Football is a messy sport. There is no way to avoid sweating, even on an artificial turf with no grass or mud to get in the way. As a result, it is important to clean your football helmet regularly and take proper care of it in order to ensure it’s long-lasting.
Besides, if you don’t keep it clean, it will smell like a pair of sweaty gym socks after some time, and you will not be able to wear it. However, unlike socks, you cannot throw helmets into a washing machine.
While you may consider getting helmet decals and making other cosmetic changes to your helmet to stand out, you must also ensure you clean your football helmet regularly. Here are some tips:
How to clean your football helmet?
1. Cleaning the chin strap
Cleaning, the helmet chin strap begins with removing the buckles from the strap. If your chin strap includes a chin shield, however, you can remove it easily. The next step is to soak a cotton cloth in a soapy solution. Use this cloth to clean the chin strap gently and ensure that all dirt and dust are removed.
Cleaning the buckles is the next step; you may notice some dust accumulating inside them. Cotton swabs are perfect for this purpose. However, if you don’t want any hassle, pads and chin straps can also be washed in the washing machine.
2. Cleaning the helmet exterior
One of the helmet’s most delicate and necessary parts is its visor. You should either use a visor cleaner spray or some special window cleaner to clean the visor of a football helmet.
To clean the exterior, use a damp cloth and apply a little pressure if there are any stains. To prevent damaging helmet decals, wipe them delicately.
3. Cleaning the interior part
It is essential to clean the helmet’s interior since there is often a foul odour and sweating. Use a soft fabric cloth dipped in a soapy solution to clean the helmet. Make sure to wipe the helmet properly to get rid of all dirt and dust. If necessary, thoroughly rinse the interior and leave it to dry.
Additional tips to keep in mind
● Use soft cleaning equipment- Cleaning pads with abrasive material can scratch the helmet’s exterior and damage its soft interior. If you don’t have a microfiber pad, you can use an old cotton T-shirt instead.
● Use gentle detergent- When choosing detergent, opt for something mild. You can clean your helmet with plain old dishwashing liquid, which won’t leave any harsh residue on your skin the next time you wear it. Harsh chemical detergents not only degrade your helmet but can also irritate your skin.
● Disinfectant spray- As a final step, you can spray disinfectant on your helmet to kill the bacteria that may have accumulated since your last wash. Opt for a disinfectant spray made of natural ingredients so that it doesn’t cause any allergic reactions and keep your helmet smelling fresh even after a tough game.
● Make sure your helmet is dry– As you know, bacteria and other germs grow in damp areas. Even if you have cleaned your helmet thoroughly, it is crucial to dry it completely before wearing it. If you wear it wet, your sweat would provide a perfect environment for germs to grow, which will cause a foul odour in your helmet and pose the risk of infection.
Regularly cleaning a football helmet is essential to prevent foul odours and irritations while playing. You should take good care of the things that take care of you. While it may not sound like a fun chore to do, it is extremely important and must be done periodically for best results.
