The welding helmet is practically the most important welding tool. It helps to keep the head, face and respiratory system of the welder safe when he is welding. When you clean your helmet the right way, you will guarantee that remains it in the best condition to keep serving its purpose for long.
When you have to look through your welding helmets through a few undarkened spots, you know you need to do some cleaning. The smokes and fumes will end up as a layer of buildup that won’t you to weld safely and effectively. Cleaning your welding helmet daily is the best way to ensure using it in its best quality.
The inconvenience of cleaning a welding helmet is the major reason why people shy away from cleaning it daily. Cleaning your welding helmet properly does not have to be an inconvenient task.
However, it is important to note that regular maintenance of your welding helmet does not mean that it will improve its quality. This is why it is important that you buy the best welding helmet of the lot.
In this article, I will give you a step by step guide on how to properly clean your welding helmet without being overly stressed.
Step 1: Wipe the surface of the Helmet
Using a piece of kitchen paper, gently wipe the surface of your welding helmet. This will help remove any dust dirtiness and debris lying on the surface of your welding helmet. You can use either a dry paper or a paper that is slightly wet. If you go for the latter use one that absorbs excessive moisture very well.
Step 2: Use a brush to remove dirt
This will help remove dirt from the most difficult parts of the helmet. Places like the inside part of the helmet, the vents and some parts of the shell are difficult to get to by merely using wet kitchen paper.
If you have had a helmet for a very long time, it is very possible to miss some spots. Make sure you use the brush thoroughly here. I suggest that you use a multipurpose brush set for this job. The small brush cleaners will ensure that the sensitive parts of your helmet are not damaged.
Step 3: Use an air pressure duster to remove more dirt
It is very likely that after using a brush on your helmet, some dirt comes back to rest on the surface. This is why you need to use a pressure air duster to remove them again. These dusters will use the power of air pressure to clean dust remains from the helmet.
The air pressure cleaner will also be able to reach places that even your brush cannot touch. So you can remove all the dirt that you will only be able to see with a high-power magnifying glass.
Step 4: Clean the lens
If you use an auto-darkening helmet, this step is very important for you. This is the most sensitive part of the helmet. So you have to be extra careful when you clean them.
Make sure to use a very high-quality lens cleaner and wipes to get the best results. If you notice some extra moisture left on your lens from the cleaner, use a dry kitchen towel to absorb the moisture.
Step 5: Apply a helmet cleaner
A helmet cleaner will clean the surface of your helmet even further. It will also make it smell a lot nicer than usual. Just use baby wipes to gently clean the surface of the helmet with the helmet cleaner.
Step 6: Disinfect the helmet
This is a very important part of the maintenance and cleaning process of the welding helmet. It will help remove all the germs and viruses that may be on your protective gear. This way, your welding helmet will be safe to use without risking any damage to your health.
Step 7: Finish Up with a towel
When you are done cleaning, wiping, disinfecting and brushing, the final item on the list is to do a final wipe through with a towel. This is the simplest part of cleaning a welding helmet. It will help remove any dirt or moisture that remains.
A very thick bathroom towel is good enough to clean the big part of the helmet. All you have to do is apply it on the helmet and use your hand to make large movements along the welding helmet. Try not to press too hard.