How to Get Slime Out of Clothes, Carpet and Hair (Fresh or Dried)

A blob in the carpet, a smear on school trousers or a sticky tangle in someone's hair: it happens in every slime-loving home sooner or later. Most slime spills can be sorted with things already in your kitchen cupboard.

The quick answer: don't rub it. Lift off what you can, hold ice on the rest until it firms up, then scrape it away gently with a spoon. Treat leftover residue on fabric or carpet with diluted white vinegar or a little washing-up liquid, blotting rather than scrubbing. For hair, work in conditioner or cooking oil and comb it out.

Before you start: five golden rules

1. Don't rub or scrub. Rubbing pushes slime deeper into fibres and hair. Lift, dab and blot instead.
2. Check the care label. Which? advises that you check the individual care labels on your clothes before trying any stain-removal method.
3. Patch test first. Try any cleaner, even vinegar or washing-up liquid, on a hidden spot such as an inside seam or a corner of carpet under the sofa. Check it doesn't mark or fade the colour before you treat the stain itself.
4. Keep the heat down. Use cool or lukewarm water, not hot. Which? recommends cooler wash cycles to avoid setting stains, so skip the tumble dryer until a mark has gone.
5. Be patient. Fresh slime lifts off far more easily than slime that has dried overnight, but dried slime usually comes out too with a little more time.

Fresh slime vs dried slime

Fresh slime is still soft and stretchy, so a lot of it comes away in one piece if you peel it off slowly. Chilling what's left with ice makes it firmer and less clingy, so the last bits scrape away cleanly.

Dried slime has hardened into the fibres. Scrape off the crusty top layer first, vacuum or brush away the crumbs, then soften what's left with a little white vinegar before blotting and rinsing.

How to get slime out of clothes

1. Lift off the excess. Peel away as much as you can with your fingers. Work from the outside of the blob towards the middle so you don't spread it.
2. Harden the rest with ice. Put a few ice cubes in a sealed freezer bag and hold it on the slime for 10–15 minutes. Grove Collaborative's slime guide recommends ice for 10–15 minutes, then scraping. Smaller items can go into the freezer in a bag instead.
3. Scrape gently. Use the edge of a spoon or a blunt butter knife to chip the firm slime away.
4. Treat the residue. Dab a little clear white vinegar onto the mark (darker vinegars can leave marks of their own), leave it for a few minutes, then work it gently with your fingertips. A few drops of washing-up liquid in cool water work well too. Blot with a clean cloth as you go.
5. Rinse and wash. Rinse the area with cool water, then wash the item as the care label says.
6. Check before drying. Let it air dry. If you can still see a mark, repeat steps 4 and 5 before it goes anywhere near the tumble dryer.

Delicate fabrics such as wool, silk or anything labelled "dry clean only" are best taken to a dry cleaner. Tell them what the stain is.

Brightly coloured slime can leave a faint tint once the slime itself has gone. Treat it as soon as you can and repeat the washing-up liquid step before the item goes in the wash.

How to get slime out of carpet

1. Lift what you can by hand, slowly.
2. Freeze the rest. Press a bag of ice or an ice pack onto the slime for 10–15 minutes until it feels firm.
3. Scrape from the edges inwards with a spoon or blunt knife so you don't push slime further into the pile.
4. Vacuum the loose bits before you add any liquid.
5. Treat the residue. Dab on a mix of white vinegar and water, or a few drops of washing-up liquid in lukewarm water, using a cloth or spray bottle. Leave it for a few minutes, then blot with a clean, dry cloth.
6. Don't soak it. The Which? guide to cleaning a carpet by hand warns against using a lot of water or hot water, and against rubbing too hard, which can damage carpet fibres. It also recommends testing any product on an inconspicuous area first.
7. Rinse and dry. Blot with a cloth dampened in clean water to lift any cleaner, blot dry, then leave it to air dry. A quick vacuum once it's dry helps lift the pile.

If you have a wool or specialist carpet, check the manufacturer's cleaning advice before using vinegar. For a big or stubborn patch, a professional carpet cleaner is worth a call.

How to get slime out of hair

No scissors needed.

1. Don't pull or rub. Rubbing works slime further in. PureWow's guide to getting slime out of hair uses conditioner or oil and a comb instead.
2. Pick out any big pieces gently with your fingers.
3. Rinse with warm water, then add plenty of conditioner to the slimy strands. Massage it in.
4. Comb it through with a fine-tooth comb, starting at the ends and working up. Rinse the comb often.
5. Rinse, then shampoo. Conditioner goes on first because its oils help loosen slime. Shampoo afterwards cleans everything away.

No conditioner? A little cooking oil, such as olive, vegetable or rapeseed oil, massaged into the strands does a similar job. Comb out the slime, then use conditioner and shampoo to wash the oil out.

Keep products away from eyes. With younger children, tilting their head back like at bath time helps.

How to get slime off a sofa, blanket or cushion

Sofas: find the cleaning code on the fabric label first. The Which? guide to cleaning a sofa explains the codes:

• W: can be cleaned with water-based solutions. Lift, ice and scrape the slime, then dab gently with a little mild detergent in warm water. Don't scrub.
• S: should be cleaned with solvent-based cleaners. Lift, ice and scrape, then use an upholstery cleaner made for that fabric, or ask a professional.
• WS: either type of cleaner is fine.
• X: vacuum only. Lift, ice, scrape and vacuum, then call a professional for anything left behind.

Removable cushion covers, blankets and throws: check the label and treat them like clothes. Lift, ice, scrape, treat the residue, then wash as directed.

Stop slime escaping in the first place

• Play at a table, on a tray, chopping board or silicone mat, never on the sofa or carpet. Our slime care guide recommends a clean, smooth surface and keeping slime away from carpets and clothing.
• Roll up sleeves and tie long hair back before the lid comes off.
• Put the lid back on as soon as playtime ends. Airtight storage also stops slime drying out.
• Keep slime away from pets and very young children.

Soft, spreadable butter slime is at its best on a tray, and fluffy cloud slime can leave little crumbs behind on fabric. Whether your favourite is Ducky Bubble Bath or the snowy Emoji Madness, a wipe-clean tray is the best thing to keep beside it.

Not sure which texture suits your family? Read our butter slime vs cloud slime comparison, or shop handmade slime in the UK.

FAQ

Does vinegar get slime out of clothes?

White vinegar can help loosen slime residue once you've scraped off the lumps. Dab it on, leave it for a few minutes, work it gently, then rinse and wash as the care label says. Use clear white vinegar and patch test on a hidden area first.

Can I put slimy clothes in the washing machine?

Remove as much slime as you can first and treat the residue, because lumps can smear during the wash. Then wash as the care label says, let the item air dry and check it before tumble drying. Heat can set any mark that's left.

How do you get dried slime out of carpet?

Scrape off the crusty top layer and vacuum the crumbs. Dab the rest with white vinegar and water or washing-up liquid in lukewarm water, leave it a few minutes, then blot. Repeat rather than soaking the carpet, and test on a hidden patch first.

How do you get slime out of hair without cutting it?

Rinse the hair with warm water, massage in plenty of conditioner and comb the slime out with a fine-tooth comb. Then shampoo. A little cooking oil works too if you have no conditioner.

Will slime stain my sofa?

Fresh slime usually lifts off if you act quickly and don't rub. Coloured slime that dries in can leave a mark. Check the sofa's cleaning code before using any liquid, and call a professional if the label says X (vacuum only).