To clean a helmet visor at home, you will need a few microfiber cloths, a rag, and a clean towel. To clean the exterior surface, use a mild dish soap or visor cleaner. For the inside of the visor, use a baby shampoo. Note that motorcycle visors often have a special scratch coating on the outside and an anti-fog shield on the inside. Using harsh chemicals or soaking the visor in cleaning products could destroy these coatings. To prevent wear, clean the exterior of the visor with a dry cloth after each use and wash it only when necessary.
Steps
Method 1 of 2: Wash the visor
Step 1. Place the helmet next to a clean sink and remove the padding
Remove the items from the sink and place a dry towel next to it. Place the helmet on the towel. Take a mild dish soap and a cloth. If your helmet has any electronics or removable padding, take it out and set it aside.
- Generally, the exterior of motorcycle and dirt bike visors has a special anti-scratch coating. Some visors also have another coating that reduces glare. Strong abrasive cleaners or cleaning chemicals can destroy or wear down these layers over time.
- If you prefer, you can use a special motorcycle visor cleaner instead of dish soap.
Step 2. Soak a cloth in hot water
Take a clean, soft cloth. Turn on the hot water faucet in the sink. Wait 2-3 minutes for the water to heat up to the highest temperature. Then, hold the cloth under water until it is soaked through.
If the water is too hot for your hands, put on rubber gloves before doing this
Step 3. Place the cloth on the visor for 3 to 5 minutes to loosen any dirt or dead insects
Close the visor if it is open. While the helmet is on the towel next to the sink, spread the towel and hold the rag by the corners at the top. Cover the visor with the rag so that it hangs from the top of the helmet. If it looks like the rag will slide off, place a towel under the chin of the helmet to lift it up a bit. This will soften dead insects or clumps of dry soil.
- If the helmet does not have any residue attached, you can skip this step.
- Although it seems like you can scrape or scrub to remove bugs and dirt, don't do it because you could scratch the visor.
Variation:
If the visor is very dirty, you can remove it from the helmet and soak it in hot water with mild dish soap for 3 to 5 minutes. Before doing so, make sure the fog guard is soap-resistant. Check your helmet's instruction manual to find out if the fog shield is soap-resistant.
Step 4. Pour a squirt of dish soap onto a microfiber cloth and rub gently
Remove the cloth that you covered the visor with and set it aside. Take a clean microfiber cloth and wet it with tap water. Add a dash of coin-sized dish soap and rub the visor gently. Rub the visor from one side to the other horizontally and cover each section at least 2-3 times.
- As you do this, keep the visor closed.
- Don't push too hard when you do it. You should feel like you are brushing the brim with the cloth.
- Any remaining layers of dirt or dead bugs will immediately slide off during this step.
Step 5. Rinse the soap off with a clean cloth
Dip a new cloth in warm water. Rub the visor in the same way you did with the microfiber cloth. Wipe the rag across the surface of the visor in side-to-side motions.
Keep wiping the visor until the soap and bubbles are completely removed
Step 6. Dampen a microfiber cloth and add a little baby shampoo
Take a clean microfiber cloth and soak it in warm tap water for 2-3 seconds. Take a bottle of baby shampoo, and pour 1-2 teaspoons of shampoo onto the washcloth. Rub the cloth over itself to distribute the shampoo throughout all the fibers.
Step 7. Rub the inside of the visor with the cloth in gentle strokes
Place the cloth filled with water and shampoo against the inside of the visor. Rub it gently against the brim in circular motions. Pass it 2-3 times on each section of the visor to remove dust or dirt.
Due to the shape of the visor, you may find it difficult to clean the corners where it meets the helmet. Fortunately, it is more important that you clean the downtown area, where you are looking. Don't worry about small debris near the corners if you can't reach it
Step 8. Rinse the visor or wipe it with a damp microfiber cloth
If possible, remove it. If you can't, put a clean towel inside the helmet. If you removed the visor, rinse it under a gentle stream of water. If you didn't remove it, soak a clean microfiber cloth with water. Gently rub the inside of the visor to remove the shampoo. Keep soaking the cloth and wiping the visor until there are no more bubbles or shampoo residue.
Step 9. Let the helmet air dry for 2-3 hours
Put the visor on the towel next to the sink. Place it in an upward direction so it is not flat. Let it air dry for 2-3 hours. If you removed the helmet visor, put it back in place when it has completely dried.
The visor will dry properly as long as you let it rest at an angle. If you let it sit flat on the towel, there may be some water stains
Method 2 of 2: Keep the visor clean
Step 1. Clean the visor with a pair of glasses cleaning wipes after each trip
It is best to avoid using dry materials to clean the visor, but if you get it wet, some water stains may remain. However, wet wipes designed to clean glasses are perfect for cleaning helmet visors. After each trip, use a disposable wipe to clean the visor and remove debris from the surface.
If you prefer, you can use special wipes to clean motorcycle helmets, but these tend to be much more expensive than glasses cleaning wipes
Step 2. Carry a spray bottle and microfiber cloth with you to clean the visor on longer trips
On longer trips, dirt can collect on the visor and penetrate the plastic. To prevent build-up, carry a small spray bottle filled with mild dish soap and water. When making technical stops during long trips, spray the visor and then wipe the water with a clean microfiber cloth.
Step 3. Sand the visor to remove scratches
The only way to safely remove scratches is to sand the visor. Rinse the visor and use 800 to 2000 grit sandpaper to sand it down. Use from the coarsest to the finest sandpaper. Then heat the visor with a heat gun to smooth the surface. Be aware that this procedure will remove anti-fog coatings, finishes, or protectors.
- Rinse the visor after sanding each coat to make sure there are no bits of plastic stuck to it.
- It is recommended that you simply replace the visors that have too many scratches. It is much safer to get a new visor than to ruin an important helmet safety feature.
Step 4. Avoid touching the visor with your hands to avoid staining it
Even if you wear gloves, you could smear dead bugs or accumulated dirt on the visor. Always hold the helmet by the base to avoid touching it directly, especially during the journey.
- If you end up smearing things on the helmet while driving, you could make the obstructions worse.
- Always stop to clean the helmet instead of trying to pry things off the visor while riding.
Step 5. Hang the helmet on a helmet hook or a stable surface to prevent it from falling
Most motorcycles have a designated helmet hook. If yours doesn't have it, install one on the handle. The helmet will be more likely to fall to the ground if you hang it on the handle or on the mirror. If this occurs, the impact could scratch or break the visor. Always leave the helmet on a stable surface to prevent it from falling or breaking.
A helmet hook is a small object that attaches to the handle. When you park, attach the chin strap to the hook to keep the helmet stable
Warnings
- Do not clean the visor with paper towels as they could make smaller scratches worse.
- If moisture builds up on the fog guard after cleaning, you will need to remove it. You can purchase a new fog shield from the manufacturer.
- If you wash the visor too often, the liner and fog guard could wear away. Only wash it when it is very dirty.
- Some people think that scratches on a visor can be removed with toothpaste and a toothbrush, but in reality, the bristles will only make scratches worse. If you try to do it, you'd better use a cotton swab. However, keep in mind that it is not known for sure if the toothpaste method actually works.