Helmet Funk

[HuskyT]

I've been riding hard a lot lately in 100 degree plus weather and my helmet reeks. I wash out the liners at home in the washing machine and have been hitting the inside with hotwater and dish soap but still can't seem to get rid of the funk!!!.......my helmet still smells like a Hockey gear bag

Short of spraying in some febreeze what do you all do to keep your helmet smelling as fresh as a mountain meadow..... and I know i'm setting myself up for a Wetdog or Rajjo coment here****************************************!!!

T

 

[ScottyR]

I clean my helmet with shampoo.

 

[fitness2go]

I'm having the same issue, but with my riding outfits too...wash it, wear it, sweat in it and it stinks almost immediately. Synthetics have more issues than natural fabrics with bacteria and associated odors! I haven't done it yet, but here is what I have found and will try:

"Soaked underarms of garment in undiluted 3% antibacterial hydrogen peroxide for 5 hours, then washed out. Success! -- I think - I'll have to wait until garment is completely dry and heat (from iron) is applied to problem areas before I'll know if the smell is really completely gone."

Step 1 Wash the clothing in cold water with your normal detergent. Do not dry.

Step 2 Make a thick paste from baking sodaand water. There's no real science to this. Just make it thick enough so it's not runny yet thin enough to spread.

Step 3 Lay your shirt out, flat on a towel.

Step 4 Spread a thick layer of baking soda on both underarm areas of the shirt.

Step 5 Let the shirt dry--with the paste on it--for at least 24 hours.

Step 6 Rewash the shirt as you normally would.

Step 7 Dry as normal and then wear free of smell.

"My husband's towels used to stink after one or two days which I couldn't figure out because he had just showered. Then I saw a segment on Oprah with Dr.Oz who said the BO smell is from bacteria. So we switched to anti-bacterial soap in the shower and now his towels don't smell. I also use vinegar with my normal detergent and use the hottest setting possible when washing his clothes. The acidity in the vinegar and the heat help kill the bacteria. Also, washing the clothes as soon as possible helps keep the bacteria from multiplying."

"Temps have been in the 80s here this week so I pulled out my sleeveless tops and alot of them were armpit stained and stinky. I soaked them in vinegar overnight and then machine washed with more vinegar, baking soda and my normal detergent. The stains and odor did lighten but they were still there. Then I tried Cascade dishwasher detergent. I made a paste by adding water and scrubbed with a toothbrush. I could tell it was coming out, but I had 10 shirts. I threw them in the washer with about half a cup of Cascade and my regular detergent. I just pulled them out of the dryer and they look and smell practically new. I have a vinegar spray bottle ready to go so I can spray my shirts before they hit the hamper from now on."

"Your Suggestions Worked for me! I tried the suggestion to add 1/2 cup of baking soda in the washer. I am so excited to say IT WORKED! I used a lot of detergent. But because my clothes stunk really bad the first thing I did was to soak the arm pit area with water and then applied baking soda on it. I left the items soaking overnight (even some dry clean only items, because dry cleaners don't remove sweat smell off clothes completely).

I washed them and they smelled so fresh! The second suggestion I used to stop the arm pit odor was after I showered I sprayed white distilled vinegar and water mix on my arm pit, I let it dry. I smelled like vinegar for a minute or two but don't panic once it dries put on Dry Idea deodorant sold at CVS drug stores (try other stores too). I smelled fresh all day! (I used 1/2 cup of vinegar and 1 cup of water in a spray bottle, shook it well) It WORKS!

I am so glad for your comments. I have been suffering with this problem since I was 11 or 12 years old. I have been embarrassed most of my life. Now I can continue buying expensive clothes without feeling bad."

Vinegar.

David

 

[Dirtdame]

I just wash my helmet liners in the washing machine with all my other stuff and they seem to come out just fine. Smelly helmet liners must be a "guy thing".

Or maybe I'm so lazy that I just don't perspire enough to smell up a helmet.

 

[ARod2000]

Marry a good woman.

I hear using baby shampoo diluted in water in a bucket will do good. That's for the part of the helmet that doesn't come out. Me personally, I ride with gear that reeks!

 

[HuskyT]

Marry a good woman.

I hear using baby shampoo diluted in water in a bucket will do good. That's for the part of the helmet that doesn't come out. Me personally, I ride with gear that reeks!

aaah.... so you too know what the inside of a hockey gear bag smells like****************************************!!

See that's what I'm talking about... the part that you can't take out.. the hard foam liner reeks.... the hard shell reeks.... the inserts are washed in Tide and smell great****************************************!

I normally don't mind the normal reeking but this is getting bad.... expected temp tomorrow 107... anyone wanna ride downwind???

I'm going to try the shampoo thing....

T

 

[HuskyT]

Smelly helmet liners must be a "guy thing".

I really really hope that you are right.... I don't want to meet the "smelly" woman at the track... that's just downright scary...!

T

 

[HuskyT]

I'm having the same issue, but with my riding outfits too...wash it, wear it, sweat in it and it stinks almost immediately. Synthetics have more issues than natural fabrics with bacteria and associated odors! I haven't done it yet, but here is what I have found and will try:

"Soaked underarms of garment in undiluted 3% antibacterial hydrogen peroxide for 5 hours, then washed out. Success! -- I think - I'll have to wait until garment is completely dry and heat (from iron) is applied to problem areas before I'll know if the smell is really completely gone."

Step 1 Wash the clothing in cold water with your normal detergent. Do not dry.

Step 2 Make a thick paste from baking sodaand water. There's no real science to this. Just make it thick enough so it's not runny yet thin enough to spread.

Step 3 Lay your shirt out, flat on a towel.

