Foil Balloons

The method for inflating depends upon whether they’re being inflated with helium or air. Another factor affecting this process is whether your products are self sealing or not. 

• Larger balloons can be inflated with helium by sliding the small valve or opening at the tail of the balloon onto the nozzle of the helium tank. Take care to hold the neck of the balloon firmly around the nozzle with one hand before pressing on the nozzle with your other hand to release the helium into the balloon. A correctly inflated balloon should be tight with uniformly spaced creases along the seam.
• If you want to inflate this type of balloon with air from your lungs and mouth, we suggest pushing a drinking straw gently up the tail of the balloon until you feel resistance. The resistance is the valve, which you need to push past in order to establish an airway. Use your fingers to seal the balloon around the straw. You can then inflate the balloon by blowing into the end of the straw. You can also use an air pump using this same method. 
• If your balloon is self sealing, immediately press the valve on the ‘tail’ flat to seal the helium or air into the balloon. If your balloon requires manual heat sealing, like our range of 9 inch balloons do, a heat sealer is required. In this case, line the tail of the balloon upon the heating surface of the heat sealer, then press and hold the knob down until the light turns off. To ensure a tight seal, lay the tail of the balloon over the bar, making sure there are no creases in the material before application. Once your balloon is sealed, tie a ribbon onto the end of the tail (below the valve), and attach it to a balloon weight. 

A large proportion of our products can be inflated with helium, with the main exception being our range of 9 inch foil balloons. These balloons are too small to contain enough helium to be lighter than air and thus float, and as such, are designed exclusively for air inflation (and require a heat sealer). As a general rule of thumb, foil helium balloons are larger like our gold and rose gold star foil balloons.

If you want to inflate these balloons with air from your mouth, we suggest pushing a drinking straw gently up the tail of the balloon until you feel resistance. The resistance is the valve, which you need to push past to establish an airway. Use your fingers to seal the balloon around the straw. You can then inflate the balloon by blowing into the end of the straw. When you’ve inflated the balloon enough that it’s full with uniformly spaced creases along the seam, carefully and quickly remove the straw, and press the valve on the tail flat to seal the air into the balloon. This is a great method for standalone balloons, like our foil number balloons. If your balloon isn’t the kind that self-seals, use a heat sealer. On an air-inflated balloon, florists and event professionals will often attach a balloon cup and stick to give a floating effect or to help build height in an arrangement. 

There are two types of foil balloon sealing mechanisms: self-sealing and heat sealing. To seal a self-sealing balloon like our gold letter balloons, remove the balloon from the nozzle/straw/air pump, and press the valve flat. For balloons that don’t come with a self-sealing mechanism, like our 9 inch foil balloons, you’ll need to heat seal. To heat seal this type of balloon, line the tail of the balloon upon the heating surface of the sealer, then press and hold the knob down until the light turns off. To ensure a tight seal, lay the tail of the balloon over the bar, making sure there are no creases in the material before application. 
To render your balloon reusable, if you are attaching a ribbon to the tail, ensure it is tied below the self-sealing valve. This will help prevent damage to the self-sealing valve, which you need to remain intact to deflate and then reinflate your balloon.

Our foil helium balloons are not porous in the way that latex balloons are. Foil balloons are composed of a base layer of nylon, and an outer layer of aluminium foil. This means they retain helium more effectively, and as such, float for longer. Our 17 inch and 40 inch foil balloons will remain inflated for approximately one month before they start deflating, whilst the mini 9 inch foil balloons (while air-filled, not helium filled) can remain inflated for up to two years. 

Though intended as single-use products, foil balloons with a self-sealing valve are deflatable, refillable, and as such, reusable (as long as the self-sealing valve remains intact). These balloons can be refilled with air or a helium tank, or you can opt to take your balloon/s to a florist or party store that offers helium balloon filling services. When reinflating your balloon, the self-sealing mechanism may not work, and in this case, it can be helpful to seal your balloon with a balloon clip. If you can hear air hissing, or if your balloon is visibly deflating, it is unfortunately not reusable.

Self-sealing balloons like our unicorn foil balloon can be deflated, stored, and reused. However, heat-sealed balloons cannot. 
To deflate your balloon, follow the below steps: 

1. Find the valve. You can find the valve on the tail of the balloon, usually obscured by a small tab made up of a few layers of plastic.
2. Insert a straw into the valve. Push it all the way into the valve until you hit its end. 
3. If you do not hear air escaping through the straw, repeat steps 1 and 2.
4. Begin to gently push the rest of the air or helium out of the straw. In order to keep the seams intact, take care not to push too hard. 
5. Push out as much air or helium out of the balloon as possible.
6. Remove the straw.