The Balloon that Battles Dust

Sweeping dust is like throwing a boomerang; it always comes back! But scientists and clever cleaners have discovered a surprisingly fun way to fight back: balloons.

When you rub a balloon on fabric or hair, it builds up static electricity — that’s the invisible force that makes your hair stand up! This static charge attracts oppositely charged dust particles, making them stick to the balloon like magic.

The process is simple:

1. Blow up a balloon and tie it.

2. Rub it on wool or your hair to create static.

3. Lightly glide it over dusty spots like picture frames or electronics.

You can even leave a few charged balloons in a room to collect floating dust, or release a gentle puff of air from a balloon to blow dust out of tiny spaces like keyboard cracks or phone ports.Your Task: What’s another everyday problem you could solve using science in a creative way? Example: Could you use heat, light, magnets, or water in a surprising way to make a chore easier or solve a small annoyance?

Invent your own Science Hack!

• Pick a common problem (like messy cables, smelly shoes, or stuck zippers).

• Use a simple science concept (like gravity, air pressure, magnetism, or static electricity) to solve it.

• Give your invention a name and describe how it works.