How to make slime with elmers glue and laundry detergent

Learn how to make slime with laundry detergent and this could save you a lot of time and efforts that you would normally put in making slime!

Slime recipes have evolved from complicated methods and products to essential ingredients easily found at home. This has enhanced their popularity as everyone can easily make them at home. From using ingredients such as shampoo, glue, cornstarch, dish soap, etc., these recipes are easy to follow and can make up for a good experience. Likewise, slime recipes are not restricted to pantry or beauty products. You can make slime using laundry detergent too! This will not only give it a smooth texture but a likable fragrance as well. Learn how to make slime with laundry detergent at home by following the below recipe.

How To Make Slime With Laundry Detergent

Recipe #1 – Three Ingredient Slime

Ingredients

• Water
• Laundry Detergent (liquid)
• School Glue

Method

Mix equal quantities of water and school glue in a glass bowl. Elmer’s glue is the most preferred glue for slime. Now add the laundry detergent to the mixture. Laundry detergent should be 1/4th of the water and glue. You can also add food coloring, glitter, or any other add-ins before this step and mix well. As you mix the mixture, it will gradually turn slimy. When it does, take it out on a clean platform and start kneading with your hands. The more you knead the slime, the slimier it will turn.

Recipe #2 – Playdough slime

Ingredients

• Glue
• Laundry detergent
• Shaving cream

Method

Take ¼ cup of glue in a bowl and add a few drops of your favorite food color to it. Now add two teaspoons of laundry detergent to the bowl. Start stirring the mix with a spatula and you will notice that the glue will start leaving the sides of the bowl. If the slime doesn’t turn doughy at this point, add another teaspoon of laundry detergent. Add shaving cream foam to this mixture. Shaving foam will help in giving a fluffy texture to the slime. Take out the slime on a platform and knead it with your knuckles and palms thoroughly to activate all the ingredients. Keep kneading for a few minutes, and the slime will be ready. 

Why Does Laundry Detergent Work for Slime?

Any slime recipe requires an activator that gives it the slimy texture we look for. There are many popular slime activators, such as cornstarch, borax powder, etc., and laundry detergent is one of them. It is essential to choose the right one since laundry detergent tends to stick to the surface. Also, a strongly scented laundry detergent can overpower the fun of playing with slimes. 

Note

• Based on anecdotal evidence, users have indicated that Tide liquid detergent works the best for slime recipes. 
• Choose a non-toxic kind of laundry detergent if you plan to give the slime to younger kids who tend to taste everything.

How to Take Care of Slime?

The most vital aspect while taking care of slime is to store it in an air-tight container. It protects it from moisture, preventing any mold creation. Another critical thing to remember is to knead it every few days if you plan to store it for long periods without playtime. This ensures it does not lose its texture sitting in the container. 

What To Do If Slime Dries Out?

A few add-ons can be used to smoothen up the slime if it starts cracking or dries out. Generally, vigorous kneading for a few minutes can help fix drying slime. If it still feels dry, try using these extra ingredients. 

1. Shampoo

Adding just a few drops of shampoo can improve the texture of the slime but make sure you use moisturizing shampoo. It adds a bit of freshness to the slime. After adding any ingredient, always remember to knead the slime well so that the ingredients spread evenly.

2. Lotion

If it can moisturize your hands, it can help to soften the slime as well. You can fix a dried slime by adding a few drops of moisturizing lotion to it and kneading it throughout.

3. Water

Sometimes adding 2-3 drops of water can fix the slime. Try kneading first with just 2-3 drops of water. If it still feels dry, try other methods as excess water can make the slime runny.

4. Glue

Some more glue can fix the slime but remember not to add a lot of it. If you feel the glue is too much, add a little bit of activator depending on the recipe you used. 

This fluffy slime will keep your kids entertained for hours.

Slime is not only a great way to get in some tactile play, but it also can help introduce kids to basic science concepts too.

There are so many ways to make fluffy slime, but a lot of slime recipes contain boron. This includes laundry starch slime, Borax slime, and slime made with contact solution. This is a mineral that may be irritating if a person is exposed to it on a regular basis.

An issue that many families seem to have with fluffy slime is that the combination of the laundry starch or Borax and the shaving cream can make little hands itchy and red. This combination of ingredients can cause more irritation than regular slime. However, this version, using baking soda and dish soap, leaves hands feeling soft and is non-irritating to all but the most sensitive skin.

That was the initial reason I decided to make slime without borax. However, I have to admit it’s nice to have a fluffy slime recipe that doesn’t take a dozen ingredients! This version only has four, and that includes the coloring.

Slime Without Borax vs Slime with Borax

If your kids love making and playing with slime a lot, it is helpful to have some Borax-free slime recipes for them to try instead. Most Borax-free slime recipes are not as stretchy as the original, including this one.

However, my children love this “slime” and find it stretchier than playdough or other non-borax recipes.

