Anyone figured out how to inflate Travelon plastic hangers?

Kent, I located this missive on another site. Don't know if it will work or not. Might be worth a try. You have to squeeze the neck of the tube after poking the valve inside with a skewer or similar tool to open a flap. Don't travel without these handy hangers and a skewer.

I'm pretty sure these are the hangers I use, and I have never had a problem inflating or deflating them. I use the inflatable hangers for shirts (keeps the sides apart to promote quicker drying. For other items, I use what are called laundry hooks on the towel rack.

Inside the inflation valve is a inside air lock flap. That has to be open to inflate and deflate. To inflate hold one hand on the opposide side of the plastic, behind the inflation valve. Make sure the inside safety flap is free to let air in. You can wiggle it around with your thumb and fingers as you blow air in. Your breath contains moisture that can stick the safety flap closed.

When deflating use a ball point pen or other blunt item that fits in the inflation tube to hold the flapper safety valve open and thus letting the air out. You can squeeze the air out of the hanger with the safety flap held open until you can fold the whole thing up.

There is a weak point on some of these hangars. The hard plastic hangar eventually will tear out of the soft plastic loop in which it is cached. The loop on the hard plastic is just the right size for duck tape to go through, and around the soft plastic on top of the hangar. That will ge you through the rest of the trip. Make this tape repair when the hangar is inflated.

TC, Lee & Monte:
Success! I inflated both, after trying unsuccessfully the other day when they arrived from Amazon!
The skewer concept worked (I used a Q-tip), pushing open the inflation flap that's inside the inflation sleeve. Apparently when it arrived in the mail, the inner flap was a little stiff and needed to be worked a bit with the Q-tip.
Also, I noticed that biting the top of the tube seems to help keep the flap open during the inflation process, squeezing the tube near the bottom does not seem to keep the flap open. And then, inflation, or as the French say, voila.

Now my shirts will finally be held open enough, separating the front and back of the shirt, to dry even in a Paris hotel room!
No more sending the shirts out to the laundry, unless I really want to look shirt, which after a long day walking the streets of Paris, and in the condition of my aging physique, I won't look anyway, no matter how nicely my shirts come back from the laundry.

I should add that I already have Lee's laundry hooks, based on a previous suggestion by him I ordered the brand he uses.
Thanks again, Lee.

I don't know how I have survived in Europe all these trips, without inflatable hangars and laundry hooks.
I've always used a clothes line, and will bring it this time. But previously I've sent laundry out--now I have no excuse but to wash them myself. But not in the bathroom sink where teeth are brushed (this was brought up the other day in a post). Brush teeth in lavatory sink, wash clothes in shower or bath tub, with the hand-held shower device.

Kent, you mentioned that we shouldn't wash clothes in a sink but use the shower, instead. I'm curious why, especially since I'm posting this from a hotel in Massachusetts. I just I finished washing a few items in the sink today - as my norm during every 2-week work trip.

I've been using the Travelon inflatable hangers for years and yes the pinch/bite method is the way to do it. I also used the RS clothesline

Recently, I've begun testing these folding travel hangers. They weigh less, believe it or not, than the inflatable ones, and take up less room:

Foldable Travel Hangers

And I've switched to the Sea to Summit Clothesline which weighs just over and ounce and packs into a case that fits into the palm of my hand.

Sea To Summit Clothes Line

I also bring a couple of two or two and a half gallon ziplocs bags to do laundry in.

Frank,
Thanks for the tips, I'm going to check out those items you mentioned.
For Travelon plastic hangers--definitely pinch & bite (I mean the hangers, not your travel partner).

For Travelon plastic hangers--definitely pinch & bite (I mean the hangars, not your travel partner)

It depends with whom you are traveling!!!!

As usual, Frank is absolutely right!

I know people get hung up on the idea that the sink is too dirty to wash underwear. Really ??? You cannot take a little soap and wipe the sink. I think it is mostly psychological but if you are convinced that someone is using the sink as an alternative to the stool then use the bath tub. If you are that concerned about germs, then carry a small bottle of bleach, put some water in the sink, add a few drops of bleach and wipe everything with one of the hand towels. Then you know everything is clean.

Frank,

I know a veteran traveller who has sometimes used the Bidet to do laundry. Using the sink is no big deal.