How to Make Slime Using Baking Soda

Co-authored by wikiHow Staff

Slime has been known to capture the imagination of children and adults. The good news is, it can also be a fun learning experiment. There are different ways to create slime from household products including things like baking soda or milk. You can make a basic gooey concoction, or even spice it up with a bubbly bowl of slime.

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Making Soap Slime

1
Measure out a cup of baking soda. Pour a cup (240 mL) of baking soda into a mixing bowl. You should start off with about a cup. However, there are no precise measurements for this type of slime. Having a little more or less than a cup should not cause problems.^{[1]
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2
Mix green dish soap into your baking soda. Squirt a small amount of dish soap into your baking soda. Make sure it's green so your slime comes out green. Use a spoon to mix the dish soap in. Gradually add more until you have a creamy, solid substance.^{[2]
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- The precise amount of dish soap you need varies. Add a little bit at a time to get the right consistency. It should look something like green pudding.
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3
Add more baking soda if the solution gets runny. If you accidentally add too much dish soap, your slime will come out a little runny. If the slime starts to look watery, pour in a little more baking soda to correct this.^{[3]
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4
Add a bit of food coloring if necessary. If the green you produce isn't quite as dark as you want, add a few drops of green food coloring. This should get the slime a little greener.
5
Play with your slime. You can play with your toys in the slime. Pretend it's toxic waste and have actions figures fall in and rescue one another, for example. You can also add slime as decorations for a diorama. Make a diorama of a haunted house, for example, and have the slime be a scary attraction.
- Do not ingest the slime. It should not be eaten.

Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Making Bubbling Slime

1
Measure out vinegar into a bowl. Add two cups (about ½ liter) of white vinegar to this bowl. Only use white vinegar. Do not substitute with something like apple cider vinegar.
2
Add xanthan gum. Xanthan gum is a thickening and stabilizing agent. You can buy it online or in some grocery stores. Add 1 ¼ teaspoons (about 6 mL) of xanthan gum to the bowl of vinegar and stir. Continue stirring until there are no more white particles in the mixture and it's smooth and even throughout.
- Xanthum gum is sometimes hard to find at supermarkets. You may have to order it online, so keep this in mind. Order it a few days before you want to make this kind of slime.
3
Add green food coloring. A few drops of green food coloring will give your mixture a slimy feel. Start with a few small drops and add more until your mixture is your desired color.
4
Chill your concoction overnight. The mixture will be too runny to use at first. In order to get a gooey texture, chill your mixture in the fridge. While it only takes two to three hours for the mixture to thicken, it's best to leave it in overnight. This gives the xanthan gum time to dissolve completely.
5
Coat a surface with baking soda. Make sure to do this over a sink or in the bathtub so you're using a surface that's easy to clean afterwards. Sprinkle the baking soda all over the bottom of your chosen surface/container so there is a thin layer of baking soda covering the surface.
6
Whisk your slime again. When you remove the mixture from the fridge, stir it again. Keep stirring until the slime looks cloudy and somewhat creamy.
7
Add vinegar until you get the right consistency. To test to see if your mixture is ready, lift some of out of the bowl with a spoon and pour it back in. It should pour somewhat quickly. If it's too thick to pour easily, add a splash of vinegar and stir it again. Keep adding vinegar until your mixture runs smoothly.
8
Pour the mixture onto the baking soda. Once your slime has thickened, pour it over the baking soda. The baking soda is basic and your slime is acidic because of the vinegar. The addition of the baking soda will turn the slime into a bubbling, fizzing slime. The more baking soda you use, the longer and more vigorously the slime will bubble.
9
Enjoy your slime. There are many ways to play with bubbling slime. You can pretend your slime is something like toxic water on a foreign planet, for example, and play with astronaut toys in the slime. You can use dinosaur toys to pretend the slime is prehistoric slime. Some people simply enjoy watching the slime make bubbles.
- Make sure to wash your toys completely after playing with them in the slime.
- Do not eat your slime as it is not safe to ingest.

Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Making Polymer Slime

1
Add your milk to a glass. Add seven tablespoons of non-fat or skim milk to a glass or bowl. The fat in whole milk may not result in the right texture, so do not substitute whole milk or 2% milk for skim milk.
2
Add vinegar. Stir one tablespoon of vinegar into your milk. This is enough to cause the protein from milk to separate from the liquid. Adding the vinegar raises the acidity of the liquid and forces the protein out of solution.
- Solid chunks of milk begin to form as the milk reacts to the vinegar. These chunks should slowly sink to the bottom of your glass as the reaction occurs.
3
Strain the mixture with a coffee filter. Once the chunks of milk have settled at the bottom, pour the solution through a coffee filter. The liquid will move through the filter and leave only the chunks of milk behind. Pat the chunks of milk with a paper towel to make sure they are dry and to squeeze out any excess water. Transfer the solids to a clean mixing bowl.
4
Mix in your baking soda. After moving the chunks of milk to a bowl, add ¼ tablespoon (about 4 mL) of baking soda. The baking soda will help to pull the proteins together and give a more solid consistency. Your mixture will start to resemble slime. Mix the baking soda into the milk until you have a mixture that resembles vanilla pudding.
- Depending on how big your chunks of milk were, you may need to add more baking soda. If you're having trouble getting a vanilla pudding mixture, sprinkle in small amounts of baking soda until you get the right consistency.
5
Add green food coloring. A few drops of green food coloring will turn your slime green. Add a few drops and stir it in. If you want the green color slightly darker, add more green food coloring.
6
Play with your slime. Once your slime is done, you can play with it. You can try to shape it using your hands. You can also use it to decorate something like a diorama. Use slime, for example, to represent a murky pond in a forest.
- Make sure not to get your slime anywhere near your mouth. It is not safe to eat.

Community Q&A

Question

Why is the slime (baking soda and soap) so foamy?

Community Answer

There is a chemical reaction with the baking soda and dish soap. Baking soda is supposed to make things rise, a bit like yeast, so this is the reason why it causes bubbles. The baking soda is doing its job.
Question

Can I replace the jar with a plastic container?

Community Answer

You can use any kind of container, as long as it is waterproof.
Question

How many hours would you suggest for method one?

Community Answer

Preferably overnight, giving it more time to set. If you can't wait, just set it in the freezer for 10-15 minutes (depending on how strong your freezer is).

Warnings

Vinegar is acidic and baking soda is basic. Goggles and gloves are recommended for anyone handling or observing the making of the slime.

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