Keeping your gear in top shape starts with how you treat it when you’re not patching it. Here’s the rundown on daily care.
If you want your inflatables to last, don’t just shove them in a bin in a cold basement.
If there’s "sweat" or stickiness on the vinyl or discoloration, those are strong indicators that the inflatables are being stored improperly.
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The safest way to pack (downside: takes up more space):
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Squeeze all the air out but keep the valves open.
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Lay everything flat including the seams.
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Roll it up (clockwise or counter-clockwise, doesn’t matter).
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Close the valves fast to trap that vacuum state, or force that state by using a hand or electric pump.
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The Bag Situation:
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Good: Undyed, unwaxed cotton/canvas bags. They breathe.
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Bad: Plastic bags (Ziploc, etc.), they leach plasticizers and can trap in mold.
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Bad: Dyed fabric bags, they will stain your vinyl.
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Bad: Anything that seals airtight, if there was any moisture it may grow mold.
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Where to put them:
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Keep them cool but not cold. Hot cars or other environments are death traps for soft vinyl (plasticizer migration = brittle toy). The optimal temperature range to store is 65°F to 75°F (18°C to 24°C), though you can go as low as 52°F (11.1°C).
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Don’t hang them up, it deforms vinyl and latex overtime.
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If you have inflatables with ATBC plasticizer (instead of DINP), don’t let the vinyl touch itself or it might bond and leach plasticizer. Use thin 1/16" foam sheets between layers, or powder them (corn starch for vinyl, unscented talc for latex — though talc is messy).
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Always put a 300g Rechargable Silica Gel inside of each undyed cotton bag, it will keep out moisture and can be "recharged" to make it reusable again. You will have to check the weight of the Silica Gel every month to be able to tell on whether to "recharge" it.
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A note on lung inflation: If you blow them up by mouth, you’re putting moisture inside. Always re-inflate with dry air later to dry them out so mold doesn’t grow inside. Cotton bags help with airflow, but dry air is better.
Regular maintenance keeps the inflatable happy.
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Scuffs: Try a dry pencil eraser first. If that fails, add a little water and erase again.
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Routine Wash (every few days of use):
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Mix a spray bottle (32oz/950mL): Half warm water, 4 tbsp (60mL) non-concentrated dish soap, then top off with warm water.
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Warning: Don’t use hot water (>100°F/38°C) inside the toy, or the glue might reactivate and stick the sides together.
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Wipe down with one microfiber cloth, dry with another.
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Sanitizing (post-party/event):
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Do the Routine Wash.
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Blast it with a floor fan for 15+ mins.
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Drying the inside:
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Stick a fan tube into the valves to circulate air.
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Use a dehumidifier if it’s really damp.
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These things will ruin vinyl:
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Oils: Baby Oil, Coconut Oil, Mineral Oil, Veggie Oil, Tanning Oil, Avobenzone.
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Solvents: WD-40, Lithium Grease, Insect Repellent (contains DEET or Picaridin), Acetone (use for repairs, not cleaning) / Nail Polish Remover, Ethanol, Hair Sprays.
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Preservatives: Phenoxyethanol.
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Soaps: Concentrated dish soap (stick to non-concentrated).
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Glues: Gorilla Glue, Hot Glue Guns, Superglue (unless you’re bonding latex to PVC, then superglue is usable but brittle; wouldn’t recommend it).
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Sunscreens: Any. "Reef Safe" or Mineral Sunscreens or Oil-Free Lotions are safer to vinyl, but still will cause issues.
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Magic erasers: "Melamine foam"; they sand away at the vinyl harshly and dull the glossiness or strip the paint. Might be good for specific repairs but I have not tested yet.
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Tape: Duct Tape is a nightmare to clean off.
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Lubes: Vaseline is okay for vinyl short-term (wash off fast), but keep them away from latex. Water-based Lube should be safe long-term, but I’d still clean it off.
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Household vacuum cleaners: Not only does this cause punctures and tears in the vinyl from the rotating "Beater Bar" or Bristle Brush (it’s why it’s so effective at popping balloons), it can also damage the vacuum if there was moisture inside of the inflatable.
