How to Fix Rubbery Slime

Learn how to fix rubbery slime with our simple tips! Wondering what to do if your slime is overactivated, hard, or rippy? It’s so frustrating when your slime turns out badly, but the good news is that rubbery slime can usually be softened again.

If your slime is too hard and breaks instead of stretching, it’s most likely overactivated. This means that too much activator was added or that activator was added too quickly. Now instead of being soft and stretchy, the slime feels stiff, hard, bouncy, or rippy.

 

If you want to fix overactivated slime, keep reading below. See how we tested different methods and what works the best to make hard slime soft and stretchy again.

Why does slime become rubbery?

Slime usually becomes rubbery when too much activator is added, or when the activator is added too quickly. Activator helps slime come together, but too much of it makes the slime firm instead of soft and stretchy.

Slime can also feel rubbery if it has too much baking soda, too many add-ins, too much clay, or if it dries out from being left uncovered. Some slime recipes are also naturally less stretchy than others, so not every stiff slime can be fixed perfectly.

How can you tell if slime is overactivated?

Overactivated slime may feel:

• Rubbery
• Stiff or hard
• Rippy when stretched
• Bouncy instead of soft
• Less stretchy than it should be

Basically, if your slime became rubbery right after adding contact solution, borax solution, or another slime activator, it’s probably overactivated.

How to Fix Rubbery Slime

The simple answer is to soften the slime slowly and carefully. Don’t add more activator, because that will usually make the slime even harder.

• Start by kneading the slime first. Working the slime with your warm hands can help loosen it up a little, especially if it’s only slightly stiff.
• Next, try adding lotion or hand cream a little bit at a time. Lotion helps to soften the slime and loosen it up.
• You can also use warm water for a quick temporary fix. Warm water will give you immediate results of softer and stretchier slime.
• Or, if the slime is only slightly rubbery, you can also let it rest overnight in an airtight container. This won’t fix every batch, but it can help mildly overactivated slime become softer.

Keep reading for more details on how we tested these methods and what we think is the best way to fix overactivated slime.

Our Tests for Fixing Rubbery Slime:

We tested several common methods for fixing rubbery slime:

1. Warm water
2. Lotion
3. Foam hand soap
4. Adding more glue
5. Glycerin
6. Resting overnight

We made batches of slime with both clear glue and white glue, then purposely added extra activator until the slime became hard and would break instead of stretching.

Then we added each test ingredient to the overactivated slime. For the resting overnight test, we left the slime alone in an airtight container.

We checked each method right away to see what gave the best immediate results, and then checked the slime again the next day to see which method worked best after sitting.

What worked best in our slime test?

Here’s what worked best when we tested different ways to fix rubbery slime:

• Best immediate fix: Warm water
• Best next-day fix: Lotion
• Also helpful: Glycerin
• Helpful for slightly rubbery slime: Resting overnight
• Not our favourite fixes: Extra glue or foam hand soap

Kneading warm water into the slime was the best immediate fix. It made the slime softer and stretchier right away, but by the next day, the slime had hardened again. So, not a long term solution.

Lotion was an okay result immediately, but gave the best results after resting overnight. The next day, the slime was much softer and stretchier, and even after a week, this slime was still stretchy.

Glycerin also helped soften the slime, but in our test, it wasn’t quite as good as lotion. Foam hand soap made the slime softer and smelled nice, but it still ripped when stretched and felt a little greasy. Adding more glue didn’t work well for us, either — the slime was somehow sticky and hard at the same time, and wasn’t nice to play with.

How to Fix Rippy Slime with Lotion

To fix rubbery slime, add a generous dot of lotion or hand cream to the slime and spread it over the surface. (For clarity’s sake we used Glysomed hand cream, but any lotion should work.)

Mix the lotion into the slime with your hands. It will feel slippery and a little hard to mix in at first, but keep kneading, stretching, and folding the slime until the lotion is fully worked in.

Once it’s mixed in, test the slime by slowly stretching it. If the slime is still ripping, add a little more lotion and knead it in again.

Repeat as needed until the slime feels softer and stretchier. Just don’t add too much lotion at once, because a lot of lotion can melt the slime and make it sticky.

For the best results, put the slime in an airtight container and let it sit overnight. In our test, the lotion-softened slime felt much better the next day.

How to Fix Hard Slime with Warm Water

Warm water was the best immediate fix for overactivated slime in our tests. It softened the slime quickly and made it much easier to stretch right away.

To fix hard slime with warm water, dip the slime in warm water and let it sit for about 20 seconds. Then pick up the slime and begin to knead and stretch it.

It will probably feel slippery and messy at first, so do this over a counter, tray, or other protected surface. Keep working the water into the slime until it starts to feel softer and stretchier.

If the slime is still too hard, repeat the process with a little more warm water. Add the water slowly, because too much can make the slime sticky and difficult to handle.

In our test, warm water worked really well right away, but the slime became hard again after sitting overnight in an airtight container. So warm water is a good quick fix, but it may not be the longest-lasting solution.

Try these fun slime recipes next:

Putty Slime

Gold Slime

Magnetic Slime

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