There are no dumb questions....
only dumb answers!!
Just kidding.
If I *don't* wash my helmet, my blue straps get stained white with salt. It's pretty nasty. So I routinely wash out the helmet under running water, shake it out and hang it up to dry. Occasionally, I remove the pads (they're just held in with Velcro and it's pretty easy to figure out how they go back in), and wash them separately in a little bit of Woolite. The pads will eventually look a bit tattered, but they still work and don't stink. Don't want a stinky helmet!