School Holiday Mess: how to clean up slime, playdough, paint and other kid messes

The school holidays are a great opportunity for enjoying some quality family time, engaging with the children, and cultivating their curiosity and creativity at home. With the summer half-term coinciding with a four-day Jubilee weekend this year, for many children this meant a greater emphasis on arts and crafts than usual. However, as heart-warming as it is to watch children express their visions through art, it’s not quite so charming when you discover patches of neon green blobs on your new rug or neutral living room walls.

We’ve put together some tips on how to remove five of the worst children's messes below so you can quickly restore your home to its former glory with a few simple steps. Keep reading to find out how to get rid of paint, markers, slime, playdough and glitter mess.

Paint, Pens & Felt-tips

For water-based acrylic paint, watercolours and pens or felt-tips use lukewarm water mixed with some washing up liquid. For fabrics or carpets, apply a small amount of the mix over the stain and blot with a clean, white cloth. Rinse by blotting away the soap with clean water and the white cloth (rinsing in between). Always blot, never rub. Rubbing with spread the colour around the original stain and deeper into the fabric. For hard surfaces, apply some of the soapy mix to a damp white cloth and wipe the paint or marks. Be as precise as you can, lift the paint and rinse your cloth repeatedly to avoid spreading the paint around. Dry with a clean cloth or paper towel.

Permanent Markers

If you’ve come across a permanent market stain, don’t panic! It doesn't have to be permanent.

For carpets and fabric, apply a small amount of rubbing alcohol over the stain and blot quickly for a couple of minutes. Do not rub as this can spread the ink. Rinse out the alcohol with a clean, white, dampened cloth. Repeat if necessary. For delicate or dark textiles, do a patch test on an inconspicuous area before trying on the marker stain.

For walls, metal surfaces, glass, and granite you can also use rubbing alcohol. Apply it using a damp, clean, white cloth. Be gentle on walls so as not to remove the paint!

For tiles and glass, you can also use regular toothpaste (not gel) and a toothbrush or cloth to remove the marks.

For wood, you’ll need to determine if the wood is finished or unfinished. If the wood is unfinished or you’re unsure, always consult a professional. If the wood is finished you can use diluted rubbing alcohol but always test a small, discreet area first to avoid damaging the wood.

Slime

Slime is great for kids, but it can also be an extremely messy problem for parents. Especially if it gets onto carpets, upholstery, or fabrics. The sticky, fluid nature of slime allows it to quickly seep into textiles and cling firmly onto the fibres. To remove it, follow the steps below:

1. Pick up as much of the slime as you can with your hands, being careful not to spread it more while doing so.

2. Use one of the bigger clumps of slime to lift the smaller bits remaining by gently pressing it onto them. The big piece will stick to the smaller ones and lift some of it up. Do this gently to avoid pressing the slime further into the carpet and do not go over any spot more than once.

3. Pour or spray a small amount of white vinegar onto the remaining slime and leave it on for 30 seconds. The acidic vinegar breaks up the cross-linking bonds in slime, dissolving it and, in turn, detaching it from whatever it’s stuck to. We always recommend testing the vinegar on a small, discreet patch first, especially for dark, delicate, or ornately decorated textiles.

4. Apply the vinegar and wait 30 seconds then use a small brush, toothbrush, or a spoon to scrape and lift the slimy fluid from the carpet or fabric for a few minutes. Try to be very patient and precise to avoid spreading the liquid outside the affected area. Do not exceed 10 minutes on this step as the vinegar could stain your textile if left for a prolonged period. You can repeat this process later if you haven’t removed all the slime yet.

5. Rinse the area with warm water and use a clean white cloth to lift away the vinegar and remaining slime. Do this thoroughly to get rid of the vinegar.

6. If there is still some slime residue, repeat this process 1-2 more times until it’s gone.

For dry slime: Gently scrape off as much of the slime as you can. Follow the same steps as above but use a mix of 2 parts vinegar to 1 part water over the dry slime until it’s saturated and then use a brush to agitate the slime until it softens. This may take a couple of minutes. Proceed with the next steps, as above.

Playdough

Playdough is another excellent source of creativity and fun; however, it too can cause some serious mess on carpets and textiles. Unlike slime, most play doughs are predominantly made of a mixture of water, salt and flour and will dry out after a few hours, when it’s much easier to remove. Don’t be tempted to remove it when soft, wait and carry out the following simple steps:

1. We repeat, allow the play doh to dry completely! This will make it much easier to remove. Attempting to remove it while soft will just spread it out and make it worse.

2. Once fully dry, use a stiff carpet brush to brush out the playdough. For big flat pieces you can also use a butter knife to gently lift off some of the playdough.

3. Vacuum up the loosened pieces play dough as you go along. This will stop you from rubbing the loosened pieces back into the carpet.

4. If there is still some play dough left, apply cold water mixed with a little washing up liquid over the patches and continue to brush. Do not use hot water as this will melt the play dough and stain your textiles further!

5. Rinse with clean cold water and a clean white cloth.

6. Repeat if necessary.

Glitter

Glitter is notoriously difficult to clean up. It seems to permeate every corner of the house the second it’s released but with a few simple tools and tricks you can keep it under control whenever the crafting begins.

1. Vacuum Cleaner: The vacuum cleaner is your obvious first port of call when you’re dealing with spilled mounds of glitter. The suction performance will quickly and neatly collect glitter particles whereas a dustpan and brush or broom may disperse stray glitter particles further afield as you sweep. You’ll be able to eliminate most of the glitter using a vacuum, but you’ll likely still see small specks of glitter around. Use one of the tricks below for a flawless finish

2. Lint Roller: Run a lint roller over flat, hard-to-get glitter patches and the adhesive will collect the stubborn pieces missed the vacuum missed. Peel off the layers of paper as needed to avoid transferring the glitter back to the item you are cleaning, this is especially relevant for fabrics. If you don’t have a lint roller to hand, you can use duct tape or masking tape either taped back around the roll or around your hand, ensuring the sticky side is exposed.

3. Damp Cloth: For a spotless finish on hard surfaces, you can use a damp microfibre cloth to wipe down any areas that are still sparkly with the last glitter specks. Ensure the cloth is damp as the moisture will trap the glitter. Always wash your cloth thoroughly after to avoid transporting the glitter elsewhere in your home.

When to ask for professional help?

Small, superficial stains can be tackled by you at home using the tips provided above. Time is of the essence in most cases. The quicker you deal with them the higher your chances of a clean finish. For larger or more troublesome stains, repeat the processes outlined above a couple of times but if the stain persists seek professional help rather than continuing and possibly causing more damage. For carpets and upholstery, steam cleaning and targeted specialist cleaning may be the only way to restore them. When dealing with delicate, highly pigmented, or intricately designed carpet and textiles proceed cautiously. Always carry out at a patch test and consult a professional if in doubt.