ST. LOUIS (KTVI) – Making homemade slime has become fun activity for kids in recent years. But the hobby is leading to two problems: a shortage of materials and health concerns.
Two common household products are used to create homemade slime: Elmer’s clear glue and Borax. The mixture creates a gooey, stretchy substance that kids can play with; thanks to the power of social media and the ubiquity of YouTube children and parents going wild for slime.
But when it comes stocking store shelves with Elmer’s clear glue, nothing seems to stick.
Amanda Howard, a manager at the Art Mart in Brentwood, said they’ve heard parents say they are happy their kids are into something creative versus spending time on their cellphones. Some kids are even holding slime parties.
“We stopped getting (it), I think, a couple of weeks ago, just because Elmer’s is having a hard time keeping up with all the demand of it, but people are buying it 6 (to) 10 bottles at a time,” Howard said.
Some safety concerns have risen with the slime after an 11-year-old girl in Massachusetts suffered second and third-degree burns on her hand from prolonged exposure to the slime, which was made using Borax. Elmer’s has developed recipes that it says are safe and uses baking soda or contact lens solution. Meanwhile, the glue company said it will increase the production of the clear glue to keep up with the demand.
