The story goes when you drop a helmet it may only have a small chip on the outside ,but it is loaded with tiny spider cracks which compromise the integrity of the shell. Think of it as a floating iceberg the surface only presents 20 % of the body.
Try the concrobium I am telling you I have used it in a few applications and it works EVERY TIME. I also don't believ in replacing a helmet every 5 years, another way to hype their sales. I have lots of helmets which are plenty old, and still use them on my bikes.

 

I looked at the SDS.
It's sodium carbonate and Trisodium phosphate
soda ash and soap at a PREMIUM price

I have little doubt it works...cause mold isn't hard to wash away


Jonny, I'm qualified to do mold remediation ..it's often a part of the rehabs we do
Here's the deal, hard surfaces you wash, porous surfaces mold growth has penetrated not easily removed and replaced (framing, roof trusses, etc) you wash and seal

your problem is the fabric, padding and foam isn't easily removed to wash.
your only alternative is to saturate (literally flood) the helmet with an antimicrobial
which can be a simple as Lysol
and you won't be able to "remove" the mold below the fabric ...only kill it and hope it remains inert material


..L.T.A.

 

I've never tried it, but I bet cat urine will mask the mold smell. Just a thought.

 

It is not moldy, it has a moldy smell. That is what the op said. Just like anything else that is stored in a garage, basement or attic for a while.

It was new, never worn, so it did not have organics on it, sweat, wind tears, hair stuff, etc that would support mold.

All synthedic rubbers and most foams leach gasses often called plasticizers. This is the main reason that these products age. Often, some lose 50% in a few months, others take years. This changes the properties of the foam or rubber. It is often designed for. This leaching slows and eventually stops. Styrofoam actually holds its properties for a long time, just look at the ocean trash. Some foams do age quick enough that 5 or 10 years would be a good useful life. This does not mean, they are useless, just that they no longer meet the manufacturers specs, are beyond their recommended age for its use, or that testing has not been done on helmets beyond this age.

My 56 year old Bell is leather lined over I think, styrofoam. I keep the leather conditioned and it still fits. I really don't care that it might not pass a new helmet test, I wear it on a vintage bike. If I felt it was unsafe, the bike has mechanical brake drums. That is a heck of a lot more dangerous than not wearing a 56 year old helmet. But you ride to your equipment. I'm not commuting in this old helmet, I'm not racing the canyons curves against modern rocket bikes, I'm just celebrating my 16 year old brain in this old beat up body.

 

Maybe you should just take a can of dust-off for keyboards and spray the **** out of it,
the cold temp will kill burn anything, as someone who works in the ballistic helmets field the 5 yr thing is just to sell more helmets

 

donno about all that, Man
He says his eyes are watering and runny nose??
sounds like more than just "smell" to me
I've also seen more than a few synthetic fabrics covered in mold
Is dust the organic food source? possibly ...but new synthetics can damn sure be covered in mold


..L.T.A.

 

iam sorry the name of what i was talking about was bike systems

 

Maybe I’m just a cynical old man but has anybody noticed that the advice to “replace your helmet every five years” comes from companies whose business is SELLING HELMETS?

 

Yes, I sure did. You don't suppose they have an ulterior motive do ya?

 

You can put metal in a microwave. I have a metal grate shelf made for mine. It all depends on the size and shape of the metal.

However, I'm with another responder: helmet is too old, get a new one.