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How to Clean Slime Stains

Catherine asked: How do I clean slime stains? My daughter has a red colored slime brain toy that she tossed all around her room, sticking it to the walls and ceiling and leaving stains. While I was successful at cleaning off the red tint, the walls still have a grey discoloration in the spots where the toy brain splattered. How can I clean these individual spots and avoid doing a massive repainting of the room?

Part of what makes slime slimy is its oil content, the gray discoloration was probably caused by the oil. Grey stains are classic oil stains, whether from the oil on a person’s hands (which also could have gotten on the slime) or from the slime toy itself. Luckily, this technique should remove them, or at least improve their appearance.

For Verticle Surfaces and Ceilings

You Will Need:

  • Cornstarch or baking soda
  • Water
  • Bowl
  • Brush with soft bristles
  • Floor covering

Steps to Remove the Stain:

  1. Make a paste of the powder (cornstarch or baking soda) and water. Add water very slowly, stirring it thoroughly, to get a thick paste that is about the consistency of peanut butter or toothpaste.
  2. Cover the floor under the stain with a towel, tarp, or another protective floor covering.
  3. Apply the paste directly to the stained areas of the wall or ceiling.
  4. Wait two hours, or until the paste dries.
  5. Brush the dry paste off the treated surface. A clean dustpan brush works well for this and the dustpan can be held underneath to catch the dried paste pieces.

For Floors or Flat Surfaces

You Will Need:

  • Cornstarch or baking soda
  • Plastic wrap
  • Tape or weights
  • A vacuum or broom

Steps to Remove the Stains:

  1. Pour a generous amount of cornstarch or baking soda over the area. The pile should be about half an inch thick.
  2. If the area is windy or you have kids or pets who could disturb the powder, cover it with plastic wrap. You can either tape the plastic wrap in place or use weights. If using tape, use a weak tape like Scotch tape to avoid damaging the surface. Do not use duct tape.
  3. Let the powder sit for a couple hours.
  4. Vacuum or sweep up the powder.
  5. Repeat the process as many times as needed to fully remove the stains.

Other Surfaces

Slime stains can be treated as oil stains on any surface. Use these guides to remove the stain.

Additional Tips and Advice
  • If you don’t have any cornstarch or baking soda, you can try using flour or baby powder.
  • Another possible cause of the discoloration is the cleaning product used to remove the red slime coloring from the walls. If this caused the gray spots, your solution, if any, will depend on what you used to clean the mess.
  • If the stains remain, repainting may be your only option.
  • If you have a slime stain on wood, use the guide How to Remove Oil Stains from Wood.

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Comments

  1. Emma says

    Vinegar: pour some on the slime, wait for 30 seconds and rinse it out. If you find a slimy spot, pour on a little more directly and rinse again. Use just enough to soak into whatever it is the slime got dropped on (no need to soak in it) and hey presto… Source? Experience–both fails (other methods) and successes (vinegar).

    Reply

    • Diana says

      A neighbor child brought me her sock with slime on it already hardened. I used Goo Gone, Dawn in boiling water, then the vinegar you suggested, then washed again with Dawn. The slime is out–not sure which worked. The Goo Gone didn’t seem to help. She’s bringing the other one over later and I will try the vinegar alone before I try anything else.

      Reply

    • Melanie says

      Poop,
      Mix a little mild detergent like bleach-free dish liquid in a bowl of water to make suds, skim the suds off the surface of the water onto a cloth and wring out the cloth so it’s only damp, not dripping, then wash the slime off the wall with the cloth. Other options that might work are all purpose cleaner or a Mr. Clean Magic Eraser. Test any method on a small hidden area first to look for any adverse reaction. Good luck!
      Source: HowToCleanStuff – How to Clean Walls

      Reply

    • Melanie says

      M Kasprzyk,
      The method for Vertical Surfaces and Ceilings should work, just be very gentle when brushing it off so you don’t brush off any of the popcorn as well. If needed, you can cover the paste with some plastic wrap, tape the plastic wrap in place with a weak tape like masking tape so it doesn’t leave an adhesive stain, and let the paste fully dry out so that it will simply fall away from the ceiling without any brushing needed or with just a slight push from your finger. Of course, apply the tape between any popcorn pieces, not on top of them or you might pull them off along with the tape. Good luck!

      Reply

    • Melanie says

      Brandy,
      The best thing to do is slowly work it out piece by piece, scraping it off with a spoon. Next, rub some dish liquid into the areas of slime and wash it (however you would nomally wash the blanket: gentle cycle in the washer or by hand in the tub). If possible, use a clear dish liquid to avoid stains from the dyes in the product. Although warm water would be best for removing the oily slime stains, you might want to do a cold water wash instead to protect the blanket fibers unless yu’ve used warm water in the past and are sure it’s safe. Good luck!

      Reply

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