How slime-crazed kids made gunk a booming business • Hacker News Board

Re: How slime-crazed kids made gunk a booming business

#21

Post by washadjeffmad » Thu, Apr 12, 2018, 5:33 PM UTC

wil421 wrote: post #3

character0 wrote: post #2

How does an article about slime not mention Nickelodeon?

Right, I grew up in the 80s/90s and slime was a big deal on Nickelodeon. I can remember a kids party in the mid 90s where we even made our own Nickelodeon slime and the slimed each other What about Gak? This stuff looks like a rip off of it. My parents hated Gak with a passion due to many messes created by my brother an me. Edit: looks like Gak was Nickelodeon branded.

Yeah, gak or floam once rubbed into fabrics or carpet were pretty much impossible to get out.

I think we had one container of each, and after my mother realized their staining potential, we found them both dried up one day, their lids mysteriously left off.

Re: How slime-crazed kids made gunk a booming business

#22

Post by pasbesoin » Thu, Apr 12, 2018, 8:30 PM UTC

Friend's recent story of her daughter's backpack -- and its contents -- thoroughly slimed after her daughter's purchase from a classmate escaped confinement.

I suggested freezing it and seeing whether the slime would stiffen enough to break off and be brushed or shaken out.

Re: How slime-crazed kids made gunk a booming business

#23

Post by joezydeco » Thu, Apr 12, 2018, 9:11 PM UTC

simulate wrote: post #20

joezydeco wrote: post #13

I've made countless batches with my daughter and her friends. One tip: instead of making a borax solution in hot water which can irritate the skin of some, use a contact-lens solution that has a borate-type preservative it in it. It might cost a little more, but it's a lot safer on skin and easier to handle (comes in it's own bottle with a cap).

Contact lens solution does not contain a borate-type preservative. The active ingredient in contact lens solution is boric acid . There are some contact lens solutions that don't contain boric acid but they won't make slime. You need boric acid to make slime and you can either get it from Borax or contact lens solution. Borax has been getting negative press recently and I see people recommending contact lens solution…

Yeah, thanks for the clarification.

I believe it's safer because when people make their own boric acid solutions using Borax 20 Mule Team powder and water, they make it way way too strong. Handling the raw powder isn't a great idea for kids either.

Using the contact solution still gives the necessary catalyst, but kids can handle it safely. It may take a bit more volume to make it the reaction happen, but it still happens.