Photography: Swapnil Dhawale
As the mercury rises, motorcycle riders face an issue which is crucial to address. As much as wearing a helmet is important, keeping it clean inside-out is a task, often neglected, which often requires removing the inner paddings and giving them a wash with light detergents which do not damage the fabric or the padding. With the task requiring dedicated time, riders often ignore the cleaning and thus subject themselves to bacteria and odour causing other dermatological problems for some.
Castrol has come up with a solution. The automobile lubricant manufacturer has introduced an all-in-one helmet cleaner spray, specifically formulated to make helmet cleaning easy. The best part however is its ability to clean both the inside and outside of the helmet and also kill the harmful bacteria which accumulates over time due to sweating.
I tested it on my helmet which is used on a regular basis. The weather in Pune makes sure I sweat inside the helmet and often causes the sweat to dry and create some odour. Imagine wearing a helmet with the lid closed. The method is simple and easy – spray the product which creates the foam. I have been generous and sprayed a healthy amount of the product on the inside padding and let it sit for about five minutes before wiping it off. Same procedure for the outside as well.
To my surprise, the cleaner did exactly as it should. The visible grime, dust and the odour was completely gone and the helmet looked fresh. Castrol claims that the cleaner kills 99.99 percent of the bacteria, however there is no way for me to test that. But from my experience, twice, it works flawlessly. It is also dermatologically tested, which means the product will cause no allergies and leaves behind a pleasant fragrance making it smell fresh. Upon generous usage, one can extract three usages per can, which in my opinion is great for the price of ₹250 for a 113gram pack.
Additionally, Castrol has also introduced its own microfibre cloth, specially designed for automotive usage. Pair it with the helmet cleaner, and it leaves no marks or fibre particles, leaving behind a clean finish and a spanking clean helmet which is ready to go. The microfibre cloth is priced ₹500 for a pack of three and I can assure you for its brilliant quality and the soft choice of fabric.
