Motorcycle Riding Gear Care Tips

Cleaning your motorcycle gear is simple: Read the instructions. Done. ... Just kidding! But seriously, there’s a lot more to cleaning motorcycle gear than reading the labels and throwing it in the wash.

Cleaning motorcycle riding gear like leather jackets or boots isn’t the same as doing regular laundry. Now, there are countless articles like this one out there that provide various methods on how to clean and care for your gear. In this article, we’re just going to focus on general gear care tips. Here are some motorcycle gear cleaning and care tips to keep in mind.

Don’t Over-Wash Your Motorcycle Gear 

You’ve probably heard that washing your hair too often can strip it of its natural oils, and the same applies to something like leather, which has oils in it that protect it from damage. Washing some motorcycle gear items too often can also ruin other materials like aramid fibers. With the exception of offroad riding gear — which is designed to get filthy and cleaned after every ride — try to keep the cleaning of your riding apparel to the bare minimum.

Avoid Using Harsh Chemicals

Steer clear of harsh detergents, fabric softeners and bleach, which can damage materials and protective coatings. Again, follow the instructions but in general, handwashing motorcycle gear is recommended, or use a gentle cold water cycle if you’re going with a washing machine. 

Motorcycle Helmet Care

Your helmet is perhaps the most important piece of riding gear. When we mentioned earlier not to wash your gear too much, we’ll make an exception for helmets. That’s because it’s the one piece of gear you’ll probably wear on every single ride, and you don’t want that interior helmet funk from a sweaty head to set in. 

Wiping down your helmet with warm water, mild soap and a clean microfiber cloth is often recommended to keep dirt and bugs from sticking to it permanently. You also know that the interior of a helmet can get stinky as hell from sweat and dirt, so remove all pads and liners, wash them by hand with warm water and mild soap, and let them air dry. 

Use a helmet cleaner to clean and deodorize the inside. Don’t forget to remove all helmet gadgets and accessories too before giving it a wash. There are also specialty helmet care kits available to clean, deodorize and defog the helmet, its visor and goggles. 

Leather Motorcycle Gear Care

Machine washing leather motorcycle gear is not recommended, although it can usually be dry cleaned. However, dry cleaning it should be a last resort only if it’s severely stained. Stick to treating leather with cleaners designed for leather jackets, pants, boots and other gear by hand. 

If your leather gear gets wet, air dry it to keep it from smelling funky. And if you’re going to stick wet leather gear in the dryer, keep it on a low heat setting. Keep in mind that leather dries up and cracks, so don’t use excessive heat, and apply a conditioner per instructions (typically twice a year) to protect it from damage.

Never rub leather gear with abrasives or brushes. Follow the instructions provided on both the garment and whatever leather treatment you choose. It’s also a good idea to double check leather gear for hidden washable liners and armor before cleaning and drying it. 

Motorcycle Gloves Care

For non-leather motorcycle gloves, it’s generally recommended to hand wash them and let them air dry. However, most non-leather riding gloves can be tossed in the washing machine and then tumble-dried. If you’re going to wash your gloves by hand, use cold or lukewarm water and a mild soap or detergent.

Motorcycle Boots Care

Never place riding boots in the washer. Instead, hose them down with water and a mild detergent, and then flip them upside down to air dry them. If your boots have removable support pads and/or linings, take those out first and hand wash them before air drying them. You can also get a motorcycle gear dryer, a device that uses two dry-ports to circulate air to safely dry boots, gloves and helmets. It also eliminates odors, and removes mold and mildew from linings. If you don’t want the multi-dryer and your riding boots stink like hell, a few drops of tea tree essential oil can also help kill the funk. 

Textile Motorcycle Gear Care

There are other motorcycle gear fabrics to consider like Gore-Tex, a highly durable, breathable, waterproof and windproof material. For this type of gear, it’s recommended you machine-wash it in cold water and then air-dry or tumble dry it. 

If denim is your thing and you wear Kevlar riding jeans, the same applies. Simply remove the armor pads and toss them in the washing machine. Use a short cycle with cold water, then tumble dry. Just don’t dry clean or use bleach on Kevlar.

It’s also a good idea to treat textiles with a waterproofing spray (aka impregnation spray), which can be used on microfibers like GoreTex and even leather. Using this type of spray regularly keeps your riding apparel resistant to dirt and water, and allows fabrics to breathe naturally. 

Additional Motorcycle Gear Care Tips

• Check your garment’s label to make sure it’s machine washable. If the label has faded or you’re simply not sure, hand-washing is a safe alternative. 
• Turn riding jeans and pants inside out before washing them. 
• Use warm water for textiles and cold water for jeans. 
• Never use fabric softener on motorcycle riding apparel, as it ruins the waterproofing and breathability.
• Clean your gear before applying any waterproofing treatments. 
• Have patience during the drying process, even if it takes longer, to preserve your gear.
• Store your gear in a cool, dry place away from direct sunlight and heat sources. 

Motorcycle riding gear is designed for your protection, and therefore it usually doesn’t come cheap. So while you might be tempted to just throw stuff in the washer, you won’t be doing yourself any favors by taking shortcuts. Take your time, follow the cleaning instructions and do it right so it'll last longer.