You need to protect and keep your visor clean for your safety so you can see what lies ahead. As your visors are expensive to replace, it is also advisable to maintain them regularly. Microfiber cloths, a washcloth, and a clean towel are needed to clean a helmet visor at home. If the surface of the visor is dirty, use mild dish soap.
Baby shampoo can be used on the visor’s interior. Motorcycle visors are typically coated on the exterior with an anti-scratch coating, and they have an anti-fog coating on the interior side. However, the coatings can be destroyed when harsh chemicals are used, or the visor is soaked in cleaning agents.
After every riding session, you should wipe down your visor with a dry cloth and wash it only when necessary to prevent wear and tear. Therefore, a helmet visor’s washability is a crucial question to ask. Now that you know your helmet’s visor is washable, you can follow this step-by-step guide to clean it.
Things you need to clean a Motorcycle Helmet Visor
You can effectively clean your helmet visor by using the following items:
Towel
Microfiber Cloths
Washcloths
Hot Water
Air
Mild Dish Soap
Baby Shampoo
Rubber Gloves (Optional)
Car Wax (Optional)
9 Steps Guide to Clean a Motorcycle Helmet Visor
You can easily clean your motorcycle helmet’s visor by following these simple steps.
Step # 1: Remove any padding from your helmet and place it next to a sink.
Make sure you remove any removable padding or electronic systems from your helmet. Put a dry towel next to your sink after removing items in it. Lay the helmet on it. Then, take a mild dish cleaner and a washcloth and wash it. Usually, Motorcycle and dirt bike visors have an anti-scratch coating on their exterior sides.
Another coating is also applied to some visors to reduce glare. These layers can be destroyed or eroded over time using abrasive solid cleaners or chemical cleaning agents. Instead of dish soap, you may use a special motorcycle visor cleaner.
Step # 2: Immerse a washcloth in warm water.
Pick a soft, clean washcloth. Next, you need to turn on the hot water in your sink. Allow the water to heat to its hottest temperature for 2-3 minutes. Next, soak the washcloth under the water for a few minutes. You may wish to put on rubber gloves before doing this if the water is too hot for your hands.
Step # 3: Use that cloth to soften dead bugs or dirt on the visor for 3 to 5 minutes.
If the visor is open, close it. Spread your towel next to your sink and hold it with the corners at the top while your helmet is positioned on the towel. Drape your washcloth over the helmet’s visor to cover it.
Put a towel underneath the helmet chin if the washcloth appears to be sliding off. Any dead bugs or dried dirt will be softened by applying this procedure.
Note: This step can be skipped if your helmet doesn’t have any residue stuck to it. Although it seems you can scrub the bugs and dirt off, please do not do it. If you do, your visor may be scratched.
Step # 4: Take a microfiber cloth and rub the visor gently with dish soap.
Put the washcloth aside that you draped over your visor. You can clean it with a microfiber cloth. Rub the visor gently with dish soap after applying a coin-sized amount. It would help if you scrubbed horizontally across the entire visor at least 2-3 times.
Tip: Make sure your visor is closed as you do this. Be careful not to apply too much force while doing this. Grasping the visor with your cloth should feel as if you’re touching it. During this process, you should quickly remove any remaining dirt or dead bugs.
Step # 5: Use a clean washcloth to wipe the soap off.
Dip a fresh washcloth into hot water. Gently wipe the visor with the washcloth. Use back-and-forth strokes to run the cloth over the visor. Ensure that the washcloth is wiped over the visor until the bubbles and soap have disappeared.
Step # 6: Apply some baby shampoo to a microfiber cloth.
Run a clean microfiber cloth under warm water for about two seconds. Put 1–2 teaspoons of baby shampoo into the cloth. Spread the baby shampoo evenly over all of the cloth’s fibers by rubbing.
Step # 7: Use your cloth to rub inside the visor gently.