Step 4 Spread a thick layer of baking soda on both underarm areas of the shirt.

Step 5 Let the shirt dry--with the paste on it--for at least 24 hours.

Step 6 Rewash the shirt as you normally would.

Step 7 Dry as normal and then wear free of smell.

"My husband's towels used to stink after one or two days which I couldn't figure out because he had just showered. Then I saw a segment on Oprah with Dr.Oz who said the BO smell is from bacteria. So we switched to anti-bacterial soap in the shower and now his towels don't smell. I also use vinegar with my normal detergent and use the hottest setting possible when washing his clothes. The acidity in the vinegar and the heat help kill the bacteria. Also, washing the clothes as soon as possible helps keep the bacteria from multiplying."

"Temps have been in the 80s here this week so I pulled out my sleeveless tops and alot of them were armpit stained and stinky. I soaked them in vinegar overnight and then machine washed with more vinegar, baking soda and my normal detergent. The stains and odor did lighten but they were still there. Then I tried Cascade dishwasher detergent. I made a paste by adding water and scrubbed with a toothbrush. I could tell it was coming out, but I had 10 shirts. I threw them in the washer with about half a cup of Cascade and my regular detergent. I just pulled them out of the dryer and they look and smell practically new. I have a vinegar spray bottle ready to go so I can spray my shirts before they hit the hamper from now on."

"Your Suggestions Worked for me! I tried the suggestion to add 1/2 cup of baking soda in the washer. I am so excited to say IT WORKED! I used a lot of detergent. But because my clothes stunk really bad the first thing I did was to soak the arm pit area with water and then applied baking soda on it. I left the items soaking overnight (even some dry clean only items, because dry cleaners don't remove sweat smell off clothes completely).

I washed them and they smelled so fresh! The second suggestion I used to stop the arm pit odor was after I showered I sprayed white distilled vinegar and water mix on my arm pit, I let it dry. I smelled like vinegar for a minute or two but don't panic once it dries put on Dry Idea deodorant sold at CVS drug stores (try other stores too). I smelled fresh all day! (I used 1/2 cup of vinegar and 1 cup of water in a spray bottle, shook it well) It WORKS!

I am so glad for your comments. I have been suffering with this problem since I was 11 or 12 years old. I have been embarrassed most of my life. Now I can continue buying expensive clothes without feeling bad."

Vinegar.

David

Heck David.... this just sounds like to much work.......I'll just opt for the lazy and smelly route until things cool down!


T

 

[Poopy]

Put some cheap Vodka in a spray bottle and give it a light spray. Should kill all that smell making funk.

 

[Coffee]

 

[Motosportz]

I actually wash my helmet and liner all at once, like washing your bike. Use orange clean solution and then hose it out. set in sun.

 

[Michael Lueders]

I clean and rinse my helmets..still funkolicious.
No one..and I do mean NO ONE ever borrows my lids!

 

[Boom Boom]

I use helmet foam from Hebo (trials stuff).
Wipe the foam into the liner till the foam is gone.
Let dry. No more itchy head and smells fresh.

 

[mikenpalsie]

If its really bad, buy a new helmet!

 

[Troy F Collins]

I wash my helmet and liner at the same time....with laundry detergent by hand...let dry in the sun....you have to do it after every ride though....if you want to keep up with it

its the boots that I have a problem with....I thought the cats were whizzing in the house...till I found out where that smell was really coming from(my boots)....I pulled the liner of the bottom and....PU****************************************......lots of horrible stuff in there....Tide came to the rescue there too...

 

[rajobigguy]

Tim:
There have been a few good suggestions but you really need to get to the root of the problem. What you are fighting is bacteria and it's not likely to be friendly to you're scalp, although in you're case it might be some symbiotic life form that tells you what line to pick while shooting the hill or railing the Talledega. I swear you must have some precognitive mapping organism growing in there. How else do you explain the fact that you can pick a straight line and no one will be in the same place as you at the same time.
Ok back to the subject at hand, if you really want to get rid of all those creatures residing in you're helmet you are going to have to use some sort of biocide on the hard and semi hard surfaces. Obviously you don't want to use bleach or alcohol because that could degrade the Styrofoam and lessen the protection of the helmet. One really good way to kill those organisms is to spray ozone (ozium) on the surface. The other would be ultraviolet light if you have access to a portable source. If you treat the hard surfaces while you are washing the removable liners you should end up smelling fresh as a Daisy again.


See I was nice.

 

[Dirtdame]

its the boots that I have a problem with....I thought the cats were whizzing in the house...till I found out where that smell was really coming from(my boots)....I pulled the liner of the bottom and....PU****************************************......lots of horrible stuff in there....Tide came to the rescue there too...

I never had too many problems with boots until I really got sunk in a mudhole good. I took my Tech 6 boots and pulled the insoles and washed out the mud and let them dry in the sunshine, but I kept thinking that the cat pee'd in them after that episode. Upon questioning, the cat denied all and thought the boots stunk pretty bad.

 

[miketv]

Man, some of y'all got da funk pretty bad Here's a hint from Heloise that might do ya some good: Add a zinc supplement to your diet, I tried it a long time ago and have been doing it ever since. I used to have some horrendous foot funk when I was younger, my helmet, boots, sneakers, ect were just friggin toxic. I started taking zinc and it all nearly went away in a few weeks..

 

[fitness2go]

Zinc...really?

 

[HuskyT]

ZInc / I take 50MG of zinc about 5 times a week... my daughter still runs screaming form the garage when I unzip my gear bag.....

maybe I need to bury the gear bag in zinc... or lime for that matter and then wait a week.....!