Borax-Free Slime Recipes

Girl wearing safety goggles holding up slime from history set
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The traditional slime recipe calls for glue and borax, but you can make slime without borax, too! Here are some easy borax-free slime recipes.

Borax-Free Slime Recipe #1

You may see this slime called "goo." This is non-toxic slime that flows when you pour it or set it down but stiffens if you punch it or squeeze it.

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 cup liquid starch
  • 1 cup white glue
  • Food coloring

Method:

  1. Mix together the liquid starch and glue.
  2. Add food coloring if you want colored slime.

Borax-Free Slime Recipe #2

Ingredients:

  • 1-1/2 cups flour
  • 1 cup cornstarch
  • 1-1/2 cups water
  • Food coloring

Method:

  1. In a saucepan, mix together the cornstarch, 3/4 cup of water, and the food coloring.
  2. Heat the mixture over low heat until it is warm.
  3. Stir in the flour, a little at a time, until all of it has been added.
  4. Stir in the remaining water. Remove the slime from the heat and allow it to cool before playing with it.

Borax-Free Slime Recipe #3

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups cornstarch
  • 1 cup warm water
  • Food coloring

Method:

  1. Stir the cornstarch into the warm water, a little at a time until all of the starch has been added. The reason for using warm water instead of room temperature water is because this makes it easier to mix the slime without getting any clumps. You can add a little more starch if you want a thicker slime. Add a small amount of water if you want a runnier slime. Also, the consistency of the slime is affected by temperature. Warm slime will flow more readily than cool or refrigerated slime.
  2. Add food coloring to achieve the desired color.

Borax-Free Slime Recipe #4

This slime is electroactive. If you take a small piece of polystyrene foam (e.g., Styrofoam) and rub it on dry hair or a cat, you can put it near the slime and watch the material edge toward the foam or even break off and stick to it.

Ingredients:

  • 3/4 cup cornstarch
  • 2 cups vegetable oil

Method:

  1. Mix together the ingredients and refrigerate the slime.
  2. When you are ready to play with the slime, stir the ingredients together (separation is normal), and have fun! The slime will be thick when it is fresh from the refrigerator but will flow more readily as it warms up. You can use temperature to control the consistency of the slime or you can add a bit more cornstarch for thicker slime or a small amount of additional oil for thinner borax-free slime.

Storing the Slime

You can store the slime from any of these recipes in a sealed container, such as a bowl or a plastic bag. The slime is good for a couple of days at room temperature or at least a week if stored in the refrigerator.

Why Make Slime Without Borax?

There are a few reasons why you might want to make a slime without using borax, aside from the obvious reason that you might not be able to find this ingredient. Borax is reasonably safe, but it is not an ingredient you want kids to eat. Also, borax has been known to cause skin irritation. Borax and other boron compounds are toxic to insects and can be harmful to plants (in higher amounts), so non-borax slime may be a "greener" type of slime, with less of an environmental impact than the traditional slime.

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Your Citation
Helmenstine, Anne Marie, Ph.D. "Borax-Free Slime Recipes." ThoughtCo, Apr. 5, 2023, thoughtco.com/borax-free-slime-recipes-608227. Helmenstine, Anne Marie, Ph.D. (2023, April 5). Borax-Free Slime Recipes. Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/borax-free-slime-recipes-608227 Helmenstine, Anne Marie, Ph.D. "Borax-Free Slime Recipes." ThoughtCo. https://www.thoughtco.com/borax-free-slime-recipes-608227 (accessed March 29, 2024).