What activator works best for making slime at home?

Contact lens solution that lists boric acid on the label is the easiest and most reliable activator. If your solution doesn't contain boric acid, the slime won't set — that's the single most common reason homemade slime fails.

Why is my slime too sticky, and how do I fix it?

Stir in about half a teaspoon of baking soda before you add the activator — it helps the slime come together and reduces stickiness. If it's still sticky after kneading, add a tiny bit more contact solution and keep working it with your hands for about two minutes.

How long does homemade slime last?

Stored in an airtight container at room temperature, homemade slime lasts about two weeks before it starts to dry out or get crumbly.

How to Make Slime That Actually Works

165,000 people search how to make slime every single month. Which means a lot of people are making slime that doesn’t work. I’ve been making slime since I was eight and I’ve messed it up enough times to know exactly what goes wrong. This is the version that works every time.

I’ve messed it up enough times to know exactly what goes wrong.

What You Need

1 bottle of white school glue (the regular Elmer’s, not the gel kind)
Baking soda — just a little bit
Contact lens solution — has to say “contains boric acid” on the label. This is the activator. If yours doesn’t say that it won’t work and that’s probably why your last batch failed.
Food coloring if you want color (optional but obviously yes)
A bowl and something to stir with

Some recipes use borax or liquid starch. Those work too but the contact solution method is the easiest and you can find everything at a regular drugstore.

How to Make It

Pour the whole bottle of glue into your bowl. The whole thing. Don’t try to save some for later.
Add about half a teaspoon of baking soda and stir it in completely. This helps the slime come together and makes it less sticky at the end.
If you want color, add your food coloring now and mix it in. Do this before the activator or you’ll be trying to mix color into something that’s already turning into slime. Trust me.
Add the contact solution slowly — like one tablespoon at a time — and stir as you go. You’ll see it start to pull away from the bowl and clump together. That’s exactly what’s supposed to happen.
Keep adding contact solution and stirring until it stops sticking to the bowl. Then pick it up and knead it with your hands for about two minutes. It gets less sticky as you work it.
If it’s still too sticky, add a tiny bit more contact solution and keep kneading. If it’s too stiff and tears instead of stretches, you added too much — there’s no fixing that batch but now you know.

When it stretches without breaking and doesn’t stick to your hands, you made slime. Store it in an airtight container and it’ll last a couple weeks.

One More Thing

Add a tiny bit of lotion to the finished slime if you want it extra soft and stretchy. Just a little. This is the difference between regular slime and the really satisfying kind.

What You’ll Need

Elmer’s Glue Color Rush Slime Kit