How to Get Slime Out of Your Child’s Clothes FAST

Slime. It is a great way to entertain a child…but it isn’t the best for your household’s laundry game or your child’s wardrobe. Slime is colorful, fun, mushy, sticky, stretchy, and most of all messy. So the most important thing to know after allowing your child to play with slime is how to get slime out of your child’s clothes, lol.

How to Get Slime Out of Your Child’s Clothes

So maybe you were like me, you got your child (me specifically, my three year old toddler) some slime at the store because it was a cheap little entertaining device that they expressed interest in. Or maybe you are an even better parent than I am and actually found a recipe to make slime.

Little did I know, slime gets everywhere! Haha, and I mean all over my son’s brand new long sleeve thermal shirts that I got him from Amazon (Is there a toddler clothes shortage going around or is it just me? I feel like the only place that has any variety of clothes is Amazon these days).

I picked off what I could of the slime, but there was still some left. I figured it would be like glue and just peel off if it dried…nope. I then threw it in the washing machine and dryer. Still there.

I did some research and to be honest, most people were giving advice about how to get slime off BEFORE putting it in the wash (Whoops), so I had a bit of a difficult search ahead of me.

I tried a couple of different techniques on different parts of the shirt to see if either would work. I will share those with you here:

Technique #1

(Dried Slime or Been through the wash version)

  • Use a table knife (dull knife) or plastic shopper’s/bank card to scrape what you can of the dried slime off the fabric.
  • Mix equal parts cold water and OxiClean and apply it to the fabric of the “stained” clothing, eventually soaking the entire garment (if possible) in the solution.
  • Soak garment overnight (At least 10 to 12 hours).
  • Repeat process if some of the dyed portion of the slime remains.
  • Once stain is gone, you can wash the clothing item as you regularly would.
  • If still not gone, try Technique #2 (scroll down a bit)

(Alternate version: if slime has not dried)

  • Pick off as much slime as possible, careful not to spread it further across the garment
  • Take a small scrub brush (I used the Laundress stain brush but any really should do) or large toothbrush and soak the brush in a mixture of cold water and OxiClean.
  • Take a piece of cardboard or an old towel (you don’t care if it gets stained) and place it under the slime stain to prevent spreading
  • Slowly take the brush and lightly scrub the slime stain with the mixture being sure not to make the dye bleed and increase in area
  • After scrubbing, let fabric sit overnight
  • If the stain is still there, read above instructions on what to do for dried stains (or read further for Technique #2)

Bonus: You can most oxygen-based bleaches like OXO Brite if you do not have access to the product OxiClean. You can get both on Amazon here: Oxi Clean or OXO Brite

Technique #2

(Dried slime or Been through the wash version)

  • Use a table knife (dull knife) or plastic shopper’s/bank card to scrape what you can of the dried slime off the fabric.
  • Take an ice cube and press it on to any remaining dried slime, once the slime area has been soaked, put the piece of clothing in the freezer overnight
  • Peel hardened slime from the fabric the next day
  • Wash as usual if stain has been removed

(Alternate version: if slime has not dried)

  • Pick off as much slime as possible, careful not to spread it further across the garment.
  • Take a piece of cardboard or an old towel (you don’t care if it gets stained) and place it under the slime stain to prevent spreading
  • Take a small scrub brush (I used the Laundress stain brush but any really should do) or large toothbrush and soak the brush in a mixture of equal parts white vinegar (make sure it is white vinegar) and water.
  • Let sit for at least 15 minutes
  • Then gently scrub off any additional slime
  • Wash as usual if stain has been removed

Slime still not coming off??

If you are that last resort stage and want to invest in a product you might not use for anything else, here are some ideas that could work depending on the type of slime you are dealing with:

  • Goo Gone On the Go Pen – $6.99 on Amazon and it states it is a product that is a”Adhesive Removing Pen Removes Stickers Price Tags and Scuffs”
    • No mess, easy to carry/travel with/store
  • Mykal Sticky Stuff Remover – $12.74 on Amazon and is kid friendly
    • States “Removes residue from adhesive labels, plasters, chewing gum, tar and oil”
    • Safe for china, glass, plastic, fabric, paintwork, skin and hair

For the Future

  • Have “paint/slime clothes” – Have one or two outfits (maybe older or has a random hole in it) for your child to change in to right before starting “slime time”
  • Get an apron – See above for my son’s apron which will (excuse the paint, we are in the middle of a Valentine’s Day painting project) cover the major of their clothes. I got this cute dinosaur apron on Amazon…and they have 2 different sizes for ages 3 to 5 and 6 to 12 years old.
    • Comes in sooo many cute prints: flowers, hot air balloons, cars, dinosaurs, superhero, llamas, and you have the choice to customize (I didn’t but you have the option)
  • Purchase a paint smock – This paint smock has full on sleeves and is waterproof (and comes in a 2 pack); your child might need a little help putting it on, but whatever saves their clothes, right??

Hope this helped you and good luck on your adventure to get slime out of your child’s clothes!

Want to buy your child something to REPLACE the slime in your life? Check out our Baby Yoda Gift Ideas, as well as our Best Toddler Gifts List.

This post may contain affiliate links and I may be compensated if you purchase something from one of those links.