The cause of stickiness can be a deficiency of thickener in the composition, an abundance of water in it, poor glue, or unsuitable storage conditions. The same thing happens with old slimes, bought accidentally and cheaply, made according to fake recipes.
In most cases, stickiness can be eliminated by adding one of the thickeners used in making slime. Sometimes it is enough to leave the toy in an open jar for a couple of hours, rinse with water or knead. If it has expired, no magical components will help.
Why does slime stick to your hands?
There are several reasons leading to slime stickiness:
- Low quality. If the toy was originally cheap, it may have been made incorrectly or may have expired. In the first case, it is worth trying to correct the situation, but there is no guarantee that it will work. It is better to throw out expired slime.
- Violation of the proportions of components when making homemade slime. If it sticks, this may mean there is too much water in the composition or not enough activator. Using a large amount of toothpaste leads to the problem. Slime can also become sticky due to non-working or expired glue.
- Wrong recipe. There are many of them online; unscrupulous slimers advise using thickeners or other components that are known to not work. If you make a toy yourself, you need not only to make sure that the method is correct, but also to adhere to the recommendations for the amount of ingredients.
- The slime lay unused for a long time. This leads to the release of a mass of liquid onto the surface, even when kept under ideal conditions. Therefore, from time to time you need to play with slime and knead it.
- Violation of slime storage conditions. It is harmed by air temperatures below 5 and above 20 degrees, as well as humidity above 65%. Slime that has spread due to heat or frozen will have to be restored later. And you also cannot be completely sure that this will work.
- Incorrect feeding. More often this is excessive use of salt - more than 1 time per day. But adding excess water and glue can lead to a change in the texture of the toy. And if you feed the slime with sugar, juice and other unnecessary ingredients, it will definitely start to stick.
- Expiration date. Homemade toys remain elastic, pleasant to the touch and smooth for up to 3 months. Store bought – no longer than 6-12 months. If the time is up, there is no point in resuscitating them; it is better to purchase or make a new slime.
We recommend reading about how to remove slime from clothes. From the article you will learn how to remove stains from slime from clothes, methods using improvised means, and how to clean fur. And here is more information about how to soften slime at home.
Possible reasons
Violation of instructions
If the slime becomes too liquid, it begins to stick to your hands. This happens if it was done incorrectly. For example, they added little thickener. Or they used low-quality (expired) ingredients.
Excess paint and heat effects
Also, gum for hands becomes sticky if it is painted too heavily with acrylic paint. In this case, it will still stain your palms.
Often the slime becomes sticky due to improper storage. The toy spreads and begins to stick to your hands if it is left in the sun or in a warm room for a long time.
Overfeeding
Store-bought or homemade slime will stick to your hands if you revive it too often. This happens when the lump hardens and dries out, and children repeatedly feed their favorite toy with water or soda solution.
How to Fix Sticky Slime
If the slime is new, has been stored in the right conditions, but is sticky, you should not immediately add something to it to get rid of the deficiency. It might be possible to fix everything:
- Kneading. You need to knead the toy like dough until it stops sticking to your fingers.
- By drying. You can use this method immediately after discovering a problem or warm it up first. The slime is simply left in an open container for several hours. You can also lay it out on a sheet of paper, preferably glossy or polished, but in no case on a newspaper or napkin.
- Washing. This method is necessary if the slime was not fed correctly, or if particles of foreign substances were found in it. Dirt or lumps need to be pulled out of the mass, and then rinsed in a cup of cool water under a gentle stream from the tap. Then all that remains is to stretch the toy.
- Cooling. The method is suitable for slime that has become soggy from the heat. It should be placed in a sealed container and placed in the bottom of the refrigerator overnight.
What to add to slime so it doesn't stick?
There are several substances that can thicken slime and restore its normal consistency:
- sodium tetraborate,
- boric acid,
- lens liquid,
- baking soda,
- nutritious cream,
- Body Oil,
- shaving foam,
- starch,
- concentrated washing gel,
- drops Naphthyzin, Levomycetin.
Whatever additive is chosen, it must be used carefully, in small quantities. And it’s better to try it on a small piece of slime first.
Starch
Starch is another absolutely safe food product; it has the form of a light white powder. It is used as the main component in slimes or added to glue to make the toy softer and keep its shape.
To eliminate the stickiness of the slime, you need to add just a little starch to it. But this method is worth using if there are no other options. Because starch further contributes to the drying of the mass, and in a fairly short time.
Sodium tetraborate
Sodium tetraborate is a medicinal product with a gel texture and can be purchased at a pharmacy. The substance cannot be called completely harmless, since with frequent contact with the skin it can cause allergies, peeling, and swelling. But for slimes, a little sodium tetraborate is used, especially when you just need to rid the mass of stickiness. You can replace it with a borax solution prepared from powder (2 tsp) and warm water (250 ml). It has the same disadvantages and advantages as tetraborate.
