Some inflatable bounce houses are obviously made to get wet but some are not so obvious. Before we even put our bounce house outside for the first time I needed to know if it could get wet. My kids get water on everything outside in the summer during their exploring adventures, not to mention our unpredictable sprinkler system and upcoming weather forecast. I had to make sure water would not ruin our exciting new backyard toy.
It is essential to know whether your bounce house can get wet before you set it up to play. There are plenty of ways- planned or unplanned that water can get on your bounce house. The first concern is safety– bounce houses can be very slippery (think of a slip and slide) when they are wet and thus cause very dangerous conditions for kids ( especially multiple kids) bouncing in a jump house. As far as your bounce house goes- most can get wet as long as they are completely dry before deflating. NEVER deflate a wet bounce house. Make sure the blower does not get wet.
Although the water itself will not harm your bounce house as long as it is kept inflated until it is completely dry, there are many situations that arise with a wet bounce house that may not be worth the water fun. Not only the concern for safety but cleaning up a wet bounce house or a bounce house that was used with water can be a HUGE ordeal.
Will Water Ruin my Bounce House?
While a bounce house is inflated, you can stand by the seams of the inflatable and noticeably feel and blower and pressure, the air should be constantly filling the inflatable and similarly, air constantly seeping out of any holes or seams in the plastic. With this constant air flow, putting water on top of a bounce house will just cause the water to bubble up at the seams a bit or slip around like on a plastic tarp. If your bounce house gets wet for any reason ( on purpose or by accident) make sure it is completely dry before deflating it for storage. While it is still inflated, most water can air dry or be cleaned off with towels.
Will the seams still keep the water out if it has been deflated? That is a good question and one that I would never gamble with. The seams of bounce houses vary significantly. While a commercial bounce house would have strong enough seams to keep the water out even without the constant airflow of the blower, there is such a variety of cheaper, smaller, home-use bounce houses that normally do not have the same quality of seams. When in doubt, keep it inflated for plenty of time to ensure it’s completely dry before deflating.
Though your bounce house may be fine with water, make sure your bounce house blower never gets wet. Your bounce house is completely worthless without the blower to keep it inflated and water can absolutely ruin your blower. Make sure the blower is completely out of range of getting wet. Keep it in a sheltered area such as a porch if there is any sign of rain or water.
Why Shouldn’t I Use my Bounce House in the Rain?
The biggest reason to avoid using your bounce house in the rain is safety. There are plenty of concerns about the safety of bounce houses that can be avoided when the rules are followed. A wet bounce house sets up the perfect conditions for someone to get hurt. This is why most rental places will cancel during rainy weather. Many insurances won’t cover bounce houses use when they are wet because of the safety concerns. The liability is too problematic to rent them out during wet weather.
When plastic gets wet it gets extremely slippery- which are probably the exact ingredients your kids are looking for to make it more adventurous and more fun. However, as the adults, it is our job to consider safety when it is the last thing on their minds. To keep your kids safe, don’t allow bouncing on a wet bounce house at all. Inflatable obstacle courses that are made to get wet should include certain safety precautions built into the inflatable like edges on the sides to make sure they don’t slip off completely. Assess the situation completely before allowing water on the inflatable. How old are the kids that will be playing with it? Is the structure mostly for jumping like a bounce house or is there a slide (with edges) with enough room for them to slow down at the bottom? Allowing water on your inflatable might also mean being more strict about the number of kids using it at a time. For example, staggering when kids enter a wet obstacle course can help assure that there won’t be too many kids bumping and slipping into each other on the course. This is a good idea on a dry obstacle course but more essential when it is wet. Consider all the possibilities and keep your children safe as the top priority
Cleaning up a Wet Bounce House- is not Just About Water!
Cleaning up a bounce house that has gotten a few drops of rain on it is not a big deal. It can air dry or spot dried with some towels. HOWEVER, if you allow water to be a constant part of their bounce house play, the clean up will be much messier! When kids are constantly running from a wet bounce house to the grass, they will track in all sorts of dirt, leaves, grass, and mud that can be very challenging to clean off. Just as the water can create a muddy mess in your yard, it can easily bring that mess into the bounce house. If you allow a muddy water adventure on your bounce house in your yard, consider adding some bubble fun at the end and recruiting their help to clean it up afterward as well.
Weather Conditions that are Never Safe for Your Bounce House:
While a light drizzle of rain is certainly no reason to worry while your bounce house is still inflated outside, certain conditions should never be risked with your bounce house.
Do not play in your bounce house during these weather conditions:
- High Winds- winds at 25 miles per hour are capable of picking up a bounce house. Make sure that your bounce house is properly secured and staked down before inflating it. However, high winds can still create a dangerous situation during high winds.
- Thunderstorms- not only do thunderstorms often come with high winds but lightning and hard rain are not conditions to be using your bounce house in safely.
- Hail- We can get wild hailstorms even in the middle of the summer where we live. Sometimes those pieces of ice can come down with quite a force and be very sharp. Hail could pierce and tear your bounce house.
Related Questions:
Should I tip the bounce house delivery guy?
This answer varies significantly on your location, and the business operation itself. For example, is it a small operation, where the owner is also delivering the equipment? If it is a larger business and the delivery personnel is most likely getting minimum wage, tipping would definitely be appreciated. Consider how much more work it is to deliver an set up a bounce house compared to dropping off a pizza. I have worked with some horrible delivery services for bounce houses that have arrived late and unprepared and it created a huge problem for the party. It has made me very appreciative of a friendly, efficient delivery for all other parties.