If your family has a teen or a tween they're probably obsessed with making slime, gak or flubber, the craft craze that's sweeping the nation.
Most recipes involve combining Borax and Elmer's glue to make a gooey, squishy creation that's become so popular glue is selling out across the country.
This may seem like harmless fun - it's easy, creative and silly - but there are some serious health risks every parent should know. The extreme case of one girl from Massachusetts who suffered third-degree burns is reminding parents that this fun activity can also be dangerous.
The risk comes from one of the main ingredients in most slime recipes: Borax.
While this cleaning product is natural, it's not 100% safe. Exposure to the powder in large doses can cause seizures, breathing issues and even affect fertility.
Thankfully, most recipes only use small amounts of the product. But parents should still be careful to
- keep Borax out of children's eyes
- never let children eat Borax
- make sure they wash their hands after handling the slime and its ingredients
If your kids do swallow any Borax call the poison control number - 1-800-222-1222 - right away.
Most children don't have such a strong reaction to the chemical, so there's no reason to keep them from using it as long as you supervise them.
If you're really worried, there are lots of recipes for slime online that don't use Borax.
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