If your riding MX then mud is just something you get used to, it’s all part of the sport. Keeping things clean can be abit of a mission but once you get into your cleaning routine then it will just become part of the day.
When mud is involved, cleaning clothing and accessories is more of a pain then the MX bike itself if you ask me. Well if you want them looking pristine it is. If youi get into the habit of regular cleaning then it is easier to keep your gear clean.
To clean your MX goggle strap, remove the strap from the goggles and get it into a soak of warm water and dish soap as soon as you can after riding. Agitate the strap a couple of times to help dislodge and soften the thicker mud. To further help stubborn stains double the strap over and rub together on itself vigorously if required. Rinse and repeat until the strap is clean, lightly squeeze out excess water and leave to dry.
Cleaning the rest of the goggles is easy and I do mine after I have got the strap in soak.
Cleaning The Goggles.
Motorcross goggles are made of 3 main parts. The strap, which we have dealt with, the lens and the goggle surround. You will also have the foam padding which sits between your skin and the surround but I class this as the surround because it cant be detatched.
Cleaning MX Goggle Lenses:
Most goggles will have lens that you are able to detach from the frame and if this is the case with yours then I would suggest doing so for cleaning as it will make life easier.
Once removed I like to go for a warm water rinse and 9/10 this will be enough to remove all the mud and debris.
If this do the job then letting it soak for a few minutes will very likely do the job.
Get yourself 2 microfibre clothes. These are great because they will not scratch a lens. The only way this will happen is if you have grit on the lens and then you pick it up on the cloth and rub the lens with it which wil drag the grit across the surface creating scratches. This is why you want to rinse/soak and rinse to try and remove grit, mud a debris before touching the lens with anything else.
Another tip is to use the water preasure from the tap to help if things get difficult.
Once all dirt has been removed then I use 1 of the clean microfibre cloths to wash the lens to get rid of any water marks that may have dried on from riding. Even though you are getting the lens wet again it wont always remove these marks to the cloth will.
This should be the lens clean, now you just need to dry it with the second clean microfibre. Shake off any excess water and wipe dry the lens. Be sure not to let any of the cleaning water dry on before you get the cloth on it.
Cleaning The Frame:
The majority of mx goggle frame are made of some sort of polyurethane compostition which most people would describe as a tough plastic.
We also have the foam cushion which is there to protect our face from the plastic and absorb sweat and moisture.
If left the sweat can break down the soft foam over a long period of time so it’s a good idea to wash the foam to get it out after each ride.
I personally dont use soap for this because using to much can take a while to get back out of the foam. Instead a quick bath in plain warm water followed by a rinse in running water does the trick. Try and compress the foam to get rid of excess water once done.
For the plastic frame, alot of time a microfibre cloth will do by wiping if over. Saying that if the goggles were really muddy from the ride then the mud can get into the contours and the little vents. If this is the case then a soft bristle toothbrush is a great tool to have in your arsenal.
Brush the frame with the toothbrush whilst under running water to remove mud from the difficult areas.
Wipe the frame dry and you should be good to go. Reassemble to goggles and the ideally keep them in the soft bag they came with, as most do. If your didn’t then these are normally made from microfibre or a similar material and eBay is a good place to pick them up.