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Other: Gasoline, Diesel, Kerosene, Xylene / Aromatics, Undiluted Granular Chlorine (Calcium Hypochlorite or Dichlor), Alkaline Battery acid.
Using your lungs is likely to build up mold inside the inflatables, so we need a tool instead. Also, inflating while its surface temperature is below 50°F/10°C or above 100°F/38°C leads to issues. Too cold makes vinyl rigid and brittle like glass, causing air pressure to snap or shatter the vinyl. Too hot makes vinyl soften and stretch — leading to a permanent deformity, and the seam bonds also weaken which makes seam bursting easier.
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Hand Pump: Texsport Double-Action. Reliable.
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Electric: MetroVac is the gold standard.
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Pro-tip: Get a motor speed controller to tame the noise/heat, and the MVC-211C-AS adapter.
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The order in which to inflate: Legs → Body → Arms → Head.
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Optimal room temperature range to inflate: 65°F to 75°F (18°C to 24°C).
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Always test the pressure of each inflatable chamber: For example, if you are sitting or laying on it, before getting on — feel on whether it gives (if it feels like a tire / has zero give, deflate a little bit). You should also test the feeling while sitting or laying on it, again if it’s too "rock solid", deflate somewhat. You can optionally use an Airhead PSI pressure gauge to measure the pressure to take note of what’s safe for each inflatable, as each one is different.
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The rule of thumb for PVC (vinyl) inflatables with 0.4mm thickness is to keep it to 0.5 PSI up to 0.8 PSI, but some inflatables break this rule and it’s why you need to feel how much pressure there is for yourself.
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Surface temperature of the vinyl influences the PSI directly, meaning it could be 80F in-air but 100F on the surface due to sunlight; here’s a chart that clearly shows this:
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So you popped a seam. It happens. Here’s how to fix it properly.
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Inflate it until it’s drum-tight.
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Spray your soapy water mix (from the cleaning section) all over. Use your hands to spread it.
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Watch for bubbles. If it’s a slow leak, you might need to apply pressure and wait.
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Usually leaks happen at creases or other places where the inflatable has the highest chance of having a seam split.
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Don’t use random stuff from the hardware store.
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The Glue:
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Top Tier: Boxer Vinyl Adhesive #100 (16oz). Expensive but worth it.
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Good Alternative: Loctite Vinyl, Fabric & Plastic.
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Bulk/Budget: HH-66 Vinyl Cement (Toluene Free). Don’t get the toxic Toluene version.
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The Gear:
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Cutting: Olfa 60mm Rotary Cutter + Self-healing mat.
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Trimming: 12" Paper Guillotine (great at making strips) and good scissors (Tim Holtz Titanium). Use a 7 inch scissor for trimming small miscuts, and a 9.5 inch for larger miscuts.
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Applying: Rubber Brayer and 10mL syringes with 19-gauge blunt tips.
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Protection: ScotchBlue Painter’s Tape and "Food Safe" Polyethylene gloves.
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Practice Inflatables: Intex Orcas for chamber separation and seam reinforcement, Intex Unicorn Ride-ons for negative seams.
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Ventilation: Work outside if you can. If indoors, you need a high-velocity fan exhausting air. Fumes from the glue + sparks = fire.
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PPE: Wear a good respirator (like a Honeywell 7700).
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Gloves: Use Polyethylene. Nitrile/Vinyl gloves will stick to the glue, and Latex gloves will melt from the MEK solvent in the glue.
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Pinch Seams: The most common, a raised lip. They split easily.
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Fix: Glue a vinyl strip over the lip to bond both sides together.
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Negative Curves: Pinch seams on curves (like neck/nose). High tension areas. Reinforcing these as soon as possible is optimal.
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Flat (Overlap) Seams: One layer over another. Very strong, rarely need fixing.
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Reinforced Butt Seams: The tank armor of seams.
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Prep: Clean the area with alcohol. Test a small spot first to make sure it doesn’t strip paint.
