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The motorcycle helmet is an important safety gear for a motorcycle rider and the visor is your window for viewing the road ahead. The visor is there to protect your eyes from the insects and dirt that may be flying around you.
A dirty visor disrupts your clear view of the road and can put your safety at risk. Regular cleaning of the visor will make your ride safe and also increase the life of the visor.
Cleaning your motorcycle helmet visor is simple if you do it step-by-step. The first step is to take out the visor from the helmet and drape it with a microfiber towel wet with warm water (mixed with baby shampoo) and leave it for 10 to 15 minutes.
This will loosen the dead bugs and other dust particles or dry leaves and make the cleaning easy. Do not scrub the visor; it can make scratches on it. We shall discuss this in detail during this article.
How to clean motorcycle helmet visor
Before you start cleaning the helmet visor, examine the instructions sheet received with your helmet and if it contains any instructions about cleaning the visor, go through the same. This is very important especially if the visor is coated with anti-scratch, anti-glare, and other special coatings.
The best way to clean the helmet visor is to remove it from the helmet and then clean it. The proper place is near the sink because it makes cleaning easy. However, if you cannot take out the visor, you can clean it without removing it.
Method 1. Removing the visor from the helmet and cleaning it
Items required: (i) A bowl of warm water mixed with a bit of baby shampoo (ii) soft earbuds and (iii) 3 or 4 clean microfiber towels.
Step 1: Take out the visor from the helmet. Examine the visor, it may have dead bugs, dirt, and leaves sticking to it, if so, go to step 2. If the visor has only a mild layer of dust, you can skip step 2 and go to step 3.
Step 2: Wet a clean microfiber towel in the bowl water (mixed with baby shampoo) and drape the visor with it. Ensure the visor will get completely wetted. Leave the visor in this condition for 10 to 15 minutes.
Step 3: Remove the microfiber towel from the visor. Sprinkle a little water (from the bowl) on the exterior surface of the visor and remove the dead bugs, dried leaves, and dirt using a soft earbud. Rinse the visor with clean water. Do not scrub the visor, it may get scratches.
The internal surface of the visor will be fairly clean and may have a layer of dust on it. Take a fresh microfiber towel, dip it in the bowl water, and clean the visor’s exterior and interior surfaces. Be careful when you handle the visor since it may have anti-fog and anti-scratch coatings. Take care to retain the protective coating.
| Note: Your helmet may have an internal sun shield. Examine the sun shield. It may have little dust on it. Clean the sun shield with a wet microfiber cloth (wetted with bowl water) and then wipe it dry with a fresh and clean microfiber cloth. |
Step 4: Rinse the visor thoroughly in fresh water and use a clean microfiber towel to wipe it dry. Keep the visor in a clean place and allow it to dry.
Step 5: Fit the dry and clean visor back into the helmet.
Method 2. Cleaning the visor without removing it from the helmet
Step 1: Same as step 1 of method 1 (except removing the visor).
Step 2: Wet a clean microfiber towel in the bowl water (mixed with baby shampoo) and drape the visor with it. Ensure the exterior of the visor is completely wetted. Leave the visor in this condition for 10 to 15 minutes.
Step 3: Remove the microfiber towel from the visor. Sprinkle a little water (from the bowl) on the exterior of the visor and remove the dead bugs, dried leaves, and dirt using a soft earbud. Rinse the visor’s external surface with clean water.
Wet a clean microfiber cloth in the bowl and clean the external and internal surfaces of the visor (start with the internal surface). Do not scrub the visor, it may get scratches. Take care to retain the protective coating. The important area is the middle of the visor through which you look out and it should be perfectly clean.
| Note: Your helmet may have an internal sun shield. Clean it as discussed in method 1. |
Step 4: Wet a clean microfiber towel in fresh water and clean the inside and outside of the visor. Use a clean and dry microfiber towel to wipe off the water. Flip the visor up and keep the helmet in a clean place and allow it to dry.
Step 5: Once the visor is dry and clean, it is ready for your ride.
