How much water is needed to soak orbeez for growth in their size?

Every kid loves to play with orbeez balls. If you have kids at home then you must have orbeez or water beads at home. These are tiny marbles that grow after soaking in water. Kids can play with orbeez the whole day. Just a few orbeez marbles and some water; you are ready to play. You can use this orbeez not just as kids' toys but can also use them for decoration purposes. 

Put your orbeez or water beads into a big bowl. Now put about two cups of water (half fill the bowl). Once you add the water, wait for about 20 minutes and you will see orbeez growing. You should wait for certain hours or you can leave them the whole night to get into full size. These tiny beads can grow up to 200 times their size. The amazing thing about orbeez is that the beads can be dried out and reused.

While soaking the orbeez, always use a big bowl. Add a good amount of water so the water beads can grow to their full size. But if you fill the bowl with water, it will overfull once the orbeez grows. So, you have to add that amount of water where your orbeez can grow to full size but the bowl won’t overflow. If you can’t calculate the correct amount of water, go for easy play. Take orbeez balls and put them in a bucket. Half-fill the bucket and wait till the orbeez grows to full size.

Is orbeez safe?

As a parent, you need to inspect everything before you give it to your kids. In the case of orbeez, they are safe. Genuine orbeez are non-toxic and do not cause any kind of harm. Due to orbeez biodegradable properties, these water beads do not cause any harm to the environment. You can dispose of them easily without causing any negative effects on your surroundings. But you still need to be careful with these beads. Orbeez is non-toxic but you can face complications if the kids swallow them.

These balls are colorful and attractive. Kids below the age of 5 often put everything in their mouths. These beads can grow bigger when they pass through the intestines and cause obstruction. Kids might put the beads into their ears. There are some cases where the kids put the orbeez into the ear and then the doctor has to remove the orbeez surgically. 

But if your kid is smart enough to understand these complications then you can allow him to play with orbeez. 

Use orbeez for potted plants

If you like to have some indoor plants, grow them in orbeez. Yes, you can use your kids’ water beads to grow potted plants. To grow plants, you need hydrated beads and water-soluble fertilizer. Orbeez is non-toxic, which makes them a good medium to grow plants by eliminating soil.

To grow the plant, start hydrating the beads. Take the bowl and add water and beads. Now, wait until the beads grow to their full size. Remember your plants also need nutrients. Plants usually get nutrients from the soil. Here, you have to add some water-soluble fertilizers.

Place the dry granules in a large bowl and add some more water. Now add the water-soluble fertilizer to the water. But you should read the instructions before adding the fertilizer. Add the correct amount of fertilizer otherwise, it can affect the plant growth. Leave the orbeez overnight and now prepare a plant.

You have to look for a suitable plant. Growing plants from seeds is possible in orbeez however not recommended. Transplanting an established crop is a much easier option. Remove the plant from the current pot carefully. Now gently wash away the soil. Fill the pot halfway with orbeez and then place the plant. Now put the remaining beads and provide good support to the plant. You should use a transparent container for growing plants in orbeez. It will provide good decor for your place. 

Top tips to make water beads last longer

As a kid, water beads always seemed amazing. The small mustard seed-looking orbeez grows to a marble size. All you need is water to grow orbeez to full size. But how to make the water beads last longer? Growing orbeez is similar to growing plants. To grow plants, you need soil and water. But for better growth, you have to add fertilizer and an adequate amount of sunlight.

To grow orbeez to their full size and make them last longer, you need to take care of a few things. Orbeez is composed of water-absorbing polymer sodium polyacrylate. It is a super-absorbent polymer and absorbs water through a process called osmosis. When it comes in contact with water, sodium distributes itself to the water bead and the water. 

Maintain the bead size

Orbeez is available in different sizes, shapes, and colors. But that doesn’t mean that orbeez always grows to the same size. For bigger water beads, you have to add more water. Bigger beads need more water and they often become heavier. But beads with more weight easily fall apart and don't last for a long time. To keep the beads for a long time, soak them for about 6 hours to grow to maximum size and then gently drain them out with a strainer.  

Check your water type

You can grow orbeez in any kind of water. But better purity of water means bigger orbeez size and good durability. When you soak orbeez in distilled water, it can grow to about 800 times. Whereas in tap water, they only grow about 300 times. Changing water can cause a huge difference in the orbeez size. Tap water contains calcium, sodium, and other salts that cause reverse absorption and allow less water to enter the water bead. 

Use warm water

You can speed up the absorption process by adding warm water. Take water and heat it for some time. Make sure the water is just warm, not hot. Fill a bowl with warm water and then add orbeez. Your orbeez will grow to full size in less time.

Avoid sunlight

Playing with water beads on a sunny day is always fun. But leaving orbeez in direct sunlight for a long time will easily break them and reduce their lifespan. After playing with your water beads, you should move them to a shaded area.

Hydrate or dehydrate for later use

You can dehydrate the orbeez for later use. Orbeez will shrink but they will look slightly bigger than in the initial stage.

After dehydrating you can store them and then hydrate them when you need them. But this time, the beads will grow for a shorter lifespan. If you want to grow the beads for a long time, then you should keep them hydrated. Soak the orbeez in water for 6-7 hours once every two weeks. Using this technique you can keep them for about two-three years.