Balloon Storage

[PBK]

So, here's a question for the balloon hoarders/collectors like me:
When you store your balloons, do you store them in an air-tight environment or is it better to let them "breathe"?

I've been storing my balloons for years in big plastic tubs with lids, and I'm not sure how airtight they are.

The reason I ask this is I recently acquired a bunch of small plastic bins with screw top lids and thought that would be a great place to keep assortments for helium bunches and whatnot but when the lids are screwed closed the bins are quite airtight. Not sure if this is to the advantage, detriment to the balloons or if it even affects them at all. If balloons shouldn't be stored in an airtight environment then I could always drill holes in the lids to promote air exchange.
I always kind of thought that while oxygen in the air and especially ozone degrades natural latex, some "breathing" was needed for long term storage to keep the balloons fresh when stored in other ideal conditions (cool, dark, out of sunlight). Thus, the plastic bags that quality brand balloons are shipped in have "breather" holes in them and are not completely air tight.

Thoughts or opinions?

[BusterBill]

Re: Balloon Storage

Thus, the plastic bags that quality brand balloons are shipped in have "breather" holes in them and are not completely air tight.

Thoughts or opinions?

As a rule, prolonged exposure to heat and oxygen are the worst enemies of latex polymer compounds. Exposure to oxygen in the air hastens the oxidation process and eventually degrades balloons until they are useless. The holes in the poly bags that many balloon manufacturers use in their packaging are not there to help preserve the balloons -- the purpose of those holes is to allow compression of the poly bags when they are packed into a shipping carton, thus maximizing the number of bags that can be fit into the carton.

[Eastlooner]

Re: Balloon Storage

I agree with BusterBill. I have stored lots of balloons for many years- still have some from 2000 and they are alive (13" italian with New Millenium print). The best results I have obtained were with sealed plastic bags without special compressing the balloons, so no breathing was available. The worst with vacuum packed balloons even when they were powdered with talc...I had to throw away many of them as sticking ones. It also depends ona a brand but even Tuftexes stored for 2 years in the absence of fresh air are ok. Hope it helps

[PBK]

Re: Balloon Storage

Good information, guys. Thanks!

I tried the method of storing balloons in Ziploc bags with the air completely squeezed out many years ago and the balloons were completely destroyed within a year. They definitely do better when there's some air space but I can see regular air exchange being a bad thing as you guys mentioned.

Oldest balloons I have are punchballs I bought from a mom-and-pop dollar store in 2006 in their original factory packaging. They were manufactured in Thailand. They seem to still inflate big and tight.
As much as I love Tuf-tex they do degrade fast even under the most ideal storage conditions and I've had to throw many out over the years. I've learned not to buy so many at once. Especially since as a non-popper I don't go through them like the poppers do.

[OverTheTop]

Re: Balloon Storage

I've stored my balloons in ziploc bags in a shoebox in the closet. I usually press the air out of the bags to save space, but I've been storing balloons this way since 2013 and have never had any issue with degradation.

[PBK]

Re: Balloon Storage

Individual experiences vary, I guess.

[LuciferLooner]

Re: Balloon Storage

i just keep them in ziplock bags in a big fabric bag under my bed.

[lincy]

Re: Balloon Storage

I keep balloons in Ziplock bags

[AJK64]

Re: Balloon Storage

I keep mine in sealable plastic tubs (tupperware). I put silica gel packets in with them to keep moisture low.

[Casey88]

Re: Balloon Storage

I keep them in ziplog bags as well, stored in a tight dark container in my cupboard.

However when all the other standard pastel/crystal balloons are perfectly in good condition, mostly the metallic ones degrades faster. It sticks to itself and if blown up, it pops prematurely or has defects all over. Any idea why?

[Nopops4me]

Re: Balloon Storage

I've got myself a small supply of the raved over tt17's towards the end of last year. Being mainly a non-popper, how long do you find from experience Tuftex balloons are safe before they degrade and burst on first inflation. Mine are stored in zip lock bags kept in a dark place with constant room temperature.
Would prefer to use them up before they become useless. Any guidance would be appreciated. Thanks

[AJK64]

Re: Balloon Storage

Tuftex do degrade faster than other brands. I find that when stored well, Crystal's are reliable for over a year. Best way to tell is partially inflate and look for marbling on them as they show degradation very easily.

[Will blown]

Re: Balloon Storage

I have been researching this and turned to the latex wear community as their latex clothing costs hundreds of euro per piece so preserving is a big topic.
They suggest conserving latex with silicone oil or products like vivishine that are made for this very purpose.
My early results is that my precious Q24's seem to last much longer. The rubber feels better, softer more like they do when they are new. Your balloons will feel different. In the beginning I wasn't sure. Now I love it. Smoother, softer and shiny! I have treated older balloons that were looking pretty used and all of the sudden they looked brand new.

Only time will tell but the early results look promising! You might want to try this especially on your more expensive or more rare balloons. If it works for latex wear it seems to me it will work for latex balloons as well. Lots of videos on you tube if you look up latex wear care.

[LoonerJeff]

Re: Balloon Storage

Ziploc bags for sure. I try to keep mine in a cool, dark place. Tried a fridge for a few weeks, mainly to keep my Tuftex fresh, but it didn't seem to help to any noticable degree. One thing though, always blow dry used balloons before putting them back in storage. The heat will shrink them down and increase their lifespan a lot. Also they inflate bigger every time you do this (albeit much softer)

[TheMole]

Re: Balloon Storage

Most of the time I store mine in large Ziploc bags with most of the air squeezed out then inside a opaque plastic tote so sunlight won't get in. Never keep it in a room above 75 F or so either.

It really depends on the type of balloon though, as someone said here, punchballs seem to do just fine in their factory packaging for a very long time. I have some 12" balloons from a pizza place where I worked in 2009 in open plastic container inside the main tote and they do just fine too.

In my experience it's more about temperature and light than it is about air exposure.