cleaning face shields

[celebrationrev]

I just got my new helmet and was suprised how nice it was to look through a clear face shield. I didn't realize the scratches and marks on the old helmet's shield were such a distraction until now.

What do you use to clean your shield? I've heard the bit about the potential for scratches from paper towel but rags seem just as risky. Anyone use coffee maker filters? They're good for some tasks in the woodshop because they're lint-free, but would they be a good choice for this purpose?

Also, I've always only used warm water. Any reason to use anything else?

[casticus]

Plexus....I use it on the helmet and the windshield.

[Boffin]

When the bugs are thick and dried on, I soak the visor for a few minutes in very hot water with a little dish soap added. Wipe with my hand after 10-15 minutes then rinse with cold water. Whilst riding I use Plexus and a clean cotton cloth. Cotton is softer than the plastic shield and will not scratch it as long as there are no bits of grit in it.

 

Visors sold in the UK must be anti-scratch coated, a little more expensive in the short term but they last much longer so offsetting this cost.

 

Cya, Andy

[Laura]

As a rule I don't use paper products to wipe faceshield as wood pulp products puts those fine scratches you see on plastic. Carry a soft handkerchief, bandana or towel. Stuff it in a baggie with a little plexus or spray cleaner bottle and take it with you. (I stuff mine in the tail section). It can save the day.

[RichEdwards]

Plexus and an old undershirt.

[Tasker]

Plexus and an old undershirt.

 

[Tool Man]

Yup....I third the motion for plexus...but I use microfiber towels on the face shield,and windscreen. I also use them for removing the spray wax I use on the paint. I now keep a small can of Plexus rolled up in the microfiber towel in the luggage.

 

I use to come in to the house from a long ride and grab the kitchen sponge and run it under hot water until my wife caught me cleaning the bugs off with the kitchen sponge. busted. "But honey...I've been doing this for years"....not any more...she bought me a bundle of the microfiber towels at Costco.

 

I suppose she's right...they always are you know.

[tomk99r11]

Those towels are a great alternative to a regular bath towel for packing to a rally. Take up much less space, work unbelievably well for drying after a shower, and they dry rapidly. Do admit, it takes some mind shift to accept that you don't need some thick huge towel to dry off.

[sgendler]

They are kind of gimmicky, but I use a 'wee willy' shield cleaning kit. I bought it at least 5 years ago, and I sitll find it useful. It comes with a very effective spray cleaner in a handy spary bottle, a nice lens cleaning cloth, and a bag with mesh on one side so that the cloth can dry out. You can by refills with new cloths and new fluid, although some windex and a lens cleaner from a camera store or optician work just as well and are cheap. The pocket sized spray bottle and the mesh bag are the items worth paying for. They just live in a pocket in my jacket, so I always have handy access to a lens cleaner. I've found that most BMW dealers carry the wee willy kits and refill kits.

 

--sam

[Jerry_75_Guy]

If you check the archives you'll find all this info and more, but like

everyone else has already said, Plexus, or Novus cleaners are good;

Novus is more inexpensive.

 

Never use ammonia based cleaners, or paper towels.

 

Using wax based furniture polish after a good cleaning helps bugs and

gunk to come off easier.

 

A note to all, I recently started using a product called Rejex.

I first heard about in in aviation applications, and others here have

used it with good results.

 

You wipe it on after cleaning and it acts like a good polish in that

you have a nice shiny suface after it dries and you wipe it off (no

polishing or buffing). It is designed to create a seal on surfaces so

bugs, tar, exhaust stains can't stick. Just spray or wipe on a bit of

water and wipe of the bugs/dirt.

 

One application is supposed to last through several wash cycles,

and so far it has lived up to the ad claims.

 

I use it on the windshield, tupperware, helmet and visor.

Cuts down on cleaning labor.

[ShovelStrokeEd]

Both my Roadcrafter one piece and my Belstaff Discovery jacket have waterproof breast pockets in which I keep a wet wash cloth. While riding, I just give the shield a wipe as needed. Its hot enough most days for it to dry. Rinse with fresh clean water at gas stops. Nights, when I bunk up in the hotel, a spray of Plexus and a microfibre hand towel from Autozone starts me off fresh in the morning.

[Burt]

I use an old thick cloth diaper, really old since our youngest is 24 now, and Honda polish and cleaner. It seems to work really well. If there a lot of bugs, I use a towel soaked in hot water first to remove the bulk of them.

[Scott A]

Another vote for "Wee Willy". I added a tiny bottle of plexus to my Wee Willy for those extra-careful, end of day cleanings.

[subvet]

Zooke spray and the microfibre bag I use for sunglasses. An occasional treatment w. Zooke plastic wax prevents fogging

[Rags]

I use it on my SUV and it works (lasts 6mos).

 

Weird twist. I'm a fan of mineral spirits and I tried to clean sun baked bugs off the Rejexed surface took a lot of elbow grease. Then I tried just water and the bugs came off easy.

 

Go figure.

