Have No Fear, We've Got The Fix — For Removing Slime From Hair, That Is

Slime — it’s every parent’s nemesis. But, ya know, kids love it. And why not? It’s sticky and gooey and has an all-age sensory appeal. Sometimes it even glows in the dark or sparkles! But slime is not so fun for moms, particularly when it gets on walls, carpet, or clothing. Even worse? When the slime gets into hair (theirs or yours). Yuck. It’s a nightmare to get out of everything. Well, we’ve got your fix (well, for hair at least). Below, you can check out a handy guide on how to get slime out of hair.

This simple how-to will take you through the process from start to finish of removing slime from your kid’s hair, no matter how hopeless the situation seems. Best part? It doesn’t involve scissors. All you need is a handful of household products you probably already have at home. So rest assured, mamas, slime won’t win. Let’s get started, shall we?

How to Get Slime Out of Hair: The Products

Happily, this list is gonna be pretty short. You don’t need very much to get slime out of your kiddo’s hair — as said above, a few simple products you probably already have on hand.

• Fine-tooth comb and/or detangling brush
• Coconut oil
• Shampoo
• Conditioner
• A bowl of warm water
• Towels

The key here is the coconut oil. You can also do this with EVOO or even other kitchen staples like mayonnaise or peanut butter. But TL;DR, oil is the best way to remove slime. After all, coconut oil is basically a cure-all for everything and is super-good for hair. Plus, it’s less messy than the other alternatives. For those reasons, it’s our slime removal tool of choice.

The Process

The first thing to keep in mind? You want to do this in the bathroom since you need access to the tub or shower. And make sure you grab extra towels to dry up any water that gets on the floor. It could get messy, but if prepared, it’s a quick clean-up.

Step 1: Find a comfy space in the bathroom for each of you to sit. Drape a towel over your child’s shoulders to protect their clothing. A big claw clip works great to secure the towel in place, although a simple hair tie will do the trick too. Using your fingers, remove any large chunks of slime. Then tip your little one’s head back over the side of the tub and wet their hair with warm water.

Step 2: Once their hair is wet, scoop out some coconut oil and rub it between your hands to melt it. Smooth it into their hair wherever the slime is, really working it in with your fingers. Take your comb and bowl of warm water and start slowly combing the chunks of slime out, rinsing the comb after each pass. Once you’ve gotten most of it out, rinse the coconut oil out of their hair.

Step 3: Now, this may sound backward, but the next step is to lather up their hair with conditioner (shampoo comes last during this process) and then keep combing through it in the same way you did with coconut oil. The conditioner will help loosen up and remove whatever slime is left. Keep rinsing the comb after each pass.

Step 4: It’s time to shampoo the hair. The shampoo should remove any oil residue from the slime and coconut oil and ensure it’s completely clean. You may need to shampoo twice if you notice their hair is still oily. Coconut oil, while very nourishing for hair, can be hard to wash out entirely.

Step 5: If you still notice any slime left in your child’s hair, repeat steps one through four above.

There you have it! It’s that simple — time-consuming, yes, but simple — to remove slime from your kiddo’s hair. So, the next time they want to buy it at the store or DIY it at home, have no fear; you have the fix for when it inevitably ends up in someone’s hair. Having said that, if you choose to ban slime in your home, we totally get it.

How to Remove Food Coloring Stains from Hair

If the child has dark hair, fighting food coloring stains left behind by slime isn’t usually a problem. But, if the slime’s coloring latches onto your child’s blonde or light brown hair, it could stain their locks. It’s one thing to get the slime out, but it’s a separate process rinsing out blotches of color. Use color stripping shampoo or a little rubbing alcohol to get the tint out.

What will dissolve slime?

If your little one manages to get slime in their hair, it’s probably gunked in other places too. So, if you find some goo in your carpet, breathe. Then, using a solution of vinegar and water, work the solution into the slime with a brush. Finish by patting it dry and vacuuming the spot. To make a robust slime dissolving solution, mix two-thirds of white vinegar and one-third of water into a spray bottle. After you break down the slime, use shampoo in the hair to get rid of the vinegar smell. If you’re cleaning a carpet, sprinkle some baking soda on the stained spot to cut the smell.

Another way to break down slime is to ice it out. Lay pieces of ice on the slimed area for about 10 minutes. Eventually, it will freeze up, making it easier to scrape out of the hair (or carpet).

How to Get Slime Out of Fur

If your kids have slime in their hair, it’s probably on the dog too. Thankfully, getting slime out of pet fur isn’t much different from removing it from human hair. First, rub olive oil into your pup’s skin on the slimy spot. Then use Dawn dish detergent to break down the product and wash it out. White vinegar is also a strong solution for removing slime.