Washing helmet in dishwasher?

I've not heard of this org before but they claim "Our volunteers serve on the ASTM helmet standards committee and are active in commenting on actions of the Consumer Product Safety Commission."

They say "Dishwashers damage bike helmets" and have a write-up w/ pics. Looks like all/mostly kid helmets but AFAIK the standards are the same for kid and adult helmets...

Seems risky to me and I wouldn't do it...

I would be highly concerned of the detergent damaging the plastic or foam so I wouldn't risk it. Also don't want anything thats been sweaty going through the same machine as my dishes.....

I never thought of them being hard to clean? You can hand washed the pads/replace them occasionally and the rest just wipe it down with a cloth and maybe mild soap

Roadies are weird.

Yeah I wouldn't recommend that at all. Great way to ruin it. It's bad for it to be subjected to those chemicals and that heat for that period of time. Dishwashers are harsh AF.

I take mine into the shower, put it on when I have shampoo in my hair, move it around a bit, get some shampoo into the straps, then rinse it all out immediately. Sounds stupid but shampoo seems to do a better job with odors than anything else, and it's the fastest/easiest way of washing it that I've found.

This seems like a terrible idea. It's not even safe to wash many dishes, pots, pans, and knives in a dishwasher. If anodized aluminum frying pans get pitted in a dishwasher, I'll pass on putting my helmet in there.

Also a single dishwasher cycle uses anywhere between 3-5 gallons of water per cycle, or even as much as 10 gallons for an old model (although I suspect Mads isn't using a dishwasher from 1995). But even if it's three gallons, that's an insane amount of water to wash a bike helmet.

I can't stop laughing at the mental image and I am DEF going to try this! 🤣

Not sure what dishwashers you have, but most modern ones do have a "quick rinse" program which rinses the dishes with a little cold/slightly warm water. No heat, not much water used. I assume he is using this and not a full program with detergent.

For the record: I still would not put my helmet in a dishwasher.

I think I could count the number of times I have washed any of my helmets ever on two hands...

Ha! Relevant topic for me as I'm freaking vain AF and cannot stand my own funk, much less others (especially those who think that not washing your knee pads all summer is a virtue of some sort). 

Here's what I found out from a microbiological stand point. 

Shit emit odor because of chemical reaction, i.e. shit are growing and multiplying in your helmet pads ripe with the right environment for organisms to thrive (damp, dirt and dermal deposits). I've tried everything and the funk seems to linger. Here's what worked for me all the time and every time.  Use off the shelf dish soap designed to lift grease. Apply to pads or fabric materials in your helmets including chin straps. Rub and scrub then rinse completely under hot water. The hot tap water typically ranges from 100-120 degF. It's not hot enough to kill most living organisms residing in your pads and crannies. So boil enough water to pour on your freshly rinsed pads ensuring water temp is right around 165degF. Not many if any organisms could survive anything over a 160F thermal kill step. Shit will smell so fresh if you just science the shit out of the funk (which is mainly oily deposited and population explosion of microbes). Works best for my chamois too... 

Does periodically dunking my head in a stream and squishing/head banging out all the excess water mid ride count? 

But seriously, I try to wash/rinse the helmet after each ride. If it's still wet for next ride at least it's just water and not super concentrated salty head juice. 

Def over thinking it with the dishwasher.  I just use a little kitchen soap and a hose or in the sink depending on the time of year.  I have also found that keeping my helmet in the sun for an hour or two post ride, upside down so the sun is blasting the pads does a lot of work.  Its when I let me helmet sit moist for a few days that it really gets funky quick.  

When the dried salt on my helmet starts to really accumulate, I take it in the shower & use a little bit of Dr. Bronner's to clean the padding & straps. 

Important to keep in mind that Mads is probably riding more each week than most of us ride in a month, and he gets as many helmets as he wants from his sponsor, and he probably can't use them for more than a season anyway because of changing sponsors/team kit designs/etc. So he's not worrying about helmet longevity.

