How to Get Slime Out of Hair

How to Get Slime Out of Hair: An Essential Guide for Slime-Loving Kids

Slime provides an endlessly fun, creative sensory activity for kids. Unfortunately, that gooey, sticky fun often ends with stubborn slime residue tangled hopelessly in hair. Whether store-bought or homemade, slime poses a hair hazard that parents know well. This comprehensive guide covers effective tips and tricks for removing every last bit of slime from strands quickly and safely.

What Makes Slime So Hard to Remove From Hair?

Many slime recipes call for glue-based binders like Elmer’s or even fabric stiffeners. While pliable when wet, these adhesive substances harden and deeply stick to hair as slime dries out. Combined with other thickening ingredients like laundry detergent, baking soda, or contact lens solution, dried slime forms a stubborn, matted mess.

The more textured ingredients in slime like beads, foam balls, or glitter only compound hair entanglement issues. As slime dries, these mix-ins adhere to hair shafts, creating knots and requiring extra elbow grease to break apart. Even after pulling out bigger slime chunks, an uncomfortable residue may remain deeply embedded.

The Worst Ways to Try Removing Slime From Hair

When panicking over a sticky slime situation, avoid these knee-jerk reactions that often make matters worse:

• Dry Brushing/Combing: Aggressive brushing on dried slime just tangles and rips hair further. Detangling sprays still struggle against slime.
• Cutting Out Slime Chunks: Always a last resort – cutting creates uneven, damaged hair and rarely removes all residue.
• Peanut Butter: While sometimes effective for gum, the oils in peanut butter may further spread and transfer slime deeper into hair.
• Shampoo/Water Alone: Average shampoos and water lack the bond-breaking ability to dissolve dried, hardened slime stuck in hair effectively.
• Petroleum/Mineral Oil: These heavy oils only attract more dirt and residue, requiring multiple washings to remove fully.

Rather than resorting to drastic measures, a gentle, systematic approach using the right tools and products proves far more effective.

The Best Methods for Getting Slime Out of Hair

These recommended techniques utilize everyday household items and help break the unbreakable bonds keeping slime stuck:

• Slime Dissolver Spray: Mix warm water with a few tablespoons of baking soda, dish soap, and conditioner. Spray liberally and let soak for 20 minutes before gently detangling with fingers.
• Baking Soda Paste: Make a baking soda paste with water, working it into slimed areas for 15-20 minutes with gentle scrubbing. The abrasive baking soda helps dissolve and loosen dried slime.
• Vinegar Rinse: After loosening slime, rinse with equal parts warm water and white vinegar. Vinegar’s acetic acid helps further break down slime bonds for easier hair rinsing.
• Conditioner Masking: Work in a heavy conditioner before and after the vinegar rinse. Let sit for 20-30 minutes to help re-hydrate and strengthen strands.
• Wide-Tooth Comb Detangling: Never use brushes, only wide-tooth combs, working slowly and gently from bottom to top to fully remove all knots/slime.

This multi-step process may take patience, but it dissolves and loosens dried slime without causing unnecessary hair breakage or damage.

 Best Clarifying Shampoos to Use After Slime Removal

After loosening and detangling as much slime as possible, wash hair thoroughly with a clarifying shampoo formula. These shampoos utilize powerful surfactants to flush away any lingering residue:

Neutrogena Anti-Residue Shampoo: Designed to remove even the toughest residues from hair products, medications, hard water buildup, etc.

Redken Hair Cleansing Cream Shampoo: A concentrated clarifier with added chelating ingredients to break down oils and waxy buildup.

Paul Mitchell Shampoo Three: Potent yet gentle enough for daily use to strip chlorine, hard water, hairspray, etc. without drying hair.

Aveeno Apple Cider Vinegar Shampoo: Natural acids like ACV deeply cleanse and nourish hair simultaneously. Gentle and color-safe.

For heavy duty slime situations, reach for a maximum strength clarifying or “scrub” shampoo. The concentrated surfactants in these formulas help wash away the last traces of slime buildup when used properly.

At-Home Remedies to Remove Stubborn Slime From Hair

For extra stubborn slime residue that just won’t budge, escalate removal efforts with these tried-and-true home remedies:

• Lemon Juice/Baking Soda: Work in a paste of lemon juice and baking soda, allowing it to sit for 20-30 minutes before rinsing. The acidity helps break slime bonds.
• Apple Cider Vinegar Rinse: Pour diluted ACV over hair and let soak for 30 minutes pre-shampoo. The vinegar’s acetic acid provides extra residue-fighting power.
• Cola Soak: Yes, carbonation from soda like cola can help dissolve sticky slime. Pour over hair and let sit for 10-15 minutes before shampooing out.
• Peppermint Oil Hot Towel: Add a few drops of peppermint oil to hot water and fully saturate towels. Wrap hair and let steam for 20+ minutes to help loosen.
• Olive Oil Mask: For dry, damaged areas, treat with a penetrating olive oil mask overnight after removing as much slime as possible.

With diligence and creativity, even the most stubborn slime tangled in hair succumbs to these at-home remedies. Just be patient and let products fully soak in before rinsing.

When to Seek Help Removing Slime From Hair

In most cases, sticking to the systematic approach above removes even the heaviest slime buildup in hair over time. However, seek help from a professional stylist if:

Hair remains severely matted and tangled after multiple attempts to loosen slime.
Excessive hairs breakage or scalp irritation occurs from aggressive slime removal efforts.
A large, solid chunk of dried slime refuses to budge and resists all dissolving/loosening.

Professional stylists have access to stronger chemical solutions formulated to remove bonded materials safely from hair without damage. Attempting drastic measures alone may worsen hair’s condition.

Preventing Future Slime Hair Catastrophes

While slime mishaps remain inevitable for kids, these tips minimize hair entanglement issues:

• Have Kids Wear Shower Caps: Keeping hairs covered and contained during slime play prevents loose strands from getting coated.
• Use Less Adhesive Ingredients: Choose slime recipes using less glue or swapping glue for thin clear gels or edible ingredients.
• Avoid Mixing Slime Colors: Combining colors creates a darker sludge more visible and harder to remove from hairs.
• Skip Slime Add-Ins: Beads, glitter, foam balls only worsen tangles in the event hairs does get slimed.
• Tie Hair Up: When playing with slime, secure long hair up and away from face and shoulders to avoid contact.

While impossible to avoid slime-in-hairs incidents entirely, preventative measures like these reduce frequency and severity. With the right removal process and household products, even the worst hair/slime scenarios prove fixable.

Most Importantly – Stay Calm!

At the end of the day, slime only proves temporary when utilizing the proper techniques for dislodging it carefully from hairs. Avoid panicking or taking drastic measures like cutting away chunks. With determination, commonly found household products, and lots of conditioner, any parent or kid can emerge slime-free once again!

Slime tangled up in hairs ranks up there as one of a parent’s worst nightmares – but it’s also a mess that comes with the territory. By following these tips and tricks using everyday items, stubborn dried slime has finally met its match for getting fully dislodged from even the most tangled strands. Approach removal efforts with patience and a gentle hand.