How To Make Giant Unpoppable Bubbles

Giant bubbles so strong you can pick them up!

How long a giant bubble lasts depends on its chemical composition and environmental factors.
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Ordinary soap bubbles are beautiful but fragile. You can make stronger bubbles by using a homemade bubble recipe. These bubbles are thicker and sturdier than regular soap bubbles. They're so sturdy in fact, you can pick them up and examine them. Of course, they're not indestructible like plastic bubbles. Here's how to make giant bubbles that won't easily burst:

Unpoppable Giant Bubble Recipe

  • 1 cup regular dishwashing liquid
  • 1/2 cup light corn syrup

Mix the ingredients together to make the solution. For more solution, simply double the recipe. Another option is to mix corn syrup into your regular bubble solution. This thickens the liquid so it sticks better to a bubble wand and forms thicker bubbles that are better for blowing into large shapes.

It's easier to pick up smaller bubbles than larger ones, so choose regular-sized bubbles to pick up and handle. Another trick for picking a bubble up without popping it is to dampen your finger or the back of a plastic spoon in the bubble solution so you won't be as likely to burst the bubble when you catch it.

How It Works

Ordinary soap bubbles trap a thin layer of water between soap molecules. Glycerin is often added to bubble solution to slow down the rate of water evaporation so the bubbles will last longer. Corn syrup also helps prevent bubbles from popping as they dry out. When you combine detergent and corn syrup, you get a strong bubble that's a cross between a regular soap bubble and a sugar polymer bubble.

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Helmenstine, Anne Marie, Ph.D. "How To Make Giant Unpoppable Bubbles." ThoughtCo, Apr. 5, 2023, thoughtco.com/make-giant-unpoppable-bubbles-603930. Helmenstine, Anne Marie, Ph.D. (2023, April 5). How To Make Giant Unpoppable Bubbles. Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/make-giant-unpoppable-bubbles-603930 Helmenstine, Anne Marie, Ph.D. "How To Make Giant Unpoppable Bubbles." ThoughtCo. https://www.thoughtco.com/make-giant-unpoppable-bubbles-603930 (accessed March 19, 2024).