The latest online kids’ craze - slime! The do-it-yourself project has reportedly caused some glue shortages in stores but Consumer Reports says a bigger concern is one of slime’s key ingredients, borax - a household cleaner. Consumer Reports’ experts share their concerns.

Some recipes call for a combination of school glue, water, and borax. However Consumer Reports says you should take some precautions. Borax, also known as sodium tetraborate hexahydrate is meant to be a household cleaner or an additive for your laundry. Just because you have it around, just because it seems to be perfectly safe for those types of applications doesn’t mean it should be used in anything else particularly household slime.

Borax products can comes with a label that states ‘Keep out of reach of children.’ Sodium tetraborate hexahydrate or borax is a known eye, nose and respiratory tract irritant. So we really don’t want young kids, particularly young kids to be exposed to this because it’s a potential hazard.

Another concern is toddlers or younger children getting a hold of the slime or its ingredients and accidentally eating them. For older children and adults use common sense, avoid direct contact with your eyes and wash your hands after making and playing with the slime. And as a reminder it’s always a good idea to store household cleaning and laundry products out of reach of children.

If Borax does come into contact with your eyes be sure to rinse with plenty of water for 15 minutes. In case of accidental ingestion call the poison control center at 1-800- 222-1222 or seek medical attention.

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