If you were wondering can you blow up helium balloons with your mouth, the short answer is yes. Yes, you can. You may inflate helium balloons by blowing into them, using a balloon pump, a straw or with a helium tank.
Read on for the full answer below. This question gets asked a lot, so I thought it was important to answer it in this article.
Balloons are an important part of celebrations and events. From birthday parties to weddings, from store openings to all sorts of special occasions – you will often see balloons. There are so many different balloons on the market now. You can find balloons of all shapes and sizes and made of different materials. It’s hard to know what is what.
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Can you blow up helium balloons with your mouth
The short answer to this is yes! You can blow up helium balloons with your mouth, however it can take longer than blowing them up with a pump.
Some types of balloons can only be filled with air or helium, as indicated in the instructions or on their packaging. Some large balloons are not permitted to be filled with helium because of their size.
Just because a balloon package is labelled helium quality does not mean that you can’t blow it up with your mouth. Helium quality balloons can be filled with other gases too. You can usually blow them up with your mouth as well.
Latex balloons, foil balloons and mylar balloons can all be blown up with your mouth.
If you blow up balloons with your mouth, they won’t float because the oxygen in your lungs is not greater than the air pressure outside the balloon. If you filled the balloon with helium, then it would float due to the principles of buoyancy and density. Helium is lighter than air.
Only balloons blown up with helium will float. So if you want floaty balloons you will need to get them filled with helium.
For instance, an inflated balloon that has been blown up with your mouth is mainly filled with with carbon dioxide, saliva and oxygen. Helium quality balloons that are filled up with a hand pump are filled with a larger portion of oxygen, as it is the same as the surrounding air.
What are some ways to fill a balloon with air?
Have you ever tried blowing up party balloons with your mouth? You take a deep breath, puff your cheeks and try to blow air into the neck of the balloon. But the balloon sometimes remains limp and empty. There is a certain technique that can help you blow up a balloon.
Stretching a balloon out while it is deflated should be the first step to loosen up the balloon. Otherwise, there could be a blockage at the bottom of the balloon that is stopping the air or gas from filling the balloon.
Also, once you start blowing up the balloon, make sure that you pinch the tip of the balloon with your index finger and thumb in between breaths. Otherwise you let the air out of the balloon and you have to start again.
It can be very difficult to blow air into foil or mylar balloons with your mouth. In this case, the best way of inflating the balloon with your mouth is to use a straw. Simply insert the straw into the opening of the balloon (filling tab) and blow air into the straw until the balloon inflates.
Be careful not to over inflate the balloon with too much air.
Did you know you can also do a fun experiment by adding baking soda and vinegar to a balloon and the chemical reaction will make the balloon inflate. The kids love this one. Check out the video below for a fun way to do this.
Easy ways to blow up a balloon without using your mouth
Apart from simply blowing up a balloon with your mouth, a hand air pump can make it much easier to blow up balloons rather than using your mouth.
Hand pumps are a lot quicker that blowing up a balloon with your mouth and they are not expensive at all. Grab a pack of 3 and get your family to help out with the balloons.
In particular, the 2 way dual action pumps are a good choice as they pump air when you push and pull the pump, inflating your balloon much faster than a one-way pump. They are only slightly more expensive than a standard balloon pump, but definitely worth the money.
If you are throwing a lot of parties and you want to inflate a balloon garland or jumbo balloons, then an even quicker method would be recommended. The fastest way to fill balloons is with an electric pump or helium tank.
What is the benefit of blowing up a balloon with your mouth?
Blowing up balloons with your mouth is a less expensive option that paying for a pump or having them filled with helium at the party store. You have to weigh the cost of driving to a party store to collect the already inflated balloons against the time it takes to manually inflate them yourself.
Some people think is more fun to blow up balloons with your mouth, because you can inflate them more slowly and enjoy the process. As it is a slower process, you can get the balloon to the exact size that you want it as you can watch it increase in size slowly. This can be fine for a few normal-size balloons.
You may not have a balloon pump on hand, so you can grab some friends and family members and get them to help you.
Why is it better to use a pump or a tank to blow up a balloon?
Using a pump or tank is much faster. You can inflate the balloon with a pump within seconds, rather than over minutes using your mouth. I’ve found it to be the way to get the best result quickly.
It’s also easier to blow up balloons with a straw, as you do not need to go through the faff of actually inserting one into each individual balloon.
You may air fill foil balloons if you want to hang them on a wall or use them as a table-top decoration, for example.
An electric balloon pump might be the best investment ever if you hate blowing up balloons and you are time poor.
However, if you have your heart set on floaty balloons filled with helium, then you won’t be happy with those options. Most party stores will be able to fill balloons with helium for you.
Helium filled balloons will usually last longer than normal balloons and can last approx for 2 to 5 days. Regular latex balloons without helium may only last a day.
The good news is that this is usually enough for a great party, especially if you are blowing them up right before the party starts. If you wanted them the day before and a longer float time you might consider helium gas in your balloons.
When should I not use my mouth to blow up a balloon and why (examples)
You should not use your mouth to blow up helium balloons if you have a cardiac condition or respiratory problems.
Also, it is important that you never blow up confetti balloons or glitter balloons with your mouth. This is because you may accidentally inhale particles from the contents inside the balloon. This is dangerous as they could end up in your lungs.
Similarly, it is important that young children do not play with deflated balloons as they could be choking hazards. Also, make sure you throw away bits of popped or broken balloons that are lying around as they can also be choking hazards for babies and young children.
Children should always be supervised when blowing up balloons for safety reasons.
If you have a latex allergy, you should definitely avoid blowing up balloons or touching balloons made of latex and seek urgent medical assistance if you are having an allergic reaction.
In conclusion, you can use your mouth to blow up helium balloons if you want to do so, or only have a small amount of balloons to inflate. If you have the time, go right ahead.
Balloons will still look great even if they are not filled with helium. However, if you have a balloon pump that will make this less of a chore as you can inflate the balloons in seconds.
If you want a floaty balloon, you will have to go with a helium pump.
Side note to article: Some of the things you’ll need to inflate a balloon vary by manufacturer and type. Please keep in mind that these are not manufacturers’ recommendations but are hints derived from years of inflating balloons.
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