A lot of Orbeez users wonder if their gel beads are reusable.
The answer is, yes. You can reuse Orbeez gel beads.
How to reuse Orbeez Beads
First, you have to dry them out, which will make your Orbeez go back to normal size.
You can then set them aside and save them for later. And all it takes to rehydrate them is a bit of water.
You can place them in a bowl and add water, and they will regrow like new.
How to quickly dry out/dehydrate Orbeez
Leaving your water beads in a warm, dry area is ideal for dehydration. The warmer and drier, the better. If the ambient temperate isn’t warm where you are, they can take a day or two to dehydrate. Placing them in a dehumidifier is an ideal option to speed up the process.
You’ll want to place your Orbeez on something absorbent. You don’t want to put them all together in a container, as they’ll just reabsorb each other’s water.
You can place them on a paper towel if you only have a handful of Orbeez, or on a towel or newspapers if you have more that you want to reuse.
The warmth of the sun can help release the water that your Orbeez have absorbed and make them shrink back to their original size faster. But, it would be best if you did not leave your water beads in direct sunlight, as lengthy sunlight exposure can damage the polymer structure of Orbeez, making them weak and unable to be reused.
How many times can you Reuse Orbeez?
This depends on what you’re using your gel beads for.
If you’re using them in an Orbeez gel gun, you can rehydrate them as many times as it takes to use them in the gun (within reason). Once they’re shot, they burst and can’t be reused.
If you’re using your Orbeez beads to play, decorate, or garden with, there’s theoretically no limit to how many times you can dehydrate, rehydrate, and reuse your Orbeez.
Over time, though, their structural integrity might wane after being rehydrated a number of times. Remember to not dry them in direct sunlight, as the UV weakens the polymer of the water beads and damages them.