Does Walgreens Blow Helium Balloons?
Like many children, you may have blown up balloons and watched them float away. You might not know that these are helium gas made, which is lighter than air.
Helium is a naturally occurring element on earth produced by the radioactive decay of uranium in the ground.
Unlike hydrogen (the other major component of the atmosphere), it does not react to oxygen.
So there’s no way to combine with anything else or burn off into space as hydrogen does. That means that most of what I use comes from the ground as well.
The only way for helium to escape earth’s gravity is through geothermal vents in volcanoes.
But this never occurs outside of our planet, so there will always be more here than anywhere else in the universe.
Does Walgreens Blow Helium Balloons?
No. Walgreens does not blow helium balloons. There is no mention of helium or any other gaseous matter on the website. From an economic perspective, it makes sense that Walgreens would not provide helium-filled balloons to their customers.
And the FAQ section says that they do not carry helium-filled balloons.
This is because it costs more money than sticking with latex (non-helium) filled balloons; however, there is no proof online that they do not carry helium balloons.
Does CVS Blow Up Helium Balloons?
Yes. You can buy a helium tank at your local CVS or purchase one online. They typically cost around $20.
The tanks are easy to use and come with instructions on correctly filling up a balloon, so you get the biggest bang for your buck.
It’s also good to note that while these types of tanks are small enough to carry in your purse, they’re not meant for long-term storage.
Consider getting an extra tank or two if you need more time (or helium) than the standard 6 hours offer.
Just remember that once opened, you’ll want to monitor it closely because it will start losing pressure quickly after opening.
So, to answer the question, CVS blows up helium balloons.
Can I Bring My Balloons To Get Helium?
Yes. You can bring your balloons to get helium. Most parts stores will only fill you if you have them with a balloon from that store.
However, some grocery stores and gas stations may be able to fill them as well as they may have used tanks of helium.
If not, it’s still possible for you to find places that will fill your balloons at certain times of the year, such as Halloween and New Year’s Eve.
Wedding planners and caterers are more than happy to help out and probably won’t even charge you – so don’t fret about bringing your special balloons.
If, however, you want them blown up with regular air – you could try asking one of the party stores to do it for you.
If they are latex balloons- make sure they are not the mylar ones. You can only use stretch latex balloons for filling with helium.
Mylar will not fill with helium and can be very dangerous if brought into high altitudes due to their material.
Also, I suggest that if you have kids, that they leave their mylar balloon at home since it’s more likely to pop due to increasing pressure as you go higher in altitude;
Increasing the chance of a small child being seriously hit by shrapnel from an explosion which can lead to blindness.
One can not fill foil balloons with helium. The foil balloons are very dangerous for even a kid to play with since they can easily pop/shrapnel if not handled carefully.
It’s also dangerous to fill foil balloons because it’s likely that the gas will get caught in an air pocket and expand;
Causing a risk of explosion due to increasing pressure in such a small confined space.
I would recommend against filling your balloons unless you know what you’re doing and if you know what you’re doing, please use latex only.
Does Walmart Fill Balloons With Helium?
Yes. You can find helium balloons at Walmart. You can typically find them in the seasonal or party section of the store.
But you may also need to look around a bit more to see if they have any balloon selection that is separate from other products.
Walmart will fill balloons free if they are not mixed with another product such as confetti or glitter. If your Walmart does offer this service, it will be on a sign near their helium tank.
In most cases, you may need to show your receipt as proof of purchase before you’re allowed to use the machine yourself, so keep those handy.
However, helium tanks might only be available upon request in some locations, and availability is purely based on store hours and staff availability.
Also, even if they allow you to use the machine yourself;
It may be advisable to bring your balloon options as Walmart might not offer a wide variety of shapes and colors like party stores or supermarkets.
Does Target Fill Helium Balloons?
Yes. Helium tanks are available at more than 1,700 of their stores.
They cost about $15 to rent for three days with an additional deposit fee of $20, so it may be cheaper to buy one instead.
However, renting is the better option if you don’t have access to a local Target or need several helium tanks.
The only factors that affect whether they’ll let you take one home are store policy and how many empty ones they have on hand.
If there are no empty tanks, they may not let you take one. Target does fill helium balloons for free but will only fill them if you purchase them there.
If you need to be sure they’ll fill your balloons, buy the ones at Target that are $1-$2 before taking it up there. Then they’ll most likely help you since it’s their product.
Will Dollar Tree Fill Balloons?
Yes. Dollar Tree sells latex balloons in various shapes. You can utilize an air compressor or a helium tank with a balloon filling nozzle to fill a balloon.
A water gas torch is also handy – especially for filling many balloons at once. But make sure it’s ok to bring one of these tanks into your store.
If you are new to filling balloons, practice on trash bags of water first until you get the hang of it.
Activities that may cause injury if not done correctly include inflating balloons with air compressors and lighting candles.
