Content

• To step
• Method 1 of 4: Blow up a balloon with your mouth
• Method 3 of 4: Using a helium bottle
• Tips
• Warnings

Balloons are festive additions to birthday parties and many other fun events. However, blowing them up isn't always fun, as it usually requires a good set of lungs or a balloon pump, not to mention some time and patience. Whether you need to blow up one balloon or a hundred, for decoration or one for a science experiment, there are several ways to make inflating a balloon a little easier and maybe even fun!

To step

Method 1 of 4: Blow up a balloon with your mouth

1. Make the balloon more flexible by stretching it in all directions. If you stretch the balloon's rubbery latex with your hands first, it will be much easier to inflate it with your mouth afterward. Stretching the balloon will make the latex more flexible, so you will experience less resistance when inflating.
   • Stretch the balloon in all directions, being careful not to tear the latex. Be careful not to stretch the balloon too much, or you risk popping the balloon during inflation. Stretching here and there a few times is sufficient.
2. Squeeze the nozzle of the balloon with your index finger and thumb. This ensures that the balloon is in position for inflation. Grasp the end of the balloon about a quarter of an inch below the lip of the opening. Your index finger will be at the top and your thumb will be at the bottom.
3. Take a deep breath and "kiss" the balloon. Use your lips to form a seal around the opening of the balloon. Your lips should be just past the lip of the balloon opening and pressed against your thumb and index finger.
4. Stop before the balloon pops. When you notice that the balloon resists further expansion, the inflation is complete. If the balloon's nozzle is inflating significantly, it means that you have over-inflated the balloon and need to release some air until the nozzle is flat again.
5. Button the balloon when it is full. Use the handy wikiHow guide again!

Method 3 of 4: Using a helium bottle

1. Screw the inflator onto the helium bottle. The inflator is a metal tube with a screw thread on one end and a nozzle on the other. Screw it tightly onto the outlet at the top of the bottle.
2. Push the correct adapter onto the end of the inflator. Most inflators come with two plastic cone-shaped adapters. The smaller one is for foil balloons; the larger one for latex balloons. Firmly press the adapter onto the inflator you need.
3. Drop the baking soda into the bottle. Lift the floppy balloon above the bottle and pull it up slightly so that the baking soda can drop straight down into the bottle. Be careful not to pull the opening of the balloon off the bottle.
4. Observe the chemical reaction. You can blow up a balloon with baking soda and vinegar because of the expanding carbon dioxide created by the chemical reaction between the two main ingredients. Children in particular will enjoy watching the balloon inflate itself right before their very eyes!

Tips

• Very large or small balloons can offer significant resistance to an initial expansion and require two blows to pass through the first stage. Long, thin balloons used to make shapes are extremely difficult to inflate.
• Sometimes gently biting the lip of the balloon as you blow can help keep it in place.
• Consider investing in a cheap pump if you routinely have to inflate a lot of balloons. It is worth the investment. Store it somewhere you can easily find it again.
• If you need to blow up a lot of balloons and work at a school, ask a group of kids to blow them up for you. Most kids love to blow up balloons and will be happy to help you!

Warnings

• People can get dizzy when they blow up a lot of balloons. When you get lightheaded, pause to catch your breath.
• Some people are simply unable to inflate balloons due to the effort required to inflate them. If that's true for you, don't worry. Find a pump to do the work for you, or ask someone with greater lung capacity and more stamina to help you. Not everyone can blow up balloons.
• Do not over-inflate the balloon. Pop! You learn quickly enough when a balloon is over-inflated.
• Do not blow too hard (a clear signal are puffy cheeks), as this will increase the pressure in the sinuses too much.