How To Get Slime Out Of Kids Clothing Without Using Vinegar

Letting your kids play with ooey-gooey slime seems like a good idea until all-out war breaks out and the non-Newtonian fluid medium becomes the weapon of choice. No matter how stealthy your child is, chances are they'll end up with a little (or a lot) of slime on their clothes. Since it's generally a mixture of glue (glitter or white), food coloring, water, and borax, it can leave a huge stain on the clothing it lands on. But before you bemoan the loss of another garment, try using a few different items, like ice, rubbing alcohol, dish soap, laundry stain remover, or warm water to get the stains out of your child's clothes.

Although your kid's slime-stained clothes might not stand a chance against one kitchen staple, you might not like using distilled white vinegar due to its strong smell. This is where the above-listed items come into play. While the ingredient you choose will depend on the severity of the stain, determining if the slime is wet or dry will influence your decision, too. For instance, you can scrape off most of the wet mess and wash the stain away with warm water instead of using ice to coax off the hardened mess or scrubbing it with a dish soap and water solution. However, avoid a laundry mistake that will make the stain much worse: throwing the slime-covered garment directly in the washer. This won't remove the stain completely, and the ooey-gooey mixture will transfer to your other clothes.

Whether the stain is wet or dry, the first thing you want to do is scrape off as much of the slime as possible to make cleanup easier. So, arm yourself with a butter knife, plastic card, soft-bristled toothbrush, or spoon to pull off the upper layers. Be gentle; you don't want to spread the stain or work it deeper into the garment.

If you're dealing with a wet slime stain, a few people have found a warm water bath to be the easiest solution. Ensure the water is warm, not hot, or the heat will lead to a permanent stain. Let the warm water loosen the slime for a while before lightly scrubbing off the mess. Now, wash the garment as usual. If the stain persists, apply a little rubbing alcohol — conduct a spot test to ascertain the colors don't bleed — or dedicated stain remover to the area and leave it be for five to 10 minutes. Scrub the spot lightly with an old toothbrush and wash the clothing using warm water. White clothes could benefit from a bleach and water combination. Finally, launder the garment.

An unexpected thing you can clean with dish soap is dry slime-covered clothes. Apply it directly over the stain and use water and elbow grease to scrub it out. Alternatively, rub an ice cube over the spot to harden the slime and remove it from your garment. Placing the item in the freezer for three to four hours might work, too. You could even pour a little rubbing alcohol or acetone-based nail polish remover on a cotton pad and use it to get the slime out, provided it passes the spot test.