Look after your lid: Best motorcycle helmet maintenance products

Helmet maintenance products are often overlooked by bikers, even though a motorcycle helmet is one of the most important and expensive bits of kit you will buy.

Helmet cleaning, sanitisation, protection and so on, but what sort of products are available to allow us to this? Which ones are any good and how much should we be spending?

Things to consider

It may seem obvious, but it’s important to read the label to ensure you use the product correctly, you would be surprised how many people don’t. This way, they are as effective as they can be.

If you neglect cleaning duties on your helmet, then you will likely end up with blocked air intake vents, where road dirt and bugs fill them up, and of course the colour and design of your helmet will not look nearly as nice when it has a layer of grime all over it.

There are other things to think of, for instance if you do not clean your visor correctly you will end up scratching it with the debris that’s built up across it. Internally, if left to build sweat and grease, you will not only be left with a smelly helmet, but the bacteria can cause skin irritation and so on. So good helmet care is important.

The cleaning products such as cloths and sponges that you use to clean your helmet are also important, anything abrasive will scratch the finish of the paint and visor, a lint free cloth is best for the wipe down as these won’t leave any annoying fluff behind and will absorb any excess product.

Here’s our current pick of some of the best helmet maintenance products:

Expert rating:

5.0
Price: $17.45
Alternative Retailers
Jenson USA
$13.49
Tried and tested by Justin Hayzelden for three months and 3,250 miles

"Quite often it’s the little things in life that make the biggest difference, and pound for pound these handy-sized 32ml visor sprays from Muc-Off pack a prize-winning punch. They are each about the size of a chunky marker pen, you can tuck them away pretty much anywhere – in a pocket, rucksack or under a seat – so they’re always to hand when you need them. A couple of quick pumps of the Helmet, Visor & Goggle Cleaner makes short work of insect guts, post-rain staining or general filth, quickly softening any stuck-on detritus and requiring nothing more than a gentle wipe with a microfibre cloth to clean off."

"The Anti-Fog demands a little more effort, but is worth its weight in gold, especially on my spectacles, which usually mist up at the merest suggestion of cold weather. Spray on a light coat, then buff out any streaks with a tissue, and it keeps them condensation free for about a week. It works just as well on the inside of a visor, too."

Pros

  • Really great value for money
  • Easy to use
  • They're perfectly portable

Cons

  • None I can think of
  • Quality
    5.0
  • Value
    5.0
Bottle size 32ml
Uses Helmet, visor and goggles
Application type Pump spray
  • Biodegradable
  • Antibacterial
  • Can be used on glasses, goggles, sunglasses, visors and more
  • pH neutral

Expert rating:

5.0
Price: £2.99 (was £3.75)
Tried and tested by Justin Hayzelden for six months and 5,000 miles

"If there’s one problem that unites all bikers, it’s the eternal struggle for a clean visor. From spring to autumn our window to the world is a killing ground for flying insects, and in the few months we get relief from that, it’s a magnet for toxic road gunk. But carry one of these nifty packets in your pocket, and clear vision can be restored in an instant."

"The award winning Visorvision V2 sponge has been around for almost 20 years, and I’ve been relying on the product for about as long. It comes in a resealable bag with a washable drying cloth, and each one has a lifespan of around six months
(with heavy use ). I never leave home without one!"

Pros

  • Everything you need
  • Really handy and portable 
  • Great little bag to carry it in
  • Really good value for money

Cons

  • None that I can think of 
  • Quality
    5.0
  • Value
    5.0

Expert rating:

4.0
Tried and tested by Alison Silcox for two cleans

"My lids are kept in the garage; not the best place to be honest but it’s where there’s space, but this does mean that after a while, they can begin to smell a bit fusty. A combination of regular riding and
very little cleaning in between, meant that my crash helmets and my husband’s needed a freshen up.
From German cleaning specialists, S100, who make a full range of motorcycle and kit cleaning
products, this helmet lining cleaner comes in a 300ml spray can and can be used on any helmet."

"It claims to remove all dirt and eliminate odours, with just one quick clean, so I was a little sceptical as I’d usually go for full on washing of the lining to do the same job. As I sprayed the initial squirt of foam the application seemed easy, however, after a few moments, the foam started to clog the nozzle. I realised my technique was perhaps a little heavy handed, short bursts were more successful."

"Leaving the foam to activate for the recommended five minutes, I used a damp microfibre cloth to remove any grime. A quick rinse of the cloth showed exactly how much muck was being shifted, suffice to say, I was disgusted at my state of cleanliness! Left to dry overnight, the helmets smell cleaner, albeit there’s a slight chemical undertone."

Pros

  • Easier than a full wash
  • Great for a quick freshen up between full cleans
  • Makes the lid smell cleaner

Cons

  • Not the easiest application 
  • Chemically smell left behind
  • Quality
    4.0
  • Value
    4.0
Bottle size 300ml
Application type Pump spray
Uses Cleaning interior
  • Removes odours
  • Antibacterial
  • Lifts dirt from the fabric

How MCN tests products

At MCN, our team of expert journalists have decades of experience gained over hundreds of thousands miles and we want to use that wisdom to make sure you buy cleaning products that are worth the money.

We ride year-round and in all conditions, and so we get a lot of bikes dirty. That means a LOT of washing for our test bikes and our own machines and so we get through cleaner and cleaning accessories quickly.

We use cleaning products just how you do, not in a lab and not in controlled conditions but in the real world.

If you can’t see a review against an item on this page, it’s because we haven’t tested it yet. These items will only be included if we think they’re important and relevant in the market, and rest assured, we will be working on bringing you a review as soon as we’ve done the miles.

To find out more, head to our dedicated page explaining how we test motorcycle products.


What our scores mean

When we review a product, we award it a score out of five. In the ratings tab of a given product, you may also find more specific scores for the different aspects of a product’s performance to help you make an informed decision. In order to be included in a buying guide, a product must achieve an overall score of at least four stars.

Here’s a guide to what each number score means:

  • 1 star – Poor performance in this category or overall. A product with a single star rating has fallen below the expected standard and should be avoided.
  • 2 stars – Basic performance in this area or overall. A product with a two-star rating has managed to perform to a barely acceptable level and there is room for improvement.
  • 3 stars – An average performance in this area or overall. A product with a three-star rating has achieved a basic level of performance and is deemed adequate.
  • 4 stars – A product has performed over and above the accepted averaged in this category or overall. A product with a four-star rating has surpassed expectation and delivered in a particularly impressive way.
  • 5 stars – A product has performed at the highest possible level in a particular category or overall. A product with a five-star rating has delivered to the highest possible level, impressing the tester with its performance. We would happily spend our own money on it.

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