Polishing Helmets

[mangocrazy]

My initial response when I saw the thread title was 'fnarr, fnarr', but here's my sensible reply. I doubt that any polish on the market would cause any kind of adverse reaction to helmet strength, but without knowing the precise chemical composition of the polish in question it's not possible to give any guarantees.

Most good polishes will be based on carnauba wax, which should be fine. I suspect you're confusing polishing the helmet with re-spraying it in terms of adverse effects. Back in the day owners of helmets with plastic shells were advised against resprays as they could weaken the helmet. I believe that for all modern shell types that caution no longer applies, so simply polishing a helmet has zero risk.

[fatboy]

You cant go wrong with a dedicated helmet and visor cleaning product, simples !

[Ben]

Yep the lacquer of the lid isn't there to improve the crash protection so I don't see the issue with Autoglym.

I have used Mr Sheen on my lids (and bikes) for years. I can't say I've done any back to back tests to compare the crash resistance of a layer of Mr Sheen but it hasn't affected the lacquer (ie yellowed it or made it hazy) and it's immense at removing bugs and blobs of rubber.

[Firestarter]

I've never felt the need...

Generally I'll wet a micro-fibre cloth and leave it over the lid & visor to soak any bugs, then buff them off with that. Never needed a dedicated cleaner

[Wally]

I also have used Mr Sheen to clean the visor, helmet and all painted parts of the bikes for years with no ill effects.

[thrillseekar]

Use a microfiber cloth with a non-abrasive polish or plastic-safe wax. Avoid harsh chemicals to prevent damage.