The substance is a strong activator, so it is better to use an aqueous solution to remove stickiness from the slime. The mixture is prepared from 250 ml of warm liquid and 2 tsp. pharmaceutical sodium tetraborate in glycerin. You need to add a few drops to the slime, then knead the toy with your hands.
Watch this video on how to restore slime that has become liquid:
Boric acid
Boric acid is a liquid medicine (borax plus alcohol) used as an antiseptic, a remedy for otitis media, conjunctivitis. There are fewer negative consequences from it than can occur when using sodium tetraborate. Boric acid has a less strong effect on the glue contained in the slime. Therefore, the liquid is added in larger quantities than sodium tetraborate. You can start with 0.5 tsp. substances, then you should stretch the toy. If it is still sticky, add more boric acid.
Liquid for lenses
Contact lens solution is used in combination with soda to make slimes. But only this should be added to the spreading slime, otherwise the mass will become too tight. You need to pour in a little and knead the toy until the problem is eliminated.
You can buy lens liquid at a pharmacy without a prescription. It is harmless, very rarely causes allergies, and then only when used for its intended purpose. And it is not necessary to take the most expensive liquid, the main thing is that it contains a borate buffer. This substance is found in solutions of Likosol, Licontin, Optimed, ReNu.
Baking soda
Soda is a food product that appears as a white powder. It is also used as an activator when creating toys, in very small quantities. To restore the texture of the slime, baking soda can be used in two ways:
- In the form of a solution . You need to mix 100 ml of water and 2 tsp. substances. Immediately before adding to the slime, shake this solution. First you need to pour in 1 tsp and knead the toy well. If it is still sticky, add a new portion of the product and knead again.
- In its purest form . The slime needs to be slightly rolled out and a small pinch of soda poured into the middle. Then the toy is folded into an envelope and kneaded.
It must be borne in mind that for some types of slime, soda is destructive and can lead to the release of even more moisture from the mass. Therefore, it is always better to try its effect on a small piece.
Nutritious cream
You can use any cream to remove stickiness from slime - for the face, hands, body. You just need to avoid gel textures, as they contain a lot of water, and the slime will spread even more. You just need to apply the fatty cream evenly on your palms and knead the slime in your hands. But this method will work if the mass is not very sticky.
Instead of cream, you can use baby oil or cosmetic oil intended for skin care. It is also applied to the palms, and then knead the slime with your hands. Fatty additives usually help if the toy contains starch or flour.
Shaving foam
Shaving foam is used as one of the ingredients in slime making. It gives the mass lightness and volume, but at the same time, in some recipes it also works as an activator. The foam does not dry out the skin and has a weak, unobtrusive odor. And yet you need to add it little by little, kneading the slime for a long time with your hands. If you introduce an excess amount of a component into the composition, the mass will fall apart into pieces.
Foam should not be used to thicken clear and ninja slime. But it works well with fluffy and original.
Washing gel
Concentrated laundry gel is essentially a laundry detergent with a large amount of active ingredients. It has a pungent odor and can change the color of the toy. The ingredient may cause allergies in some people. And if washing gel is the only thickener in the slime, after playing with it for a long time, the skin begins to peel off.
But to rid the toy of stickiness, the component can be used, since this will require a small amount. Literally a few milliliters are poured into a container with slime and the mass is mixed well. Suitable brands are Persil, Perwoll, Losk, Laska.
Choosing the right recipes
The Internet offers a large selection of recipes for making slime. Among the recipes there are unfinished or completely non-working compositions. Before you start working, you need to read the reviews. It is better if the selected recipe is accompanied by a video in which all stages of the work are described and shown from start to finish.
Do not heat the product
Slime should be stored in a cool place, away from sunlight. Do not place a jar of sticky mass near heating appliances. In addition to the loss of ductility and elasticity, the accumulation of pathogenic microorganisms occurs.
Do not freeze the toy
Not only heat, but also low air temperatures can ruin all the properties of slime. Therefore, slime cannot be taken outside at sub-zero temperatures and cannot be placed in the freezer.
Exact proportions
When making slime, you must strictly follow the proportions of all components specified in the instructions. The composition may stick to your hands due to excess water or lack of thickener. If the recipe does not indicate a quantitative ratio, then add each component a little, thoroughly kneading the composition. Only after this, if necessary, add more.
Regular play with slime
To prevent the sticky composition from deteriorating and stagnating, you should play with it regularly. The mass is taken out of the jar and kneaded. The recommended frequency of play is at least once every two days.
How to feed
It is not necessary to feed the slime. If you want to feed, then you need to do it carefully. It is necessary to add only approved ingredients and in the exact dosage. Do not overfeed the slime, or add sweet or perishable foods.
It is advisable to feed the slime only salt. A small pinch is enough to add to the composition, after which the mass is thoroughly kneaded with your fingers.
Regular cleaning of dirt
No matter how carefully you play with slime, particles of dust, hair and other dirt settle on the surface of the sticky mass. Therefore, you should regularly remove dirt using tweezers and water.
