Kawasaki VN750 Forum banner

How do I clean a stinky leather scull cap?

10K views 15 replies 8 participants last post by  Knifemaker 
#1 ·
My leather scull cap is smelling sour, like gym gear waiting too long to be washed.
How do I clean it? I think I have a can of saddle soap. Can I use that?
Then what do I use to recondition the leather? Thanks for any suggestions.

On a related topic, since cloth is easier to clean than leather, should I get some cloth scull caps to wear inside helmet to absorb sweat and prolong helmet life? If so, do I get cotton, silk or something else.
 
#4 ·
I use Ivory soap, either the bar or laundry flakes, and cool to lukewarm water; never use hot water. Wet the cap well, rub the Ivory soap all over it, and rub the skullcap between your hands to work the soap into the leather. Rinse thoroughly. Repeat as needed until it smells clean. Make sure all the soap has been rinsed out. Take the wet cap, lay it between the folds of a towel and press the excess water out of it. Remove from the towel, shape it to it's prewashed form, and place it somewhere out of the sun to dry. Somewhere where it will dry rapidly but without too much heat is ideal. Once dry, get some Sno-Seal leather treatment (available at many shoe and sporting goods stores), and rub it into the leather. Lay the cap in the sun or heat it with a hair dryer on low heat. This will help the leather absorb the Sno-Seal. Keep applying Sno-Seal and heating the leather until it won't absorb any more. Rub any excess Sno-Seal off with a terry cloth rag and you are good to go. The Sno-Seal preserves and waterproofs the leather, yet still allows it to "breathe". One small container will last a long, long time.
 
#9 ·
A leather scull cap? .....sounds pretty gay.

I'd just throw it away and get a new one...preferably one made out a washable material.

The "polypropolene" ones are nice when it is cold, but just a regualar cotton one works well.

I am guessing you are not riding around with just the scull cap but are wearing it under your helmet right? To keep your hair looking good or to keep your helmet from getting funky, right?

The kind that tie behind the head are not technically "skull caps" they are what my boys here call "doo rags".... ;)


They also make some out of nylon ...like panty hose material, these are more for avoiding "helmet hair" than protecting your helmet from funky smells.



:)




KM
 
#10 ·
My leather scull cap helps keep the helmet liner cleaner, and also makes the helmet fit a little tighter, so it doesn`t try to float off my head at speed. It serves double duty as a cap to keep my bald pate from sunburning when the helmet comes off.

I have a light colored, heavy weight cotton denim welders cap that is constructed the same as the leather scull cap, with a sort of diamond shaped short tail and ties like shoe laces at the back.

I have not heard of or seen the polypropolyne caps. However that material does wick moisture away from the skin so would probably be comfortable and keep sweat from running into your eyes.

Thanks for all your suggestions. I will probably get another leather as well as a polypropolyne one, and test them in rotation to find what I like best.
 
#13 · (Edited)
#12 ·
Not sure if what I have is nylon/spandex or polypropylene, but I got an assortment of five off ebay for about $10.
 
#15 ·
Can't wear any kind of skull cap under my FF helmet because it fits nice and snug already. I've tried and every time I put my helmet on, it would push the cap right off. Same when I try to wear a bandanna. I just spray the liner of my helmet down with Bike Brite's helmet liner refreshener every now and then. The cheek pads also come out for cleaning.
 
#16 ·
Of course the comment on a leather scull cap being "gay" was a just a joke.

The point being is leather does not breathe, so it would just make your head sweat more and funk things up faster. The only reason to wear it then is for looks.
I think they look pretty badass

Yep, I don't mess with anyone wearing one.

I guess if you do not wear a helmet, a leather one might offer a bit more protection than a cloth one, but I ain't doing the testing.

Cotton or Cool Max or Cool Skin or whatever , does breathe, is washable, and for the most part cheaper. Some even have "anti-odor" chemicals built in.

Those "do rags" are in fact the predecessors of what everyone now calls "skull caps" ...some clever person saw that bikers where wearing them and thought, "Hey, you could just cut them to shape so there wouldn't be any extra material hanging off, keep the tie in the back and sell them as "easy on" bandanas for bikers" They made a fortune it seems.

The early ones looked like the red or blue bandanas, but soon they started using other patterns ...that were more "biker".... like skulls and such. But it is the "Do Rag" that started the trend and was the base for the design.

if it doesn't tie in the back, then it's a hat!

A cap shares the same basic definition as "hat"...they don't call it a "baseball hat" it is a baseball cap. (and it does not tie in the back..)
Call it a lid, a cap, whatever , but they are all "hats"... definintions vary only by usage, where you live and how much you wish to be obsessed about it...lol......
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hat
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cap
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Do-rag


KM
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top