[DangerMoney]

+1 on the microfiber cloth. You can also get them at Wal-Mart. I carry a damp one in a Ziploc bag in my tank bag. Easy to grab and use at a stoplight. Remember to take it out, rinse and let dry at the end of the day lest it turn into a science project. Microfiber does not scratch.

[Ralph]

Plexus....I use it on the helmet and the windshield.

 

Ditto......

[rdsmith3]

I have used:

Plexus

Wurth helmet cleaner (purchased at Honda dealer)

Meguiars plastic cleaner (#17 I believe)

 

They all work well. I keep a small plexus and a soft flannel rag in my tank bag.

[soboy]

I keep two small cotton rags in the tankbag - one is wet, kept in a plastic sandwich bag, the other one dry. Wipe the shield with the wet one, dry it with the other. At rest stops, clean and re-wet the wet cloth as needed. Works for me.

[Catbird]

I have always used a spray bottle of tap water and a roll of the super soft paper towels ("Bounty", etc.) for cleaning my helmet face shield and windshield. In all these years, I haven't noticed any scratches or hazing; maybe because I use liberal amounts of water to soften "things" up first.

 

FWIW, I have nothing against Plexus and may pick up a can of it for road trips.

[JohnJC]

Bounty papertowels and tap water for me also. Never a scratch. That is once I started using good helmets. Shoei and Arai. Their shields are very hard.

 

I did make the mistake of using a gas station papertowl once. It left a lot of hairline scratches.

 

I have a bottle of plexus and use it occasionally with a soft cloth. I carry a cloth and small can of glasses cleaner on trips, since the gas station issue.

[SageRider]

I use Plexus, Novus, and Wee Willy.

 

The Wee Willie I use only for helmet visor cleaning and always pack.

 

The Novus I sometimes pack on trips along with a couple microfiber clothes when I suspect cleaning needs will be severe.

 

The Plexus I use at home for cleaning visor, windshield, etc. I do not take Plexus with me on trips as I dislike packing aerosol cans.

 

All three products work very well.

 

Rag with warm water allowed to soak on windshield / visor is also effective.

[hindsight]

I use Pledge. I keep it in my tank bag wrapped in a small hand towel.

 

It takes the bugs off the face shield quite well.

[bmwscoot]

I keep a synthetic chamois wet and in a plastic re-sealable bag.

 

I put that in one of the front fairing pockets on my ST13.

 

The engine heat you all cry about ( ) keeps it nice and warm!

 

Pull out the warm, wet chamois, do both my and Barb's shield, and the windshield. No chemicals needed.

 

When I get to the destination for the day, I can fill a trash can w/ warm water and do a "lite" bug wash from the front of the scoot.

 

Rinse out the chamois, and good to go again.

[Red]

Never ever at anytime for any reason use any type of paper product on any plastic that you intend to look through.

Think of it this way. Would you scrape the bugs and dirt off off your brand new visor with a stick? Well, paper is made of wood fiber. Just because they cut it into pieces and press it together does not mean that each strand is any softer than when it was a stick. No matter how soft the paper product feels, it's wood.

If at home, I take a wet cloth dish rag and let it soak on the shield for 5-10 minutes on the helmet. Rinse. Use soap if you need to. Dry with a cloth towel. Spray on and wipe off with plexus. Your shield will last years. Ditto with your bike wind screen.

[Blue Beemer Dude]

Ed writes:

 

Nights, when I bunk up in the hotel, a spray of Plexus and a microfibre hand towel from Autozone starts me off fresh in the morning.

 

Uh, gee Ed, that's a little too much information for us. This thread dealt with cleaing face shields... Your personal hygiene is probably a topic for another forum.

 

Michael

[marcopolo]

Another vote here for Plexus and a soft cloth -- never paper towels. When you remove the cap from the Plexus, it even says "no paper towels", or words to that effect. I always carry a can in my side bags along with a cloth in a ziplock bag. I use it for both faceshield and windscreen. If you don't want to carry an aerosol can, it also comes in very small pump spray bottles, though it's pretty expensive that way.

[litigator]

At home, I keep a spray bottle of Hydrogen Peroxide (3%)handy. It dissolves bugs without damaging anything. Just spray, let sit and wipe off, with a microfiber cloth, of course.

[Bill J]

+1 on the microfiber cloth. You can also get them at Wal-Mart. I carry a damp one in a Ziploc bag in my tank bag. Easy to grab and use at a stoplight. Remember to take it out, rinse and let dry at the end of the day lest it turn into a science project. Microfiber does not scratch.

 

Darn, you beat me to it. Those microfiber towels used to be expensive but Wally-World sells them in a bundle for a few bucks. They're about the right size, too. I used to bum old rags at motels (they are very willing to give them to you, lest you use their clean towels) but two microfiber towels will last the whole trip if you clean them.

 

My variation is that I carry one wet towel in a plastic bag for cleaning and a separate dry towel for drying off the face shield. Works slick!! This method also works for your windshield if it's not too bugged-up.