Helmet smell

[Jean-Sebastien Stoezel]

Hi:

I've got a fairly new helmet (1 racing season) and after a few rain week-ends it smells a bit like it didn't dry very well.

I let it out of its bag for several weeks, but it still smells. It's a Sparco (the Spy model with the smaller eye port) and the inside padding does not seem to come out.

It's not like I want to spray febreeze in it, I don't want to have to deal with another smell.

Any tips on how to get any smell out of a helmet? How about the baking-soda-in-the-fridge trick? Has anybody tried this?

Jean

[Matt King]

It may be too late for this, but do you wear a balaclava? That makes a huge difference in the liner not getting soaked in the first place. My current helmet acquired a funky smell from a couple of seasons of wearing it without one, but the last two years since I started wearing one have made a big difference. Just from airing out and not getting worse, it has greatly improved. Can't help on the current problem, but I agree about not wanting to make it worse with some fragrant odor "improver."

[Keith Carter]

Try things like vinegar or baking soda. There are lots of things online about odor removal, but I'm afraid once your helmet gets wet again due to rain or sweat, the smell will most likely come back. I would talk to a helmet painter or even the manufacturer to see if the interior can be replaced.

[Jean-Sebastien Stoezel]

Hi Matt:

Yes I do wear a (fireproof) balaclava, they are mandatory here.

Jean

It may be too late for this, but do you wear a balaclava? That makes a huge difference in the liner not getting soaked in the first place. My current helmet acquired a funky smell from a couple of seasons of wearing it without one, but the last two years since I started wearing one have made a big difference. Just from airing out and not getting worse, it has greatly improved. Can't help on the current problem, but I agree about not wanting to make it worse with some fragrant odor "improver."

[Jean-Sebastien Stoezel]

Hi Keith:

To be clear with the baking soda: it's not about powdering the inside liner with it, but leaving an open box inside the helmet right?
I'm a bit concerned with white vinegar, that's a particular smell!

Jean

Try things like vinegar or baking soda. There are lots of things online about odor removal, but I'm afraid once your helmet gets wet again due to rain or sweat, the smell will most likely come back. I would talk to a helmet painter or even the manufacturer to see if the interior can be replaced.

[dc]

I learned this tip a long time ago on how to remove odors from car interiors... take a small woman's nylon and fill it with about 1/2 to a full cup of ground coffee. Tie off the nylon and drop the bag into the helmet, close the helmet off in a helmet bag and let it sit.

The coffee acts like a carbon filter, and not only sucks up the nasty odors in the helmet, but leaves a fresh Starbucks scent (for a little while, anyway).


Most interiors come out to some degree (some more than others), but it's not worth trying to replace the whole thing.

[Keith Carter]

Yes, I would just leave an open box of baking soda under the helmet in a bag or something. I can understand your concern for the vinegar, but you can test it on something else first. Although it's a pretty pungent odor when fresh, after a short while, it leaves no odor at all.

[Jean-Sebastien Stoezel]

Hey thanks for the advice.

I also found this https://www.upr.com/Power-Dry-Helmet-Dryer-p786.html. Ozone is supposedly antibacterial, it's used in some water filtering systems.
It's a bit expensive but if it works... It's always great to put on a helmet that is dry and doesnt smell bad.

Yes, I would just leave an open box of baking soda under the helmet in a bag or something. I can understand your concern for the vinegar, but you can test it on something else first. Although it's a pretty pungent odor when fresh, after a short while, it leaves no odor at all.

[mikeskc]

Had a helmet that more than smelled a little, whiped it out with a damp cloth and sprayed it with fabreze, then used the damp cloth again. (clean cloth every time) Don't spray the fabreze and leave it, be sure to wipe it out. Had to do it a second time and let it air out a day or two. Damn thing was like new, you wouldn't believe how dirty the towel was when done. And don't use a scented fabreze.

[Chris Livengood]

Get a cheap hair dryer. Dry your helmet in 25 minutes at the end of each day. Presto!

[jgrooms]

Oldmansmell.com

I recently was very fortunate to purchase this domain name for my new business. I am not sure exactly what our product line will include but anyone reading or posting to the helmet smell thread should stay tuned!

John

[Jean-Sebastien Stoezel]

Did you also purchase youngmansmell.com, I'm only 32.

Oldmansmell.com

I recently was very fortunate to purchase this domain name for my new business. I am not sure exactly what our product line will include but anyone reading or posting to the helmet smell thread should stay tuned!

John

[DBS Motorsports]

Those helmet dryers with the O-zone settings are worth every penny. IT WORKS! I have a Shock Doctor unit that clips onto the helmet bag. It took the smell out of my old helmet I was using for karting, in Aug, in south Florida. Need I say more? You sweat a lot. From what I understand that company started making this equipment for hockey player's gear. I also used it to remove the smell from my street car after somebody spilled a Starbucks Latte in it. Got rid of the sour milk smell too!

Doug

[EYERACE]

I need a new helmet if I can get back in a car again but here's what I did with a Kevlar Simpson Super Shark Snell 2000 for about nine years.......no head sock, in the Florida summer heat, average about seven events a year.....and no stink to this day. I've been riding the motorcycle lately with the same helmet...............

I found a small fan that has an attached big clip to allow putting it most anywhere - probably cost $10 - contained in a housing roughly the same size as the base of the helmet, which runs on 110 volts. With the visor open and the HANS still attached, I plug the fan in and put the base of the helmet over the fan housing. The HANS can help hold the fan in place against the base of the helmet. I can do this with the helmet on its side or if propped up the right way. When an on track session is over I set up the helmet/fan and let it go most all day.

When I get home from the track I take a can of Lysol and spray the inside of the helmet long and hard with the can up inside and then in through the eyeport to get a different angle on the cheek pads and brow.....I try to avoid getting the Lysol on the visor......then I put the helmet in the closet on a wire rack shelf and let it sit there until the next day to dry.