Method 3. Using visor cleaning sprays
You can follow the same steps described above. The only difference is you will be using the visor cleaning spray instead of warm water mixed with baby shampoo. When you spray the visor cleaner on the visor with dead bugs and dust, be generous and ensure the visor is completely wet before draping it with a microfiber towel.
Once you remove the dead bugs and dust from the visor, do another round of cleaning with visor cleaning spray and a microfiber towel.
In the last round, wet the microfiber towel with clean water and wipe the visor clean.
Use a dry microfiber towel to wipe off the water and allow the visor to dry.
Visor cleaning spray makes it easy to clean the visor and less messy. Many brands of visor cleaning sprays are available on Amazon and other online retailers.
Scratches on the visor
If your helmet visor has scratches on it, cleaning the visor will not remove it. Examine the scratch, if the scratch is small and does not obstruct your view of the road (especially during the night), then continue its use. However, if it obstructs your view of the road or causes glare during the night, it is better to replace the visor with a new one.
There are youtube videos that suggest sanding the scratched visor with 800, 1000, and 2000 grit sandpaper followed by polishing the visor with a plastic polishing paste. But, how far it can restore the visor to its original quality is not sure. It is always a safe option to replace the visor if there are scratches on it.
How to take care of your helmet visor
A helmet with a clean visor enables a motorcycle rider to view the road ahead clearly. We have a few tips to help you to take better care of the helmet visor.
Inspect the visor every weekend and give it a good cleaning.- Inspect the visor before every long ride and take a few minutes to clean it, if necessary.
- Many riders have a habit of placing the helmet on the side view mirror or handlebar or the seat during short breaks. Do not do this since the hard surfaces of the mirror body or handle can damage the visor, or, the helmet can fall down damaging the visor.
- Never use a strong detergent for cleaning the visor; it can affect the protective coatings on it.
- Do not use a cleaning solution with oil content in it.
- Avoid touching the visor with your bare or gloved hand during your rides (your hand may be dirty).
- During long rides, keep a bottle of visor cleaning spray (or a spray bottle filled with baby shampoo mixed water) and a couple of clean microfiber towels.
- Make a place on your motorcycle to safely hang the helmet and make use of it.
- Keep a safe distance from the vehicles ahead of you, the wheels of other vehicles can throw dirt.
- Avoid riding with your visor up, especially in dusty surroundings since it can harm the inner surface of the visor and its coating.
- During a long break from riding, store your helmet safely in the helmet storage bag.
- If your visor has scratches on it, it can cause glare or dazzle from the headlights of vehicles. Replace it immediately.
Inspect the visor every weekend and give it a good cleaning.Frequently asked questions (FAQ)
| 1 | What happens if I use Windex for cleaning the motorcycle helmet visor? |
| Please check the label on the bottle and verify the contents of Windex. If the visor is a simple one without any protective coating, you may mix a very little quantity of Windex with warm water and use it for cleaning.
However, if the visor has protective coatings on it, refer to the write-up received with the helmet and see what is recommended for cleaning the visor. Cleaning fluid with alcohol content may not be good for protective coatings. | |
| 2 | Can I use toilet paper to clean the visor? |
| The texture of toilet paper is rough and hence it is not good for cleaning the visor. Keep some clean microfiber towels and a spray bottle filled with water (mixed with baby shampoo) in your luggage box and use it for cleaning the visor.
In the worst case, a kitchen tissue/paper roll is preferred over toilet paper. | |
| 3 | Can I use my shampoo for cleaning the motorcycle helmet visor? |
| Baby shampoo is preferred for cleaning the visor. However, if you do not have baby shampoo, you can mix a little quantity of your shampoo in warm water and use it for cleaning the visor.
Please use clean microfiber towels and drape the wet towel around the visor for 10 to 15 minutes before you start cleaning it. Do not scrub the visor (scrubbing can create scratches). |
The visor is the window through which you view the surroundings and the road when you are riding the motorcycle, hence taking good care of the visor is important for safety. Taking regular care of the visor will enhance its life and avoid costly replacements.