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If you want to be 100% sure, use a UV flashlight to inspect. The list of the best UV flashlights at their given price points, and the safety goggles you’ll need to protect yourself from the UV light.
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Cut: Make your vinyl strips exactly 2cm (3/4") wide. Use your guillotine cutter initially to make the strips in bulk, then perfect the cuts with a rotary cutter and/or scissors if needed.
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Glue:
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Fill your syringe (tap out air bubbles!).
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Work in sections, don’t try to glue too much at one time otherwise it becomes too difficult.
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Apply a thin, even layer on the strip, not the toy.
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Avoid excess glue in a given area; too much leads to the vinyl not sticking for HH-66.
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Do at least two coats (let the first one dry/tack up).
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Apply:
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Press it down. Use the brayer or most of your hands.
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Hold pressure for at least 25 seconds. Keep it flat.
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Finish: Put a little extra glue at the edges of the strip to seal it.
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Round your corners! Square corners peel up.
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Wrong:
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Right:
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Heat helps: Sunlight or a hair dryer makes glue removal easier.
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Pinholes: You can glue these while the toy is inflated. The escaping air won’t stop the glue from sticking. See video.
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Deep Leaks: If the leak is between layers, you might need to poke a tiny needle hole to inject glue inside.
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Printed Vinyl: Glue doesn’t stick to ink well. Tape the tear, cut a slit from the back, patch the inside (white-to-white), then patch your access slit.
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Stress Zones: On an inflatable suit, for the armpits/crotch regions, use an "X" pattern with 2cm (3/4") strips.
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Cleaning up glue: Acetone or HH-66 Thinner. Use a syringe or lint-free cloth. Never use Q-tips (cotton fibers ruin the finish).
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Patches: 0.4mm (16 gauge) max. Anything thicker (0.6mm+) is too stiff and will peel.
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Inflatables: For standard 0.3mm toys, match the thickness.
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Latex: 0.8mm is heavy and "jiggly" but can peel seams under tension.
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Latex on PVC: Use neoprene cement. It’s not permanent (PVC rots latex eventually), so treat it as consumable.
For when you want to restore an old favorite or customize something new.
Vinyl gets hard and brittle over time. Plasticizers bring it back.
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Why DINP? It’s the king. Superior elasticity, protects paint, and lasts seemingly forever. Non-phthalates (like ATBC) don’t last as long, can cause sticking issues, and some (ATBC) do not restore elasticity. I do not recommend buying any plasticizers mixes like what Vinyl Vibe Studio sells, as their health effects aren’t tested and their claims of being "healthy" for an inflatable is questionable at best.
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Health Check: Studies suggest DINP is safer than older phthalates (DEHP). Just don’t eat your inflatables.
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Key Reads: Phthalates in Food, Impact on Colon Cells, EPA Risk Evaluation.
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Application:
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Wear polyethylene or latex gloves. Wash your skin immediately if there was any skin contact.
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It’s possible to apply internally (pour into valve) for increased safety, though an external application is recommended as it makes the seams not weaken (as long as you don’t apply DINP to seams), and it’s easier to control how much is applied.
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Heat (a hot bath or space heater) speeds up absorption.
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Buying DINP: Inflationresource has it for the best price, but still presents the same issue of shipping times being weeks, just like Alibaba. Alibaba is overpriced. Avoid diluted DINP (with sunflower oil) which can happen on Alibaba.
Want it bigger? You can stretch it, but it weakens the seams.
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Methods: Prolonged sun exposure, steam injection, or over-inflating for 3 days in a warm room.
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Warning: This deforms the vinyl permanently.
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Painting: Use a Gocheer Airbrush Kit. If your paint base isn’t cyclohexanone, it might not stick to the vinyl well.
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Replacing Valves:
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Need big valves? Candy Coated Squeaks has them.
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Tubing: 5/16" ID, 7/16" OD for standard valves.
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CPAP: Connect snorkel mouthpieces to CPAP masks with 3/4" flex PVC tube and silicone tape.
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Candy Coated Squeaks Playlist; they have the most experience with vinyl repair, and have experimented a lot on what produces the best results.
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Candy Coated Squeaks