Slippery and squishy, Play-Doh slime can be great fun to play with. Unfortunately, when it is allowed to sit on fabrics, it can create a greasy mess. Even worse, it leaves crusty stains that are hard to get out.
If you have faced this problem, rest easy. Here we will explain a simple process to get Play-Doh Slime out of your clothes without leaving stains behind.
How to Get Play-Doh Slime Out of Clothes
You can find several methods of removing Play-Doh slime from clothes online. We have tried most of them at one time or another. The nicest way we can express our findings is that some methods work better than others.
We have, however, found one method that is effective whether your slimed clothes are fresh or completely hard dried. You are welcome to try the rest, but we have found this one method to be universally successful.
Vinegar and Soap to Remove Slime
What you will need:
- Something to scrap with (putty knife, butter knife, pallet knife, etc.)
- Stiff bristled scrub brush
- White vinegar
- Slimed clothes
- Hot water
- Liquid dishwashing detergent
- Your laundry supplies of choice
Step 1: Remove Excess Slime
The first step towards completely eliminating slime from clothes is to scrape away as much of the excess slime as you can. This is much easier when it is still fairly fresh. Even if it has hardened, you can still eliminate much of the slime by scrapping with the appropriate tool.
Our tool of choice is an artist’s pallet knife. If you don’t have one, anything that has a thin hard blade will work. It is best if your scrapper has rounded corners to avoid snagging and tearing your clothes.
Step 2: Soak the Slime in Vinegar
Once you have removed as much of the slime as you can peel off, soak the area with white vinegar. You can pour the vinegar directly on the slime or into a bowl and soak the material in it. Generally, you want to let it soak for at least 5 minutes.
Step 3: Scrape Again
Give the Vinegar a few minutes to work its magic, and then scrape again. You should notice the slime softening and releasing from the cloth.
It is essential that you don’t let the vinegar dry, or you will be backing up.
You should only scrap on wet clothes to help prevent tearing fibers. Repeat this process as many times as needed to remove the majority of the slime.
Step 4: Rinse With Hot Water
Next, you will want to rinse the affected area with the hottest water that you can stand and is safe for the fabric. It doesn’t hurt to do some light scraping with your nails as you are rinsing.
Step 5: Add Dish Detergent and Scrub
While the cloth is still wet with the hot water, add a little liquid dish detergent. Regular dish detergent seems to actually work better than concentrated types. If using a detergent concentrate, dilute it with a little warm water before applying.
Work the soap into the fabric and then scrub it with a stiff-bristled brush. It works best if you can lay it on a hard flat surface like the side of your bathtub.
You should see the stain slowly disappear as you scrub. If you need to, this step can be repeated after rinsing the fabric with more hot water.
Step 6: Wash as Usual
Once the slime is no longer visible, launder as you usually would, This is to remove any slime that might be hiding in the fibers of the fabric.
This is best done before as soon as possible. Any remaining slime that is still in the fabric will be more difficult to remove if it is allowed to dry once again.
FAQ
How to get slime out of your carpet?
The same process used above can be used to remove Play-Doh Slime from carpeting. The only modification that is really needed is that you will need to use a carpet stain remover instead of laundering.
Be advised, though, that we have found this method less effective than with clothes or other cloth items. For large areas on your carpet, it may be best to consult a carpet cleaning professional.
How to make Play-doh Slime?
There are a couple of different ways to make your own slime. One the easiest is to combine Classic Play-Doh with liquid soap or lotion. Simply massage the lotion or soap into the Play-Doh until you reach the desired consistency.
Another method is to combine school glue, baking soda, contact solution, and Play-Doh. There are plenty of recipes online and videos to be found on YouTube.