When it comes to toys and making children excited when taking a bath, there isn’t a more recognizable toy than Orbeez. Orbeez is gel beads that grow when in contact with water. Manufacturers say that they can grow up to a hundred times their size.
The reason why Orbeez grows is due to a unique combination of materials that trigger when in contact with water. As such, it is a toy that parents add to their childrens’ baths. But it’s an unknown fact that Orbeez is reusable. You can reuse them a few times before they ultimately dissolve. So that begs the question, how long does it take for these toys to dissolve?
You’ll find the answer to this question in this article, and we’ll even give you a few ways to get rid of Orbeez safely.
How Long Does It Take For Orbeez To Dissolve?
Before we give you the ways to dispose of Orbeez, let’s talk about their lifespan. Since Orbeez is a toy made using a unique combination of biodegradable materials, it has tons of uses. Some people use Orbeez as moisture absorbents.
So to answer the question of how long Orbeez takes to dissolve, we have to look at what you’re using the Orbeez for. Naturally, let’s look at how long it takes when they’re added to water.
First off, it can take up to four hours for an Orbeez bead to grow a size a hundred times its normal. For this, you need sufficient amounts of water. When you buy these toys, there will be an instruction that clearly states how much water you need to grow the beads up to a size a hundred times bigger.
This process can take up to four hours. But what about dissolving the beads? Well, it can take anywhere between 24 and 48 hours for them to fully dissolve or shrink. Granted, the actual time depends on the amount of water you’ve added to the bath or container. If the beads have indeed grown to their maximum size, then expect two full days for the beads to fully dissolve.
But since some people use Orbeez as moisture absorbents, well things can get a little wacky. If not in contact with water, Orbeez will absorb moisture. Because of this, people use them for decorative purposes. When that’s the case, expect up to two years for the beads to dissolve on their own.
But the unique combination of materials these beads are made of actually goes brilliantly with soil. Some people leave Orbeez in pots and mix them with soil. Again, the beads will absorb water from the soil and regulate water levels. However, since these beads work excellently with soil, it can take up to 9 years for the beads to dissolve.
So now that you know how long it takes for Orbeez to dissolve, let’s look at ways to get rid of them.
Ways To Get Rid Of Orbeez
Since some of you want to get rid of their Orbeez, there are fun ways to get rid of them. We should mention that these beads are reusable. This means that you can grow them, leave them in the sunlight and they shrink to their original size. You can then repeat the process over again. But after a few times, the beads will start to dissolve.
So, here are the fun ways to get rid of Orbeez.
1. Put Them In Your Plants’ Soil
Since these beads absorb water, they are the perfect method of providing water for your plants. Not only that but adding them to the pot of your plants is the best way to get rid of them.
If you do that, the beads will keep the soil wet. It will soak up the water at first, but gradually release it for your plants. As such, many homeowners buy Orbeez for this specific reason. You can read more about Orbeez and why they’re so good for plants at motherhoodhq.com
2. Throw Them In the Trash
Orbeez is biodegradable. This means they will dissolve on their own through time. Because of that, you can easily get rid of the beads by throwing them in the trash.
But there is a smart and a dumb way to do that. The dumb way is to put them in a paper bag while they’re full of water. Since they will release the water, the water will tear through the paper bag and release the beads.
This could cause harm to others and animals that might mistake them for food. So the right way to do it is to leave them in the sun and allow them to shrink first. Then, put them in a plastic bag and seal them.
3. Leave Them in the Sun
If you’ve used Orbeez for fun activities with your kids, then chances are you’ve used water to grow them. But you don’t want your Orbeez anymore and want to get rid of them.
As we mentioned in the previous point, an easy thing to do is to simply leave them in the sun. This will make the beads release all the water they’re collected and shrink. They will get so tiny that you can then safely dispose of them in the trash.
How Not To Get Rid Of Orbeez
Now, let’s look at the one thing you should absolutely avoid doing when getting rid of these beads. And that thing is to not flush them.
Since Orbeez grow when in contact with water, the last thing you want to do is flush them in the toilette. Unfortunately, that’s precisely what a lot of people do.
But these people are making a huge mistake. Orbeez can grow up to a hundred times their normal size. So when you flush them, they will do exactly that. They can get so big that they will clog your drainage pipes.
And since these pipes are full of water and moisture, they will not shrink. Also, there is no sunlight in your pipes and no way for them to shrink. This will cause a huge problem that you don’t want to deal with.
