How to Clean Football Helmet-Complete Guide

How to Clean Football Helmet to Get Rid of That Funky Smell-Complete Guide

Football is a super-energetic but sweaty business. No wonder your helmet will drench with sweat even after the best win on the field. But if you know how to clean a football helmet, celebrating every success will be fun and free of any funky smell.

Cleaning the football gears and helmets does not mean cleaning the outside but also cleaning shoulder pads and removable liners. If you want to know how to clean football or motorcycle helmets, scroll down the article with patience.

There is nothing that we have left behind about how to clean your helmet. So put on the learning cap and take off for the touchdown.

Before you Start Cleaning the Helmet

A football helmet is a complicated safety gear with multiple components. It is essential to remove those components to clean the headgear correctly. Proper removal of the parts ensures better cleaning of the inside, and outside of the helmets with appropriate weight.

You have to remove pads, chin straps, ear pads, and other helmet liners to expose the inside of the helmet. Cleaning the outside of the headgear is relatively easy but still requires removing components like a face mask.

How to Clean Football Helmet Exterior? 

Cleaning the exterior of the helmet is perhaps the easiest part. You just have to be careful about the painting and chrome coating of the helmet exterior. Any harsh cleaning agent or soap may degrade the layer.

Thus, it is better to use a wet cloth to wipe any dirt or dust from the surface. Later, you can use a damp cloth drenched in soap water and clean the surface. For a better result, you can use any mild dishwashing soap rather than detergent.

Wiping with a dry cloth and air drying, the helmet will ensure the best cleaning of the helmet exterior. If you have any additional air inlets or sockets for the face shield, you better use a brush to clean them. 

How to Clean The Inside of Your Football Helmet?

After you remove the liner and pads, it will be a good idea to keep them separated. Now you have the metal helmet to clean and disinfect. We will have a few proven tips on how do you disinfect a helmet later.

Take a soft cloth and dip it in the soap and warm water solution. Make sure the cloth is appropriately drenched in soap and water. Now wipe the inside of the helmet with the wet cloth. We recommend using mild soaps rather than any harsh dishwashing liquids.

After wiping with soap water, rinse the interior of the helmet with another wet cloth. This time it’s only warm water; no soap is required. Later, leave the helmet for air dry. However, make sure you wipe the helmet with a dry and soft cloth at the end.

Otherwise, the leftover water on the corners of the edges will reduce the integrity of the coating and can lead to rusting. Moreover, dry cloth polishing will ensure a final polish on the surface.

How to Clean Football Pads and Helmets?

The Interior of any football or motorcycle helmet is made with pads and liners. They are delicate components that require careful care. Unless said otherwise, it is always recommended to use mild soap water to drip the pads and liner.

The mild soap will remove the greases and microbes without damaging the foam structure. Moreover, soft soaps are friendly to fluffiness. So you will have the same fluffy feel after each wash.

Currently, the inner pads of the helmets are made with EPS foam. These are highly durable materials made from solid polyester beads. As a result, they can withstand rough use and harsh maintenance. However, you need to be careful about choosing the right cleaning agents for these.

Liners, on the contrary, are hard plastic covers that protect you from any dent with the metal helmet. So you can use warm water mixed with soap to clean them. Wipe the plastic liners with a dry cloth after the wash and air dry them.

How do You Disinfect Football Equipment?

It doesn’t matter if you have a riddle or any high-end helmet for the football matches. You know how to clean a Riddell football helmet; in fact, you know the details to clean almost any helmet.

Now, here is the catch. Cleaning and disinfecting are always the same. Yes, you are using soaps to remove bacteria and viruses that grew in the seat, wicking part of the helmet. However, sometimes only soap is not enough.

One of the best homemade ways of disinfecting is a vinegar and water solution. The acidic nature of the vinegar kills almost every microorganism which can cause a musty smell and rashes on the neck and shoulders.

If you are not very comfortable with the sour smell of the vinegar, use any commercial disinfectant spray. Apply it on the pads and wait till the smell goes away. Air drying will be the best option to drive out the smell of the disinfectants.

Disinfecting the liners and the interior of the helmet is comfortable. Spray the solution and wipe it with a dry cloth. This step is essential as the base chemicals can leave behind fluid marks on the outer surface.

Liners are flexible plastic material, so you can just wipe them with disinfectant and air dry them. If you want to clean the visor, use a soft lint-free cloth for the best outcome. For the chin strap, a medium bristle brush will help to bring the shine back.   

How to Clean a Football Helmet :

Conclusion

How to win a football match depends on many things but how to clean a football helmet depends on only one issue-your dedication.

Regular cleaning of the exterior, interior and components of the football helmet will not only shine the headgear. Still, it will also make your confidence sparkle in the middle of the field.