Thanks for ordering from Jumping Jacks and supporting our small local business! Scroll down to read the IMPORTANT balloon care section.
What if my balloons burst or go down?
Wherever possible we inflate any balloons ahead of time. For example, we will inflate balloons for a Tuesday 10am collection on the Monday. The reason for this is that foil balloons are not test inflated by the manufacturer and in the rare event of a defective balloon, we can fix the problem by replacing the item before the order is collected.
We often have customers return balloons to us which have been damaged either in transit or in some situations by user error and neglect and if this is deemed to be the case we will be forced to charge you for replacements. If an item is deemed to be defective we will of course replace the item at no further cost to the customer.
All customers are briefed when leaving our premises on how to handle bagged balloons and despite this we often have to replace burst balloons due to people not taking correct care of them. They are fragile and needed to be handled much like a box of eggs in a shopping bag.
Collections & transporting balloons
Travelling with balloons can be quite a challenge… especially if it’s your first time! Some of the problems you may encounter with the huge air-filled items is that it can be too big to fit in your vehicle or pop during transportation. Before figuring out whether it’s suitable for you to pick up the balloons yourself or have it delivered, the first thing you need to check is whether the balloons can fit into your vehicle. It is generally the bigger the car, the more balloons you can fit and travel with. However, when it comes to bigger balloons like the platforms or double number displays or sets of balloons for example, most people will find it difficult to fit it through the car door, let alone travel with.
Most of the issues we encounter with collections are that the customer is not prepared & there is not enough space for the balloons. It is very important that there are plenty of space in the back seat and car boot. Nothing is worst than arriving to your pick up point only to realise that your jumbo balloon doesn’t fit due a baby seat or passengers occupying the back seat. Therefore, before leaving your home, you need to make sure the back area is free of items (including passengers), as well as checking the car for sharp objects or edges. If there are any sharp objects, either remove it or cover it with tape or a towel. This will prevent your balloons from popping in the car during travelling. If you are driving a hatchback, SUV or MPV, make sure that the back seat can be folded down to a flat position.
When loading the balloons into and out of the vehicle, you should always have both hands securing the balloon but do not squeeze too tightly. Be especially careful in windy weather. Also, make sure that there’s enough space to manoeuvre and there are no obstruction from the pick up or drop off area and vehicle. You should also be alert of sharp objects such as plants and walls (brick and rendered) as they can cause the balloons to pop with just a slight contact.
Always place the balloons in the back seat of your car. We do not recommend placing the balloons in the passenger seat as this can interfere with your driving. Also, just before take off, do not have the heaters on in your car and this will help prevent the balloons from bursting.
Deliveries
We try to bag our deliveries in black bags as much as possible to help you keep them hidden if needed but certain parts may not be covered if fragile.
We can’t give an exact time for delivery as we have a few booked onto each slot but please make sure if you accept the time slot given that someone will be in during these times. We cannot leave deliveries outside as they are fragile. If you are not in for the delivery and a neighbour hasn’t been allocated to take in your order. you may need to collect from us at an alternative time or pay for re-delivery to cover our time as well as travel costs. If you message with short notice, we will not see messages as we are already driving and out on deliveries.
If there are unforeseen circumstances such as traffic, road closures or other unexpected delays, we will contact you ASAP to let you know.
Balloon Care – Get the best out of your balloon order!
We would like to help you expand the lifespan of your balloons! Balloons by nature are fragile and should be treated with respect. In order to keep your balloons inflated for the longest time, we suggest following the advice below.
Key things your inflated balloons will NOT like:
- Coming into contact with sharp or hot objects
- Claws, beaks and any other playfully determined pet
- Being dragged through doorways
- Getting trapped in car boots or doors
- Big or little hands that hold on tight
- Being played with
- Being squeezed through doorways, into cars or being roughly handled
- Being stored by a radiator or other heat source
- Being stored somewhere cold or by air-con
- Extreme weather
We only use the best types of foils and latex balloons, so if well looked after they are expected to last for up around 5 days, with the record being 12 weeks! The time they last depends on the environment they are in after leaving us.
- Hot and cold – balloons expand in the heat and deflate in the cold, so room temperature is the best way to store balloons. Balloons do not like to be kept in cold garages or cars overnight for example and equally if the balloons warms up – which can happen if placed in sunlight or a heat source (such as a radiator) your balloon will expand or burst. Keep the balloons away from open windows, doors and breezy spots as they can be blown against sharp objects and will burst. Also, the vinyl stickers may peel if the balloons deflate in the cold and expand in the heat causing them to shrink and expand which may make the stickers look distorted.
