How to Get Slime Out of Your Carpet, Clothes, and Every Fabric in Between

Over the past few years, slime has become one of the most covetable children's toys around—and for good reason. (A science experiment, art project, and something otherworldly rolled into one? Yes, please.) But, slime can be a total nuisance for parents— especially when it gets all over that pricey, upholstered sofa, or area rug.

Don't worry, help is on the way. To make slime a family-fun endeavor—yes, even for those adults who have to tidy up afterward—we're sharing easy (and effective) ways to clean slime off of your fabrics and carpets. You're just a few steps away from a clean home.

How to Get Wet Slime Out of Carpet

It doesn't matter how many times you've lectured your kids on the importance of a tidy house—accidents happen. But take a deep breath: They'll be a lot easier to clean up if you take care of the mess moments after it occurred. According to Rodney Lynch—an associate instructor for Rainbow International Restoration, a Neighborly company—the first step is to remove any excess slime from the carpet.

"You can use a spoon or butter knife to help gently remove the slime," he says.

Once you are confronted with the nasty stain—you know, that cluster of slime that's clung itself onto your carpet's looms—you'll need to apply a little more than elbow grease.

"Create a mixture of rubbing alcohol and warm water using a ratio of 1/3 water to 2/3 rubbing alcohol," Lynch adds. "Once the pieces of slime have been removed, blot the area dry with a white cotton towel. Don't wipe the area, as wiping can potentially ruin your carpet's fibers!"

Repeat that blotting motion as necessary, but just make sure you use a new bowl of the cleaning mixture every time. Once you're done blotting and the carpet is dry, use a vacuum to suck up any loose bits. "This will also help to restore your carpet's fluffy fibers," Lynch adds.

How to Get Dried Slime Out of Carpet

What if a slime spill occurred during that long Zoom call and you're only discovering the mess hours later? Don't panic, you can still clean your carpet. Similar to dealing with wet slime, Lynch recommends removing any excess slime with your fingers or a butter knife. (Pro tip: If all this tugging and scraping is ruining your fibers, stop immediately.)

From there, the rest of the cleaning process is as cool as ice—literally. "Place a few ice cubes on the dried residue and allow the ice to 'freeze' the slime, which can help to remove the dried-up slime from the carpet," Lynch says.

Repeat this process as needed, but wait until your carpet is dry to vacuum up any stray particles.

How to Remove Slime From Clothes and Fabric

Picture this: You or your little one just slipped slime all over your favorite shirt or that pricey armchair. While your inclination might be to throw your clothing in the laundry or dust out your heavy-duty cleaning supplies, getting rid of this mess is a lot easier than you'd think.

"Scrape off excess slime, especially if you just spilled it," says Afoma Umesi, editor of a cleaning website called Oh So Spotless. "Pour some white vinegar on the slimed spot and allow it to saturate for five to 10 minutes."

Don't have white vinegar on hand? Fortunately, there are other household staples that can get the job done, too. "Vinegar contains acetic acid, which dissolves the slime, and your clothing should be good as new in no time," she adds. "You can also use rubbing alcohol in this way. Rubbing the area with laundry detergent and rinsing under warm water will also do the trick."

If you want to combat a really stubborn stain, Umesi recommends scrubbing the problem area with a cleaning brush. (Psst ... your average toothbrush can work just as well here.) Once you're done, rinse the problem area with warm water and voilà! Clean fabric.

How to Remove Dried Slime From Clothes and Fabric

We're going to let you in on a little secret: Just because you got a little dried slime on your furniture or clothing doesn't mean your fabric is destroyed for good. Turns out that all you need is the right supplies and a little patience. To get started, Umesi recommends scraping off any easy-to-remove slime particles. From there you'll want to create a simple DIY concoction.

"Mix baking soda and vinegar to create a paste," she says. "Apply this to the dried slime in layers and leave until the paste dries." Once this homemade paste has dried, wipe away with a paper towel and warm water for clean results.

When to Call a Professional

Though slime is a pretty easy mess to clean off of your fabrics and carpets, there's always an exception to the rule. Sometimes, it might be in your best interest to enlist a professional. Every expert has a different threshold of when it's finally time to throw in the towel and hire someone to help. But for Jotham Hatch, vice president of training at Chem-Dry, it's better to be safe than sorry.

"A good rule of thumb: If the spot remains after you've carefully attempted to remove it using cold water and a small amount of dishwashing liquid, then call a pro," Hatch shares. "They will have access to more aggressive products and specialized training to help remove specialized stains like slime."

Now that you know how to clean up slime, you might feel confident to bring this DIY project into your home. To help, check out our step-by-step guide to making slime.