Balloons are fun. They keep children happily playing for a long time when they are inflated. Then you add a little water to the balloons and the children’s fun time goes up significantly.
Ballos deflate because air escapes from them, and air escapes in two ways. Air escapes from the balloon most easily though the section where it is tied off. A tied balloon is not airtight, and some air escapes over time. Other balloons may experience leakage because of small holes in their material.
When you are not using water to inflate the balloons, you will notice that many of them deflate at different rates. There are very good reasons for why this is so. To find out those reasons, just continue to read our article.
It has that information and more. Take a few minutes to get those reasons and plan on what type of balloon you will buy for your next special event.
Why do balloons lose air?
There are different materials that you can use to inflate balloons. One is your own breathe which helps balloons stay inflated longer. The other two are helium and nitrogen.
These balloon inflating materials have different compositions. The nitrogen and oxygen molecules are larger than the helium molecules thus the tiny holes found in the rubber or latex balloons are not large enough to let those molecules escape.
The helium molecules are a lot smaller than the other two molecules thus they can get through those holes faster. Then, the material used to create the balloons is not air-tight. Eventually, the air inside will get out deflating the balloon as you go.
One thing you should note about helium-filled balloons is that if you put them in cold enclosed areas, they will look deflated. The cold helps the helium molecules lose energy, become denser and slow down. To re-inflate the balloon just add some heat to the room.
Then the little stem is not as airtight as you may think. No matter how tight you tie them, air can get through at some point. it will be slow but it will take place. helium balloons will deflate faster than regular air-filled balloons due to the small size of the molecules.
Some rubber air-filled balloons can last up to 2 months before finally losing all of their air.
How do you stop balloons from deflating?
This solution has many answers and the first one would be to tie the stem as tight as possible. You do not want to go too tight as the balloon can pop on you but you want it tight enough. The air or helium will eventually get out but having a tight stem knot will make that escape a little tougher.
Go too loose on the knot and the balloons may not make their minimum lifespan estimate. One new suggestion is for you to spray a little hairspray over the balloon’s exterior. If you have a lot of balloons to spray this may take a little time to do.
It doesn’t seem to matter which brand you use but go with the cheaper brands to save some money. There is no sense wasting good hairspray on balloons that will eventually deflate or be popped anyways.
Then, you can buy specially made plastic bags that are designed to hold balloons and store them properly. These bags will keep the balloons from getting damaged and keep them inflated till the party is about to start. regular plastic bags should work as well.
Then you do not want to store the balloons in a room that is either too hot or too cold. Both extremes can help remove the air or helium from inside the balloon and ruin that part of your event.
Plus, you can use stronger balloon material that will keep the air inside longer. Then there is Hi Float. This is a chemical designed to make your balloons remain inflated far longer than their normal lifespan.
You add the chemical, follow the instructions, and wait for it to dry to get maximum results.
Do air-filled balloons deflate overnight?
Normally, no they will not. Some air-filled balloons can last up to 6 to 8 weeks at a time. That longevity though depends on how well you tie the balloons and the material the balloon is made from.
6 to 8 weeks is under ideal conditions and you may find that your environment may have them deflating faster than normal. However, even under some bad conditions, the air-filled balloons won’t deflate over night.
Depending on the type of balloon material you buy, helium can escape and deflate the balloon in 8 to 12 hours. That is if you do not use Hi Float to make those cheaper balloons last longer.
There are some smaller balloons that can actually stay inflated, under the right conditions, for 2 years. The drawback to air-filled balloons is that they will not float. You would need helium to do that as that gas is lighter than air.
If you do not want the balloons to be lying around your house for weeks on end, then buy some smaller balloons, made from latex, and fill them with helium. The smaller balloons will last less than a day while the larger ones will last a lot longer.
How long do air balloons last?
As has been said already, the longevity of these balloons depends on the size and the material the balloons are made from. Some of the smaller ones will last for a very long time. The reason for that is the air molecules inside are larger than the tiny holes the balloon material has.
That means that the air molecules are too large to escape. The 17 and 40-inch foil balloons are known for staying inflated for a month when filled with air. But the smaller 9-inch balloon can stay inflated for up to 24 months.
When you plan your event, you should look at the balloon size, the material they are made of, and how long you want them to remain inflated. if you do not want to be picking up balloon remnants for the next few weeks or months, opt for the ones with a shorter lifespan.
Air-filled balloons are for those events where you do not want them floating all over the place. it takes some work and time but they will be easier to stick to a wall, string, or another stationary spot than let them float and get in everyone’s way.
Can I use hairspray on balloons?
This is an old trick that will help keep your balloons inflated. The hair spray seals the balloon’s tiny holes keeping the air or other molecules inside longer. One other benefit that comes with using hairspray is that the colors remain brighter ten times longer than if you did not use this beauty product.
There is one drawback to using hairspray. Once you spray the balloon, you cannot touch it where you sprayed. If you do, the balloon has a tendency to shrivel up on you. You can use any brand of hair spray you want but as we said earlier, use the cheap stuff and save your money.
Also, it may take some time to spray the balloons and you may want to not spray the knot. That way you have a spot you can touch without ruining the balloon.
Is it illegal to mass release balloons in the air?
This is an important question for those who use helium balloons with long lifespans. It is illegal to send a lot of balloons into the air in some states. Those states that have laws against doing this are- Connecticut, Florida, Tennessee, New York, Texas, California, and Virginia. There may be others not mentioned here.
Then if your state does not have a law against this, your city may. You need to check with the city and the state to make sure you can release balloons in the air when your event is going on or ended.
Can you mix helium and air in the same balloon?
It is possible to do this however the results may not be what you expect. First, the half-filled helium balloon will still float but not to the degree a completely helium-filled balloon will.
Then depending on the balloon’s material, you may end up with a half-filled balloon on your hands the next day, the next week, or the next month. Mixing the two gases is safe to do and there are no health issues.
You will just have funny looking and acting balloons when your event is going on and over.
Some final words
To keep your balloons from deflating too soon, find the ones made from the best and long-lasting materials. That is if you want those balloons hanging around your house for some time.
If you don’t, you can either pop them or go for those balloons made from lower-quality materials. You won’t be able to stop the balloons from deflating, they will deflate over time. You can only delay the inevitable. Then you have to decide what you are going to do with them. Not many people like having balloons hanging around for 2 years at a time.
