Is reusable balloon decoration hygienic?

Yes. With a smooth surface and a simple routine, reusable decoration stays clean. A disposable balloon is always new, and that is an advantage. Reusable decoration lasts longer, so you clean it from time to time. That is easier than it sounds. Our balls are made of PVC: a smooth, closed material that absorbs hardly any water.^{1Wikipedia, Polyvinyl chloride} Dirt stays on the outside and comes off with a damp cloth.

What is in the material also matters. The PVC of our balls has been tested for 27 phthalates, plasticisers of which several are restricted in the EU. None was detected.^{2SGS, Phthalates test report CANPC26005404013, 30 March 2026}

With a damp cloth and a mild soapy solution. Disinfecting is usually not necessary. According to RIVM, the Dutch public health institute, you clean hygienically with soap and water or an all-purpose cleaner; this removes dirt and also reduces the number of micro-organisms. Disinfectants are usually not needed for this. Do you need to disinfect, for example in healthcare? Then clean first: a disinfectant works less well on a dirty surface.^{3RIVM, Zorgvuldig schoonmaken in huis}

With normal indoor use, cleaning once a year is enough. If you use the balls outdoors, at a buffet or in healthcare, clean them more often, and always when they are visibly dirty. If they are very dirty, you can simply immerse them in a bucket of soapy water. The dishwasher is not a good idea: it often gets hotter than 60 °C, and that is the limit for soft PVC.

Do you still need to disinfect in healthcare or childcare? Then choose an approved product without alcohol, for example one based on chlorine or hydrogen peroxide. Next to alcohol, chlorine is the most widely used product for disinfecting surfaces in healthcare.^{5RIVM, Wanneer gebruik ik welke concentratie chloor? (IB 05-2012)} PVC is resistant to almost all inorganic substances, including chlorine.^{6ECVM, PVC's physical properties} We advise against alcohol for the balls: over time it can affect soft PVC.

Wherever many people come together, and where people are vulnerable: in healthcare, childcare, at school and around food. That is exactly where latex is often a problem. Many hospitals ban latex balloons because of latex allergy. Johns Hopkins Hospital in the United States, for example, bans them throughout the hospital, for patients, visitors and staff.^{4American Latex Allergy Association, Should latex allergy reduction policies include banning latex balloon use?} You can read more about latex allergy in our article What is actually in a balloon?

Our balls contain no latex. That makes them welcome in a waiting room, a reception hall or a childcare centre too. When many hands touch them, such as at a trade fair or an open day, a damp cloth afterwards is enough to store them clean again.