Tips
How to Get Slime Out of Clothes, Hair and the Couch
Slime stuck on a sweater, a carpet, the couch or in someone’s hair? The white vinegar and dish soap methods, what not to do and the precautions to take.
Slime ended up on a sweater, the couch, the carpet or in someone’s hair? Don’t panic: it almost always comes out, as long as you avoid the wrong moves. Here’s the method tested and published by Little Bins for Little Hands, adapted for every surface.
First: three things not to do
- Don’t rub it dry: you’ll push the slime deeper into the fibers.
- Don’t toss the clothing in the washer with slime still stuck on it: it can spread and set.
- Don’t wait for it to dry: slime stays soft for the rest of the day, so that’s the best time to act.
Step 1: remove as much as you can
With your fingers, or by dabbing with the rest of the slime (it “grabs” the little bits), pull off everything that comes away easily. Clear slime comes off more easily than white glue slime, which clings more.
Method 1: white vinegar
- Over the sink, pour distilled white vinegar onto the stain.
- Scrub with a clean brush (an old toothbrush works).
- Repeat if needed: the vinegar gradually dissolves the slime.
- Rinse with water, then wash as usual in the washing machine.
Heads-up: on delicate or colored clothing, test on a small hidden spot first, since vinegar can damage some fabrics or fade colors.
Method 2: dish soap
- Put a generous squirt of dish soap on the stain.
- Rub the fabric against itself by hand, under a steady stream of water.
- Keep going until the slime lets go: it takes more than two minutes, so be patient.
- Wash as usual in the washing machine.
On other surfaces
Couch, armchair, carpet, rugs
You can’t hold them under the faucet: apply white vinegar or warm, soapy water with a sponge, scrub with a brush, then blot with a clean, damp cloth to rinse. Finish with a dry cloth. Always test on a hidden spot first, especially on light-colored or delicate fabrics.
Hair
Same idea: gently remove as much as you can with your fingers, without pulling, then wet the hair with warm water and work a little dish soap or shampoo into a lather on that section, untangling it gently with your fingers. Rinse well. Never use vinegar near the eyes, and for little kids, have an adult do it.
Bedding
Treat it like clothing: remove as much as you can, treat with vinegar or dish soap, then put it in the washer.
Tables, tile floors
Easiest option: let it dry a little, scrape it off with a plastic spatula, then clean with hot, soapy water.
What about no-glue doughs?
Cornstarch slime and homemade doughs come off much more easily: let them dry, brush off the powder, then wash. Avoid rinsing large amounts of cornstarch down the sink.
The best fix: prevention
- Play at a table, on a big tray or a wipe-clean tablecloth.
- Wear an old T-shirt or an apron for crafting sessions.
- No slime on the couch or the bed.
- Put it back in its airtight container as soon as playtime is over.
If your slime sticks to hands, and therefore to everything else, it may need a little more activator: check the Slime Fixer.