Removing slime from textiles

Jes is back to step through another feat of stain-fighting prowess. This week, it’s removing slime from her son’s t-shirt.

After the recent playdough-in-the-carpet saga, I was feeling brave and decided to let my kiddo play with slime for the first time. 

We sat down with a tub of pre-made slime (Elmer’s finest) in a fetching strawberry-doughnut- inspired pink with obligatory sprinkles. I’ve heard the horror stories, so I was watching him like a hawk.

Not even 5 minutes into our little slime date, he bodyslammed the table and, in true toddler fashion, smeared the front of his shirt with the entire tub of slime.

I don’t know why I was so shocked; this is absolutely on brand for him, and he was cackling gleefully at his new ‘slime shirt’. 

After staring at him in equal parts terror and amazement, I snapped out of it. It was time to figure out how to save this shirt from its gooey trap.

Vinegar has entered the chat

Normally, we don’t recommend vinegar in the laundry. It is overhyped in many cleaning groups and social media put it on a pedestal that the science simply doesn’t support.

Although vinegar is not an effective or reliable stain remover, odour remover, fabric softener or mould killer, as a weak acid, it is good at breaking the bonds of glue. And what is one of the main ingredients in slime? That’s right, glue. This holds true for pre-made slime, like what I had, as well as homemade slime, where you start with glue and add in other ingredients.

Slime is even harder to remove than playdough, because it stretches when pulled and sticks to anything with a porous or textured surface. This means that you probably won’t be able to remove as much slime from the surface of the fabric as you would if it were playdough.

Removing slime from textiles

With slime, let vinegar do the hard work for you. Thoroughly soak the affected area in vinegar and let it rest for a few minutes to break down those gooey bonds. The slime will start to disintegrate. If you have a spoon handy, you can start scraping bigger chunks off. But if you’re lazy like I am, just slosh some more vinegar on and gleefully watch it do its thing.

Once you’re done watching the vinegar dominate the slime, just pop the garment in the wash on your usual long, warm or hot wash with a healthy dose of detergent, and admire the clean clothing once it’s all done!

When slime meets carpet

This method can be modified to suit carpet as well. You can’t put carpet in the wash, so you’ll need either a carpet/spot cleaner or to put in some elbow grease.

The first step is still mechanical removal. Lift off as much as you can with a spoon or blunt edge, working slowly and resisting the urge to scrape. Once you’re down to residue, dampen a cloth with white vinegar and blot gently.

Again, the rule holds: no scrubbing! Scrubbing just turns slime into a much bigger problem.

You’ll feel the slime start to release as the vinegar breaks down those sticky bonds. Keep blotting, moving to clean areas of the cloth as you go, until the slime lifts away. Once it’s gone, blot with warm water to remove vinegar residue and any remaining pigment, then dry thoroughly with a towel and allow the area to air dry. The smell of vinegar should fade within a day or two.

If you have a mammoth slime mountain, this might take several goes. Make sure the carpet completely dries between each round. 

Pat yourself on the back

It’s not often we recommend vinegar in the laundry, but this is the big exception.

Next time your kids are playing with slime, know that if disaster strikes, it’s only a cup of vinegar and a few tea towels away from resolution.