- Children – balloons are all CE registered and confirm with all UK, European and American laws. However they are for display purposes only and not toys. We will not be held responsible if your child is injured and will not replace damaged balloons. It is best to keep little fingers away from the balloons as they are not built to be played with (at least until the party is over to your pictures have been taken!).
- Outside use – we do not advise you use your balloon displays outside unless you have ordered outdoor specific balloons such as a garland or arch that has been specifically made for this purpose. Balloons may get damaged in the wind, direct sunlight and heat. They may also pop on rough surfaces placed or leaned on. If you really want to use the balloons outdoors, we would suggest just for a quick picture!
- Transportation – transport in bags with a breathing holes cut in. Move carefully, avoid heat and do not leave in the car for extended periods of time. Make sure your balloons are not leaned on any rough or sharp objects or get jammed in doors when closing. Do not squeeze balloons into the car and place in gently with plenty of space for the balloon display. Please make sure that you have as much room as possible in your vehicle for the balloon display to fit in. Put seats down where possible and remove car seats and other items in the vehicle which may make it difficult for your balloons to fit. Jumping Jacks can deliver your balloons for you as we know how to do this in the correct way. We cannot be accountable for balloons that have been transported in your own vehicle. Jumping Jacks bag all balloon orders to maintain cleanliness and this also makes them much easier to hide from prying eyes!
- Vinyl stickers – Vinyl stickers on latex balloons will start to bubble, peel or shrink after a couple of days as the latex slowly decreases. Vinyl stickers on foils and bubbles will last much longer and rarely peel or shrink unless exposed to temperature changes. As the balloon slowly reduces in size, the stickers will bubble, peel or shrink as this is part of the balloons natural “ageing process” and cannot be avoided.
- Water weights – We use water weights in most of our balloon displays to support the balloon, keep your display positioned correctly and this also helps with our deliveries. Please ensure when popping balloons that you are aware that there may be a water weight within your display.
- General care – the more you handle the balloons and expose to temperature changes, the less time a balloon will last. Customer balloons can last days, weeks or months even if stored in the perfect conditions.
Balloons & the environment
We love balloons here at Jumping Jacks and feel that no party is complete without them, however, we love the environment more! So when using balloons, please follow our guidelines and enjoy balloons responsibly.
We have made the decision to only provide air-filled designs and creations and no longer use helium for environmental reasons. Jumping Jacks latex balloons are 100% bio-degradable and our foil balloons can be recycled.
Latex balloons
It is a common misconception that latex balloons are made from plastic. Latex balloons are in fact made from 100% Natural Rubber Latex (NRL), which is collected from the Hevea Brasiliensis Pará rubber trees that are from sustainable Rainforest Plantations.
Latex balloons are also 100% biodegradable. They decompose at about the same rate as an oak leaf and recent biodegradability tests have confirmed that natural rubber balloons biodegrade to approximately 90% within 2 years, under test conditions.
Foil Balloons
Foil balloons (sometimes referred to as mylar balloons) are made of man-made materials such as nylon with an aluminium coating. They are not biodegradable so we recommend you try and reuse your foil balloons where possible or recycle.
Did you know you can top up your foil balloons? If they are starting to deflate and look a bit sad, simply break the seal (I use a straw for this) and re-inflate by blowing into a straw or using a balloon pump. Do be careful though as the valves are delicate and can be damaged if you are too rough!
Jumping Jacks DO NOT advocate Balloon Releases!
If you let a balloon go, you are littering. Plain and simple. Do not be a litterbug, follow our easy guidelines and be an environmental hero!
Although we no longer supply helium products, we know some of our customers do continue to use helium alongside our air-filled balloons supplied. If using helium inflated balloons, always make sure they are weighted with a suitable weight to prevent them from being inadvertently released, and that air-filled balloons are suitably anchored to guarantee that they cannot be released into the atmosphere and become litter.
The advice for all of our customers is to use balloons responsibly and adopt the ‘Don’t Let Go’ policy. When the party is over, deflate and cut balloons and any ribbon into small pieces, sealing them tightly in a bag before discarding them in the bin.
To recap:
- All balloons must be disposed of responsibly.
- Don’t let go! Pin it and Bin It.
- Whilst latex balloons are 100% biodegradable, they must still be disposed of with household or commercial waste where they will decompose in landfill.
- Reuse Foil (Mylar) balloons where possible or recycle foil balloons.
- Once finished with, deflate and cut the balloons and ribbons into small pieces and put in the bin.
Jumping Jacks are a proud member of BAPIA, the leading trade organisation for the UK Balloon and Party Industry and we follow a strict code of conduct to ensure a minimal impact on the environment. We are also committed to educating on the responsible use and disposal of balloons.