie]

Baby wipes will bring em up good as new.

[Gooby]

Bucket of hot water with laundry detergent, leave for a few hours then into a bucket of hot clean water to rinse.

Leave to dry.

[Mr Gear]

Why not just run a sink of warm (not hot) water and wash the whole thing with hand soap? That's what is recommended for washing motorcycle helmets. It's what I was planning on doing with my cycle helmet soon anyway.

[nammynake]

I haven't washed my helmet (should I rephrase that?) since buying it around 5 years ago. I can't smell it yet...

[Trevelyan]

nammynake said:

I haven't washed my helmet (should I rephrase that?) since buying it around 5 years ago. I can't smell it yet...

You're probably not as fat powerfully built as me though. I may get quite sweaty at times

Thanks for the tips, I'll give the baby wipes a try as a quick fix while the weather is decent and go for a full on detergent attack when autumn weather returns and the bike is laid up for a few days.

Edited by Trevelyan on Thursday 29th September 23:03

[bleesh]

Gooby said:

Bucket of hot water with laundry detergent, leave for a few hours then into a bucket of hot clean water to rinse.

Leave to dry.

^^^^^ This

[7Llewelyn]

Whilst out-riding recently I wondered what the awful smell was and then realised it was my (cycling) helmet! When I got home as a quick fix I put some hand sanitizer on a piece of cloth and then squeezed it into the straps to kill the bacteria, (it's the bacteria that stinks).

I'll do the hot water / bucket / detergent method later in the year.

[Mr Gear]

^ Avoid HOT water, go for bath-temperature-warm. I dunno at what temperature polystyrene melts, but it's well below 100 degs C.

[Mars]

Tap-sourced hot water ought to be OK unless you run the thermostat on your hot water system at the "steam" end.

Anti-bacterial washing-up liquid in a bowl of hottish water. Quick rub down then leave it soaking for 10 mins. That ought to do it.