How to Make Slime with Laundry Detergent
Discover the fun of making slime with laundry detergent! Kids will love getting messy with this easy activity they can do at home.
Skills Required: None. Anyone of any age can make slime. Perfect for ages toddler to adult. All you’ll be doing is mixing ingredients in a bowl. The detergent must contain sodium borate.
There’s only one question I have about slime making these days – why didn’t we know about this fun activity when I was younger?
It was a simpler time back then I suppose.
Either that or my parents completely deprived me of any slime making fun. Maybe everyone else was doing it and I didn’t know? That’s quite possible. I come from the kind of family that derives entertainment from twigs and Tupperware containers.
Not that there’s anything wrong with that, right? It stimulates the imagination when you don’t have a bunch of toys as a child, at least it did for me.
Having said that, I think this slime recipe is a fun way to get creative with your kids. Though there are only a few ingredients, the customization possibilities are what make it fun. You can toss in food coloring, glitter, and endless add ins (which I discuss below).
You’re going to love making slime, and I can’t wait to show you how it’s done!
How is this slime made?
You’re going to mix glue and mix ins (like coloring and glitter) in a container, and then add an activator. Activator is the additive that turns the glue into slime. In this case, the activator is laundry detergent!
What laundry detergent is best for slime?
In order for the slime to work, the detergent must contain sodium borate such as Gain or Tide Free and Clear.
Can you make slime with Tide?
Absolutely! The detergent must contain sodium borate, so use Tide Free & Clear or Simply Clear & Fresh.
What add ins can you put in your slime recipe?
This is one of my favorite parts – adding various goodies into my recipe! This is where you can really have fun. Here are just some of the things I’ve used when making slime. I’d love to know which of these you’ve tried.
- Action Figures – we used plastic zombies in our Halloween slime!
- Beads – all different kinds, but plastic pony beads are really fun
- Buttons – Small, colorful plastic buttons look great in white/clear slime
- Clay Pieces – these small polymer pieces are so fun; I especially love the fruit!
- Confetti – It’s so fun to add in confetti – yes, even paper confetti! See a recipe I did here that uses it
- Essential Oils – these don’t color your slime, but they sure make it
- Fake Snow – very similar to confetti, but often shimmery, and great for Christmas slime recipes
- Foam Beads – you can get these in almost any color, and they add a fun texture
- Food Coloring – this is what you’ll use for a base color
- Glitter – one of the core tenants of slime add ins; you can use it with all the other add ins for a very cool effect
- Pigment Powder – another way to add a base color, typically with a metallic sheet
- Poly Pellets – another way to add texture similar to foam beads
- Polymer Clay – Clay makes slime recipes very soft; you’ll love the texture
- Pom Poms – these small little balls add a lot of color and texture
Are you ready to learn how to make slime with laundry detergent? Let’s dive in!
Gather These Supplies
- Laundry detergent (detergent must contain sodium borate such as Gain or Tide Free and Clear)
- School glue – 4 oz. (1 bottle)
- Food coloring (or other add ins)
Tools
- Bowl
- Measuring cups
- Fork
- Airtight container
Tip: Choose a bowl that you’ll only use for crafting. None of the ingredients are food safe, and although they’re non-toxic, I prefer having designated bowls for this project.
Now prepare yourself for hours of good times!
Store in an airtight container when not being used. Slime doesn’t really go bad . . . but it can lose moisture or grow mold depending on the environment. If you have to throw it out, you can easily make a new batch!
Now that you know how to make slime with laundry detergent, start experimenting!
Laundry Detergent Slime
Equipment
- Bowl(s)
- Measuring cup(s)
- Fork
- Airtight container
Materials
- Laundry detergent detergent must contain sodium borate such as Gain or Tide Free and Clear
- 1 bottle Elmer’s school glue 4 oz.
- Food coloring or other add ins
Instructions
- Add bottle of white glue to a bowl. Add in food coloring or glitter if desired. Mix thoroughly.
- Stir in 1 T of liquid laundry detergent. Begin mixing with a fork. Continue to stir as the mixture begins to stick together.
- Repeat step 2, 1 tablespoon at a time, until the mixture is no longer sticky and starts pulling away from the side of the bowl.
- As the slime forms, start kneading with your hands. Add any add ins at this time.
Notes
If you enjoy kids’ crafts, I’d love for you to check out these other slime recipes that your whole family will love:
Clay • Clear • Cloud • Color Changing • Crunchy • Edible • Fluffy • Galaxy • Green Booger • Glitter • Glow in the Dark • Halloween • Play Doh • Rainbow • Sand • Slime Shops • Unicorn
@Lilly Pessetto, we had the exact same thing happen. We added Baking soda and corn starch and still not right
It’s likely the detergent! But, let me ask first – which type did you use?
@Amy, Same thing happened to me
I used old dutch
@Amy, it says tide
@Sarah, I finally got TIDE and it still did not work.
You have to use a laundry detergent with sodium borate. Tide is the most common to have it.
@Sarah, i used tide but the same happened to me
@Val, i added school glue and water first, mixed the two together and then added laundry detergent. I think the author of this article made a mistake because I found the recipe I used on another website.
Unfortunately this is way too much water, or liquid.. turns into goo 🙁 bummed
Waste of my time and money! This turned into just a watery sloppy mess. DO NOT ADD WATER! You guys wasted all our time. Thanks a lot.
so you have to use tide?
No. You have to use a laundry detergent with sodium borate. Tide is the most common to have it.
You HAVE to use Tide – we tried with a natural detergent to spare the chemicals and it didn’t work at all. Once adding tide it was a success.
@Amber, I just made this for my daughter with “Gain”… Worked like a Gem and Holy Moly does it smell pretty!!! (just saying I don’t think you need “Tide”)
Please do not let your kids eat this – detergent IS toxic! Google it. Please edit your post – you could be responsible for getting kids sick.
What do you mean by T? Is that Teaspoon or Tablespoon?
Big T is Table little t is teaspoon!
Does toothpaste +sugar +salt+glue work
I used arm and hammer detergent and it just turned into a thick soup, google recommended it but it still doesn’t work, just make slime the regular way if you don’t want to waste your money.
Arm & Hammer doesn’t work, so yes, I would expect your recipe not to work. The receipt above is super clear.
Just so you are aware sodium borate is the IUPAC name for borax, they are both the same compound – you recipe does in fact contain borax if you are using detergent with sodium borate and it is exactly just as toxic 🙂
DIDN’T WORK. DIDN’T. WORK. I WANT TO KMS.
You don’t need to KYS. You need to use the right detergent! Only certain ones work. Bye
People in these comments are taking slime a little too seriously… 🙄
Worked for us, just had to add more Tide than I thought and my daughter kneeded it for a while! Thanks for the recipe!
Good
Wish I came to the comments first. This recipe sucks and turned out a waste of money and ingredients. Now my kids are super upset. She’s we were looking forward to making slime.
This recipe works just fine and was recently re-made multiple times. You didn’t use the right laundry detergent . . . I guarantee. What did you use and I will verify.