How long does a balloon with helium floating in the air last? This is the question that is most often asked by our customers at La Fiesta de Olivia. At the moment, helium balloons are an essential element in our birthday parties, weddings, First Communions or Baptisms. It does not occur to us to mount a celebration without including although it is a balloon with helium.
This is where the question that is repeated over and over again comes in. How long is my helium balloon going to last? In this post we give you our advice and explain a little more about our experience with balloons and how long they last floating in the air.
What is helium and tips on how to handle it yourself
First of all we have to take into account that helium is a noble gas, which weighs less than air and that is why we get our balloons to float. The most important thing is that it is NOT a toxic gas, but even so, we have to take into account several recommendations for its correct use.
Disposable Helium Cylinders
You can now buy practical disposable helium bottles so you can inflate your balloons at home. It is important to note that the gas sold in these helium bottles does not have the same quality as the professional gas we use in the store or at our events since it is a lower density gas.
You should store them in a safe, cool and dry place out of the reach of children. They must be kept away from light and closed well once used. If our helium canisters are defective, they must be taken outdoors so that the gas comes out correctly and then always thrown away in the clean point or yellow container in your city. It is very important not to try to open or to manipulate the helium cylinder.
Also it is important to emphasize that helium should not be inhaled. Everything and not being a toxic gas can cause us respiratory problems, that is why it should only be used to inflate our balloons.
We inflate the balloon
The time has come to inflate our balloon with helium and to do so is very simple, but we must do it carefully. Helium balloons are delicate objects and must be treated with great care.
Step by step we inflate a balloon with helium:
- We have to open the helium bottle by turning the key at the top.
- We will put the rubber nozzle of the helium bottle inside the neck of our latex balloon or the inflation valve of our Foil balloon.
- Slightly press down on the rubber nozzle to release the gas and inflate to the size indicated by the manufacturer. This point is very important
- Once the balloon is inflated to our desired size, we carefully remove it. If the balloon is made of latex, we make a knot and tie a string. If the balloon is made of polyamide, it will be closed by the self-closing valve and we will put a rope in the area indicated by the manufacturer.
It is advisable to do it in a well ventilated space. Once we have finished, we will close the valve carefully and put it away. It is important not to use bottles that are not in good condition and never handle them near the fire.
The most known types of balloons possible to be inflated with helium
Polyamide, Foil, Mylar or metallic balloons
This type of balloon can be inflated with air or helium. Although the most normal is that they are inflated with helium to achieve the flying effect.
The vast majority of these balloons, have a valve inflation. You must use this valve to insert the mouthpiece of your helium cylinder or a straw if you want to inflate it with air. This valve is self-closing and prevents the air from escaping when full.
Foil balloons are available in different sizes and shapes. From the classic numbers and letters in various sizes to unicorns, dinosaurs, balloons of various shapes, drawings, stars or one of our favorites … Orbit or ORBZ balloons totally round and metallic. Brutal all!
As it is a non-porous metallic layer, we will make our balloons last longer, approximately 5 to 8 days in perfect condition. It is important to avoid the balloon being in contact with sunlight or heat sources. If the gas inside is heated, our balloon will burst.
One important thing to keep in mind: This balloon is NOT biodegradable or Eco-friendly. Be sure to dispose of it in the proper container.
100% Biodegradable Latex Balloons
It is perhaps the most well-known balloon. To be able to inflate your helium latex balloon, the balloon will have to have a minimum diameter of 25 cm and make sure it is of good quality to avoid bursting once it is inflated.
There are latex balloons of many sizes, textures and colors. Latex Balloons smooth, giant, balloons printed with messages, satin or pearl, metallic, transparent, with steel finish type Chrome, etc … This balloon is perfect to decorate it and make it special and unique. You can put confetti inside it, decorate it with paper, fabric or even garlands of vegetation.
All the Latex balloons we sell in our shop La Fiesta de Olivia are of the best quality on the market, Ecofriendly as they are 100% Biodegradable and burst in one piece being safer for children.
Biodegradable Latex 100% natural is a porous material and for this reason the helium escapes in a gradual way and ends up deflating.
In our store we use the best quality balloons, professional high charge helium and we apply a long lasting natural gel called Hi-Float all over the walls of the balloon sealing it and preventing the pore from opening so easily.
Important! There are many types of balloons on the market, with different finishes and better or worse material qualities. It is very important that you buy compatible balloons in order to inflate them with helium.
How much helium do I need to inflate a balloon and how much will it float?
Currently you can find disposable helium bottles so you can inflate the balloons from home. To make it easier to calculate the amount of helium you will need, we leave you this table with indicative values. Please note that the numbers on this table may vary depending on the size, material or manufacturer of the balloon, so we hope it will help you with your next party!