If I can smell my helmet, I take the pads out and wash them in a delicates bag along with the rest of the laundry, then let air dry.  While that's going on, I rinse the helmet shell with a hose, and add some Dawn dish soap, making sure to really rub it into the straps and all over the interior of the helmet.  For 2-layer MIPS Spherical helmets, I try and rub some soap around the edges of the shells.  Then rinse it all off and let it dry in the sun.  That's usually good for about 3-6 months of use for me, riding 3-4 days per week, depending on how much I'm rotating between helmets.  I also have hooks for my helmets near the front of my garage, where it gets pretty warm due to the glass windows on the garage door, so that seems to help dry them out quickly.

Wash the liner pads 2x per month for the full face. I have a old set of liner pads to toss in from the past lid . I let the half shell sit on a fan afterwards. Probably get a freshy every 4 seasons or as needed...

I did a bunch of anit-funk research and testing when selecting fabrics for my Abit Gear shorts/pants. I ended out using Nylon for reasons, including it being inherently low-funk. 

Most helmet pads are polyester. The challenge is that polyester has near-zero moisture regain. Almost no moisture is absorbed into the fibers themselves and once bacteria take up it's hard AF to get it out. 

To de-stank polyester gear: Soak for 24 hours in unscented powder detergent, mixed with oxyclean or borax per the containers instructions. The 24 hour part is key here as it takes that long for the solution to penetrate into the fibers. Then rinse and soak again in clear water. Another 24 hours is ideal, but a few hours will do.

That's your best bet, and this works for all technical gear. If that leaves your pads still funky, then burn them. I really wish more helmet makers sold replacement pads.

Googled old Mads, fully expecting a mushroom-top, or blatant-us-of-hair product.  Nope, just a crew cut.  This guy must be salty as an old sea hag.

I had a wild experience the other day. I got caught in a major downpour and hadn't washed my helmet in years. The contents of the liner and helmet started washing down into my eyes and I had to walk out with it off because it was burning my eyes so badly. I'd start to improve a bit, clean it all off, then put it on and ride a bit before my eyes started to burn again. 

If you live somewhere rainy in the summer...wash it before it gets washed for you down your face

I'm not even sure I'd need two hands. Next someone will tell me they wash their pads and gloves. 

I figure when it starts to feel crusty, its time for a new one anyway. 

I always hit my helmet and shoes with lysol when i get home. I wash my helmet pads (the ones that come off) in the washing machine after park season and dawn the rest. Seems to be working well so far.

I've never washed a helmet in my life. Not sure how but they always smell fine. I replace them every year or two nanyways. 

I just remove the liner pads and use spray bottle Shout or dish soap/water mix on them and the helmet chin straps,  garden hose every thing off,  wring the pads out,  then place the helmet with loose liners on top of the home AC condenser on the side of the house.  It's summer here now so the AC unit runs frequently and the helmet is dry in no time.   Putting the lid in the dishwasher just seems wrong.....unless you rent and don't ever use it.  

Washing your helmet? Sheeeet...next thing you guys are gonna tell me is that you wash your bikes too. LULZ.

I sweat so much that washing is a complete waste of time. Once a week rinse is all I go for, mostly for salt abatement. 

Pro-tip: don't get bald. Dermal deposits are a non-issue of you have hair like the 14 yo yourself. 

you folks know, pads/liners are removable and washable, don't you?

The same way I wash my downstairs helmet. Wash it in the shower.

I have yet to try the dishwasher with a helmet.  But I have washed a couple of Glocks in the dishwasher.  

Helmets are consumables.  Pro's get multiple helmets per year, and new ones every year.. and probably every crash (even though they don't hit their heads on the ground).  

I don't do mine very often, but when I do it's just a hand-wash in the sink using laundry detergent. 

I used to never think about it, and I sweat A LOT!!!  I smelled something one day and finally figured out it was my helmet.  I will not buy a helmet unless I can get spare sets of pads, full face or half shell.  I used to love the A1 because it was one giant liner.  No longer made.  Most have several pieces, like someone mentioned I buy those small laundry bags and always remove them after the ride.  Yes, they do fall apart quicker than if I didn't wash them, but having extras around is amazing and that smell was horrible.  Same with gloves, I see guys wearing the same gloves every day and never wash them!!  I actually just ordered 3 more sets because some are ready to go.  I think the sweat will break down the helmet almost as much as putting it in a dishwasher.  I rinse mine off a few times a month, but the liner/pads get washed after pretty much every ride.

Now ya tell me!!  Thanks Richard…😂