Just keep in mind as you try this slime that it will be different than ‘true slime’, given that the borax is where you get the truly stretchy results.

If you prefer a version WITH borax that is more stretchy, check out my easy homemade slime in 5 minutes (aka) gak that does contain borax.

How to Make Fluffy “Slime”

Ready to start making the fluffy slime? Your kids will be playing with it in minutes!

Fluffy Slime Ingredients

There are just four simple ingredients you’ll need to make this slime. You may even have them all at home already. You’ll need:

• Dish soap – I recommend Gain for the best results. There are many variations and different ingredients in dish soap and others may not yield desired results
• Elmer’s white glue
• Baking soda – the amount varies depending on the humidity level. You will need 1 cup to a whole box.
• Gel food coloring

Steps for Making the Fluffy Slime

Mix 1/2 a cup of Elmer’s glue with about a tablespoon of dish soap. Add 2-3 tablespoons of water and stir. The mixture will start to foam, at which point you can add in your favorite color of food coloring.

Add one cup of baking soda to the mixture and stir. Here’s where the science experiment comes in: the baking soda and glue will start to react, creating a stretchy slime that is slightly heavier in texture than regular slime.

Add more baking soda until you can handle the slime without it sticking to your fingers. How much you need will depend on the humidity levels – in the summer, readers have reported needing a whole box of baking soda, while we have made this recipe several times in the winter with just 1 cup.

The slime won’t be quite as stretchy as borax-based slimes, but it will stretch and pull to some extent. If you add too much baking soda, however, you will transform the slime into a play dough, which although fun to play with, doesn’t quite have the same effect.

If you do end up putting too much baking soda in, you can add a little more dish soap to thin it out again.

Kids will love this fluffy version of slime. My kids loved puffing it up into a ball, then pressing their hands into it. They also had a blast stretching and pulling the slime like they do with traditional borax-based slime.

I really liked this version of fluffy borax-free slime, because once the kids were done with it, their hands were so smooth and smelled amazing!

Fluffy Slime Tips & FAQ:

Since I first made this fluffy slime post, I have had a lot of reader questions and comments. I collected some of the most common ones to address here.

Can I Substitute…?

While I will often give substitutes to try in my projects, this is one where I can’t. I highly recommend you use the recommended ingredients as listed above. We have found this recipe to be unforgiving for ingredient substitutions.

How to Store Homemade Slime

Store your fluffy slime in an airtight container or plastic bag. It should last for 3-4 days. Because it’s not preserved with borax, it is likely to get sticky and runny after a few days.

Will This Feel Like Regular Store-Bought Slime?

This slime won’t have the same texture as traditional slime. In most slime recipes, the borax helps the ingredients bond, giving it a stretchy texture.

This version is more like a stretchy, soft play dough, which will have some of the same sensory benefits as traditional slime but won’t act like “true” slime due to the absence of borax. It is a wonderful alternative for kids with sensitive skin to provide sensory input without skin irritation.

Make sure when you mix the glue dish soap that it creates a foamy, airy texture. This is what will make the slime work. Some brands of soap work better than others. We used Gain dish soap and it worked great.

I needed more baking soda!

When we first published this recipe, it appears we weren’t as clear as we should have been on the baking soda quantities. To all those commenters who tried this recipe and were bummed they needed more baking soda, even a full box, sorry about that! We’ve updated the post to make it extra clear that you may need MORE than 1 cup of baking soda when making this “fluffy slime.”

If you do this activity during the summer, especially when it’s humid and damp, you WILL need more baking soda. You might need even a full box of baking soda or 2-3 cups worth. If you make this during a dryer time of year, you will need less, probably closer to 1 cup of baking soda.

I suggest having a full box of baking soda just in case you do need more. (At least baking soda is super inexpensive!)

Help! My Slime is Too Thin

If your slime is too runny: Add more baking soda until it thickens. Depending on the humidity in your room and how liquid your dish soap is, you may need to add 2-3 cups of baking soda, possibly a whole box.

What to Do if the Slime is Too Solid

If your slime is too solid: Add a bit more dish soap until it has a pliable texture.

I hope your family enjoys this fluffy “slime” recipe as much as mine does!

IMAGINATIVE FUN ↓

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Fluffy Dish Soap “Slime” (Borax Free)

Simple 4-ingredient fluffy slime recipe.

1. Mix 1/2 a cup of Elmer’s glue with about a tablespoon of dish soap.
2. Add 2-3 tablespoons of water and stir. The mixture will start to foam, at which point you can add in your favorite color of food coloring.
3. Add one cup of baking soda to the mixture and stir. (Keep adding baking soda until you can handle the slime without it sticking to your fingers. You may need a whole box, especially during the humid summer months.
4. If you do end up putting too much baking soda in, you can add a little more dish soap to thin it out again.

*Pin the image to save this homemade dish soap “slime” for later.

Can u make slime with glue and laundry detergent?