Cleaning Your Face Shield

When to Clean Your Face Shield


Your visor is by far the part of your helmet you’ll clean the most often. Simply because it’s what you see through. You clean it after (or while) riding in any condition which puts it contact with any substance or object. Rain, dust, mud and bugs are the most likely problems. Even if you never encounter any of these, usage and handling will cause the shield to become difficult to see through if it’s not cleaned occasionally.

Any time visibility becomes compromised, the shield needs to be cleaned. Even if it’s just a little smear over to the side, you should clean it as soon as reasonably possible. If not for the safety aspect of having a blurred spot in your vision, then because the longer that spot in there, the harder it will be to get off. The harder it is to get off, the more likely it is that the face shield will be left will very small scratches which will cause it to become cloudy. This is an irritating and unsafe condition which you definitely need to avoid.

If you’ve cleaned the shield and vision through it still isn’t good, then it’s probably scratched and you should seriously think about replacing it. Riding with impaired vision is really a bad plan.

How to Clean it

Because manufacturers vary in the materials they use to produce their face shield, the first thing you should do is follow their instructions or recommendations. If you don’t have that information, the safest thing to use will be water and a very soft cloth. If there is a heavy accumulation of dirt or bugs, you might try a soft brush (like a very soft tooth brush) or cotton swab. Unless specifically called for by the manufacturer, you should not use any solvent-based cleaners on your shield as they can be absorbed into the material which may reduce vision, cause discoloration and weaken the shield.

If you’re looking for something a bit more than just water, there are specialty products available. In my opinion, their biggest advantage is that many of them have anti-fogging benefits also.

Tear-Offs

A tear-off is simply a thin film of plastic used to cover and protect you face shield. They are made to be easily torn off, one at a time, when they become dirty. A pack of 10 tear offs will probably cost under $15. You shouldn’t put more than 3 or 4 on at a time, however, because they will tend to distort your vision.

If you ride in conditions which require frequent cleaning during a ride, you may want to consider using tear-offs. That way instead of pulling over to clean your face shield, you simply pull of the outer layer and, like magic; you have a nice clean shield you can see through again.