How to avoid bad taste in mouth while inflating balloons?

Question

I inflated balloons recently for my child's birthday. After five balloons or so, I had bad taste in my mouth.

Drinking water helped a bit, but the bad taste stayed for few hours.

Any way to avoid it, e.g. some way to inflate the balloon without having it directly in my mouth?

Answer 1

Any short section of tube (a drinking straw, section of pipe, ball point pen with the ink cartridge removed etc) can be used to inflate a balloon without coming into contact with the rubber. Insert the tube into the neck of the balloon. If the tube is smaller than the neck, pinch the slack and then roll it so the balloon wraps the tube well. By leaving part of the tube sticking out of the balloon you can then inflate the balloon without touching the rubber

Before now I've had good success using one of those nozzles that comes with a cartridge of silicone sealant - It can be trimmed so it has a big hole in one end but still has a tapered section that makes it easier to feed into the balloon neck

If you fill balloons and other things often it would be worth investing in a double action inflator pump:

The rate these things inflate balloons is unbelievable; maybe 3 - 5 cycles. They're also great for paddling pools, air beds, water inflatables etc - all things that stay mold free longer if they aren't inflated with moist air from your lungs

Answer 2

One solution would be

Use a plastic tube or buy an electric balloon inflator.

Or if you don't mind spending a little more, a hack solution could be

Fill the balloons with helium.

You can then involve the child and have fun getting squeaky voices.

You can get some more interesting balloons too such as these, and although they can be filled with air (without any pressure) they need to float the right way up (helium is lighter than air).

_{Image from Amazon}

Edit – I quote part of the link to making squeaky voices:

Helium Voice Safety Helium is non-toxic, but this project can make you lightheaded from breathing in helium instead of air with oxygen. Don't breathe in more than a few breaths of helium. Exhale fully after each breath, then take a deep breath of regular air. Don't repeat the helium voice project over and over again. Never breathe helium directly from a compressed gas canister.

Answer 3

• make sure that you do not inhale any of the air escaping from the balloon; you need to close the "mouth" of the balloon (using your fingers) when you prepare to inhale again;
• use any kind of pump (manual, electrical...); in this way, you avoid the hyperventilation also - especially if you need to inflate many of them; I guess you already have at least one, if you have any bike / car;
• sometimes I do the following trick in order to not touch the balloon with my lips: I create a kind of a ring with my fingers (thumb and index), fitting the mouth of the balloon, my fingers being acting as a spacer; I would then blow the air touching the sides of my own fingers, instead of touching directly the mouth of the balloon; for not drawing in balloon air, I would use the middle finger to (temporarily) close the neck of the balloon;