Sunday, September 9, 2007

Fun Facts About Slime!

I have a bit of a naturalist on my hands in the form of a 3.8 year old boy. Linden loves all bugs, animals and spiders.

Today he found a slug which he had to bring back home. In the process of transporting the treasure, the slug experienced some anxiety and slimed Linden's hands. Linden shows me his find, which we convince him to put outside so that it can go home. Between trying to save the slug from his plant stomping bug squashing brother (run Sluggy, RUN) and trying not to step on Sluggy, Linden gets slimed again.

We march into the bathroom to clean the slime off. Not only does the slime not react to water and soap - it appears to multiply at the thought of water. So now we have double the slime with the adhesive properties of rubber cement. We graduate to the dish soap (for some reason I thought that slime was related to grease - it is not). Not happy with the copious amounts of slime replicating in the bathroom we move to the kitchen for the larger sink. Where Nana produces a tooth brush and OVEN cleaner.

Time for mommy to stop the madness and check the internet for help. Before someone losses an eye.

Sure enough, confirmed on the internet (because clearly someone else has asked Jeeves this) Slime loves water. In fact that is one of the properties that scientists are studying. That and its amazing ability to withstand and adhere during the more vigorous scrubbing with all sorts of caustic agents.

Stopped the toothbrush / granulated cleaner (which had been located close to the oven cleaner - not really sure what it was) and dried the hands.

The rapidly rubbed hands back and forth together in manner of removing rubber cement (close cousin of slug slime). Voila - slug slime be gone.

Please print this out and put it on your fridge. One day you will need it.

The good news is that the flesh under the slime is protected by the slime to every agent you put on it. So child will not get chemical burn.

In all the hygiene drama Sluggy booked it back to the wild. Be free Sluggy.

1 comment:

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