While both practices are widespread, they are potentially hazardous activities that you must execute correctly.
Read more about safety precautions when using air compressors. Don’t forget always to follow your local laws and regulations.
Does Hobby Lobby Fill Balloons?
Yes. Hobby Lobby does fill balloons. It’s a great way to show your creativity and add color to a party.
Balloons are an excellent addition to every party, even if it is just for yourself. They have helium tanks on-site, so they can always accommodate special requests.
Is There A Substitute For Helium?
Yes. You can use hydrogen, helium, and hot air. Hydrogen is very explosive and dangerous to use and handle (a gas at room temperature).
Also, it produces water as a combustion product, which may damage items in the balloon.
Hot air works similarly to helium, but it’s more customizable: you can blow on the balloon to stretch it or not;
The material won’t tear as easily as with helium because of the lower pressure inside the inflated balloons.
For these reasons, I recommend using hot air instead of helium if you want to have some control over your inflating process.
Inflating with hot air takes longer than helium – around 3-4 minutes for small animal balloons.
I recommend inflating several balloons at the same time to decrease the waiting time.
If you want to produce bigger animal balloons (e.g., dinosaurs, unicorns), you will need an air pump, which is not included in our balloon kits.
I carry one model of an air pump that’s inexpensive and comes with adapters for different nozzle sizes: Double Action Air Pump by Latex Master.
The pump averages 4 out of 5 stars on Amazon.com and sells for $21.99, with free shipping within the US.
Another option is inflating your balloons with helium at a local party store.
All you have to do is ask a staff member if they have an air pump that you can use and how much helium you need for your balloons.
Some party stores even allow customers to inflate their balloons, which might be a good option depending on the store’s rules.
Do Vinegar And Baking Soda Make Balloons Float?
No. However, you can use vinegar and baking soda to make hydrogen bubbles.
The reaction between baking soda (a base) and vinegar (an acid) creates carbon dioxide, which is what makes the “bubbles” or hydrogen gas.
When this reaction occurs in water, it happens very fast. If you try this experiment with just plain water, no balloons will be necessary.
This reaction also works if you use different amounts of baking soda and vinegar for different-sized containers because the reactions are volume-based, not weight.
What makes it happen faster is that the baking soda soap helps break up any oil/water barriers that might slow down or stop the reaction creating bubbles (carbon dioxide).
After the reaction, you should have a nice clean container with water that is now slightly fizzy from all of those tiny carbon dioxide bubbles.
You will also have an empty balloon now limp because it has absorbed some water to create those bubbles.
It might be a good idea to rinse off your containers and let them air dry after this experiment, so they aren’t sticky for your next one.
Does Party City Fill Up Your Balloons?
Yes. Party City sells separate balloon pumps for a reason. Nobody wants a party ruined by balloons that don’t match the party’s theme or color scheme.
Plus, filling up separate balloons means you get an artistic say in how they look, while store-bought balloons may come out looking unnatural depending on who fills them up.
Characteristics of professional quality balloon pumps:
-A large selection of pump types and shapes allows the user to create various designs with ease
-Infuse helium into your fit balloons without having to worry about leakage from another pump
-Pump types include but are not limited to:
Inflating needles, “needleless” needle pumps for latex and foil balloons of all shapes and sizes, dual-action inflating needles, and syringe type pumps
-Balloon shapes include but are not limited to: round, heart, “football,” fishbone-shaped (for dog prints), and pear
The types of balloon pumps offered at Party City:
-Inflating Needles: Helium inflation -Short and long (long is preferable for foil balloons)
-Dual Action Inflating Needle: Helium inflation only; the best choice for blow-up balloons. The dual action allows you to inflate both sides simultaneously.
It also works for tying ribbons onto your balloons.
-Needleless Inflation Syringe (Latex Only): Helium inflation only; can create a balloon shape using just one hand. It also works for tying ribbons onto your balloons.
-Inflation Needles: Helium inflation only; create a balloon shape using just one hand, preferable if you want a “football” or another symmetrical balloon shape.
You can also use it to re-inflate partially deflated balloons. Be sure the tip is completely inserted into the balloon before inflating so as not to tear it
Party City’s balloon pumps have been carefully chosen to ensure maximum ease and artistic control while also being easy to use and affordable.
In addition, Party City’s stores offer a great selection of foil and latex balloons – all filled up by professional party planners.
The balloons come in many colors and styles, which you can use for decoration, take-home party favors, helium inflation, and much more.
Conclusion
Walgreens does not fill up helium balloons, but they do sell them. CVS also sells helium-filled balloons and will blow one up for you if you bring in your container.
Walmart has a section devoted to filling up party supplies like helium-filled balloons with an on-site attendant who can help customers get their hands on the gas needed to make it happen.
There are some caveats, though–Walmart only fills plain white or cream-colored latex rubber balloons.
So be sure to plan by bringing along appropriate colors of latex rubber balloons (or purchase at Walmart).