After adding water and soap to your cloth, apply it to the inside of the visor. Gently rub your cloth against the surface of the visor in circular motions. Remove dirt and dust from the visor by covering each section a couple of times.
Remember: Some corners on the visor are challenging to clean because of their shape. However, when it comes to cleaning the visor, it is more critical to clean the area where you see it. Don’t worry about minor residues if you can’t reach the corners.
Step # 8: Wet the visor with a microfiber cloth or rinse it off.
If possible, remove the visor. Put a clean towel inside the helmet if you can’t take it off. After removing your visor, wash it under a gentle stream of water. Load a clean, damp microfiber cloth if you didn’t remove the visor.
Remove baby shampoo by gently rubbing inside of the visor. You can repeat this process until no bubbles or shampoo residue are visible on the visor.
Step # 9: Wait 2-3 hours for your helmet to dry.
Place your visor on the towel and let it dry. Make sure your visor doesn’t lay flat. Let the visor air dry for up to three hours. Reattach your visor to the helmet after it has completely dried if it was removed.
Note: Your visor will dry adequately as long as it is angled. Otherwise, the visor may dry into water spots if placed flat on the towel.
Tips for Keeping Your Visor Clear
Make sure your visor stays clear by following these helpful tips.
1. After every ride, wipe down your visor with eyeglass cleaning tissues.
You should avoid wiping your visor with dry materials, but wet wipes will leave water spots. When cleaning helmet visors, you can use moist towelettes designed for eyeglass cleaning.
Each time you ride, wipe down your visor with a disposable towelette. Special helmet wipes are available, but these usually cost a lot more than eyeglass cleaning tissues.
2. When riding longer, carry a microfiber cloth and a spray bottle for cleaning.
On long rides, gunk can accumulate on your visor and penetrate it. Keeping water and mild dish soap with you will help prevent dirt from building up. Whenever you make a pit stop on a long trip, spray your visor and wipe the water away.
3. Keep your hands off the visor to avoid smears.
The dead bugs and gunk that build up on your visor can be smeared even when you’ve got gloves on. Never touch a helmet directly, especially while riding, and always hold the helmet’s base. In fact, smearing something on your helmet during a ride makes obstructions more likely to occur.
4. A stable surface or helmet hook can prevent your helmet from falling.
There are usually hooks on motorcycles. Add a handlebar hook to your bike if it does not have one. Helmets hanging on handles or mirrors are more likely to fall to the ground. Consequently, their visors may get scratched or broken.
Ensure the helmet is always resting on a stable surface, so it doesn’t fall or break. Helmet hooks are small clips that secure on top of your handle. The chin strap should be wrapped around the hook when you park your helmet.
Conclusion
We all believe that we can clean our helmet visors, but do we know how to do it correctly? So, think twice before you grab the furniture polish and an old rag and nod your head smugly.
This summer, we showed you how to take care of the most essential piece of riding gear you own. Motorcycle helmet visors are easy to clean. The only important thing to keep in mind is to refrain from using solvents and petroleum-based cleaning solutions.
Knowing how to clean a motorcycle helmet visor is essential to enjoy your ride, even though the time commitment is as minimal as the physical exertion and technical know-how involved.
It was a 50cc motorbike that started my motorbike addiction at the age of seven. My teenage years were spent riding motocross, and I continued to do so into my 20s while working as a mechanical engineer. As a result, I developed a passion for light sportbikes and cruisers. My name is James Dean and I have been riding motorcycles for 15 years. Motorcycling is my passion and I wish to be a part of the motorcyclist community forever. I also enjoy riding snowmobiles. In the winter I ride as often as possible on trails and in the backcountry.
My experience in the automotive, dirt bike and motorcycle industries allows me to recommend and review a variety of helmets. In order to share this passion with motorcycle enthusiasts, I founded gearschoice.com, which provides valuable and interesting information. If you are interested in receiving useful information about motorcycles, you can follow me on Twitter, LinkedIn, or Facebook, or you can subscribe to my website.
