Balloon Basics

Add value to your designs using Ultra Hi-Float, which will help a latex balloons float for up to 20x its normal float time.

Did you know an untreated Qualatex 11" latex balloon filled with helium will float for up to 24 hours, depending on atmospheric conditions? That same balloon treated with Ultra Hi-Float can float for up to 4 weeks for increased display time.

Basic Instructions:

1. Thread the balloon onto the pump nozzle, making sure to pull it all the way on so the Ultra Hi-Float is dispensed deep into the base of the balloon. Color-coded clips make it easy to dispense just the right amount for each balloon size. Push down on the pump as far as it will go. Remove the balloon.
2. Hold the balloon neck up to prevent dripping. Gently rub the balloon to distribute the Hi-Float evenly, making sure to keep the Hi-Float out of the neck of the balloon.
3. Helium inflate the balloon as usual and tie. To maximize float times, fully inflate the balloon.

Tip: Allow the balloon to dry for a couple of hours at room temperature before inflating.

• Qualatex latex balloons are made from 100% natural latex — not plastic. Our latex balloons are biodegradable, and decompose as fast as an oak leaf in your backyard!
• Latex balloons come from rubber trees. Latex is collected by cutting the tree’s bark, then catching the latex in a cup. Latex harvesting doesn’t hurt the tree!
• Latex balloons are Earth-friendly! Rubber trees grow in rain forests. Latex harvesting discourages deforestation because latex-producing trees are left intact. A tree can produce latex for up to 40 years!
• If the sound of a balloon popping startles you, you’re not alone. A bursting balloon actually creates a small sonic boom! Once a hole is made in an inflated balloon, the quick release of the balloon’s energy, or air, causes the hole to grow at almost the speed of sound in rubber. Since this speed is much higher than the speed of sound in air, the hole in the balloon actually breaks the sound barrier, creating a sonic boom.
• Balloons were invented in 1824, the same year as the electromagnet.
• Pioneer manufactures nearly one billion Qualatex latex balloons per year.
• Helium-filled balloons float because helium is lighter than nitrogen and oxygen, the two components of air.
• For 100 years, Qualatex balloons have celebrated big events worldwide — from American political conventions to Korean television specials.

Learn more about balloons and the environment

For ease in tying a balloon, hold 1 inch of the balloon at the neck while you inflate it, so there’s enough room to tie it. Inflate a 260Q balloon by mouth, or with a Qualatex Balloon Pump. To tie the balloon, hold the neck between your left thumb and middle finger, with the nozzle of the balloon pointing up. With your right thumb and index finger, stretch the neck, and wrap it around the tips of your left index and middle fingers in a clockwise direction. Spread your left fingers, and tuck the nozzle down and through the loop with your right hand. Slide your left fingers out of the loop while holding the nozzle with your right hand.

Twisting the Balloon

1. Inflate a 260Q, leaving about 6 inches uninflated, and tie it. Hold the balloon in your left hand with the uninflated end pointing right. Make three 1-inch bubbles for the Dog’s head and ears. To make a 1-inch bubble, pinch the balloon and twist it several times. An inch further, twist again, making sure to twist in the same direction.
2. To make ears, twist the last two 1-inch bubbles together at the base. This will keep the bubbles from untwisting.
3. Make a 1-inch bubble for the neck followed by two 2-inch bubbles. Twist the 2-inch bubbles together at the base to make front legs.
4. For the Dog’s body, make a 5-inch bubble followed by two 2-inch bubbles. Twist the 2-inch bubbles together at the base to make back legs. Leave a small bubble of air at the base of the tail to hold the back legs in place.
5. Roll the tail between the back legs to prevent them from untwisting and complete the Dog.