No more slime fails! How to fix hard slime in minutes with one simple ingredient.
How to Fix Slime – Fast!
You’ve found a new slime recipe.
You bought all the ingredients.
You’re super excited…
…then it happens…
SLIME FAIL!!
Don’t worry, slime fails happen to all of us! However, even if your slime didn’t turn out the way you expected, you can fix it a lot easier than you might think.
Can I Fix Overactivated Slime?
One of the most common slime fails is overactivated slime. The term “over activated” means that you’ve added too much of a slime activator (liquid starch, contact solution, borax, etc.). This results in a slime that is hard, rubbery, stringy, and breaks easily.
This post will show you exactly how to fix hard slime (aka. over-activated slime) in minutes. The best part is that you don’t need any special products to do it! Just one simple ingredient that everyone has at home!
This cool trick will make any hard, rubbery slime good as new again!
How to Fix Hard Slime (Video Tutorial)
Watch the video below to see both how to make our classic liquid starch slime, as well as how to fix overactivated slime. Photo step-by-step directions follow.
Click video below to play:
How to Fix Overactivated Slime (Photo Step-by-Step Instructions)
Add your stringy slime or overactivated slime to a large mixing bowl.
Fill a measuring cup with warm water. Water from the sink is fine – the water should be warm, but safe to touch (not hot or boiling!)
Add warm water to mixing bowl with overactivated slime. Begin to massage the slime, working the warm water into it.
Add more water as needed, until your hard or broken slime begins to soften and reform a cohesive ball. It may take a few minutes – but be patient – this is how to make overactivated slime into jiggly slime!
After just a few minutes and some warm water, your slime will be good as new! Voila!
Related: Click here for our ultimate list of slime supplies!
Why this method works: Making slime involves a chemical reaction that heats the slime (even if doesn’t feel hot to the touch). As slime cools down, it can become less stretchy, so warming it back up can be a quick fix. However, the best way to avoid slime that is too hard is to take care not to add more liquid starch than needed during the mixing process.
Learn How to Make Slime Like a Pro
One of the best ways to avoid slime fails is to learn to master the basic slime recipes: liquid starch slime, cornstarch slime, and contact solution slime.
Once you have these three easy ways to make slime down pat, you can move on to making exciting new slime concoctions!
Click here to learn how to make slime using our three starter recipes!
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Rosie says
What about under activated slime?
Stacey aka the Soccer Mom says
Generally you can keep adding activator to under-activated slime until you have the consistency you like.
Pinky says
Yeah I agree
Hilde-Mari says
I am really hoping you can help me with the slime issue I am having!
We don’t have Elmers Glue… we only get Faber Castle or other brands here. (I am seriously considering getting some on amazon though – but I have made slime with success the first time I tried making slime with my boys with Faber Castle)
Recently every time we make slime it really struggles to activate – It stays water – nothing happens!
I end up having to add about another tablespoon of baking soda and a teaspoon of contact lens solution before the slime will activate.
The consistency is fine at first, but then the slime starts to loose all of its water!
It will then become rubber basically and even in a container, the fluid will keep separating.
I have no idea why this is happening??
Any ideas?
Stacey aka the Soccer Mom says
My guess is that the glue you’re using isn’t the right type. It’s important that the glue contains PVA for the reaction needed to make slime. Hope this helps!
Yuhan Shi says
Help! I’m making slime with baking soda and contact lens solution, but the slime turned out quite rubbery. It folds onto itself, and you can poke it slowly, but it’s very easy to break. It also has a lot of water around it.
Any ideas on how to fix this?
Ella says
How do you colour slime without food colouring or dye?
And the water trick worked!
Can I put lotion in it to make it more stretchy?
-Thanks Ella
Stacey aka the Soccer Mom says
You can make slime with colored glue — we’ve tried Elmer’s metallic, glitter glue, etc.
Hope says
I bought slime that you can “mix” different slimes together I did and they won’t become good slime just breaks when I stretch it tried the water thing did not work what do I do now?
Stacey aka the Soccer Mom says
Hi Hope, since I don’t know what those slimes are made of, it’s hard to troubleshoot. Store-bought slime can be very different than homemade slime.