We require our kids to wear their helmets whenever they are riding their ATVs. Unless it’s the short distance from the barn to where we get everything set to start riding so about 25m. Our kids are still learning and growing in their riding skills and with most of our trails being lined with trees it is a necessity to keep their little brains nice and safe. But the helmets also help prevent scratches or other abrasions to their faces as well.
While we aren’t necessarily concerned with the appearance of their helmets, we are perfectly ok with dust and a bit of mud. But now and then their helmets need a good cleaning. Either because the exteriors have a nice layer of mud or because the inner padding is starting to smell like a junior high locker room. With three boys it is important to us to try and extend the life of their gear and toys as much as possible – we wholeheartedly and are unashamed in our appreciation for hand-me-downs from kid to kid.
This blog post is going to focus on exterior cleaning because that is what I had to do after this past weekend’s impromptu mud bogging in the field. It was one of those random gorgeous February days that don’t happen often, so we had to take full advantage of the sun and slight temperature increase.
Materials List: Towels (something you don’t mind getting mud on), a microfiber cloth, baby shampoo, q-tips, and warm water.
Since we were a bit lazy and did not immediately wipe off the mud on Sunday, the first thing I did was soak a couple of hand towels and lay them over the helmets for a few minutes to soften up the dirt pieces. If you just brush off the dried mud, then you risk ruining the helmet’s finish – again we want these things to last so we don’t have to buy brand-new ones once the youngest can fit into them.
There is a special helmet cleaner out there but I just use baby shampoo, warm water, and a microfiber cloth. We still use baby shampoo on our youngest and it is gentle enough. DO NOT use dish soap, window cleaner, or anything with harsh chemicals. If you don’t want to buy specialized cleaner or baby shampoo, just use water. We aren’t participating in any fashion shows so looks aren’t the priority, but we also don’t want to intentionally make them look terrible or ruin the helmets’ surfaces. Q-tips are great for those hard-to-reach places around the vents.
Here is one of the types of microfiber towels we have around our house: Chemical Guys 12 pack.
Once the temperature picks up and the boys start to sweat a bit more while they are riding, I’ll share a new post about how to take care of the interior. While I’m ok with a bit of dust, a stinky helmet is a no-go with this mom.
My Offroad Family 