How to Fix & Revive Dried Out Play-Doh
You won’t believe how well this simple technique to revive and soften dried out playdough works!
This post was originally published in 2015, but after pulling out the same exact container of Playdoh again TODAY in 2020, and using the same exact technique, I felt compelled to give this post an update and share it again for any new readers. IT WORKS! Even on playdough that is 6 years old!
Nothing brings you back to childhood faster than the smell of Play-Doh.
Just try to resist picking up a clump and squishing it between your fingers when you spot the kid in your life playing with it at the kitchen table.
I dare you! 😉
My daughter is a huge Play-Doh fan. I gave her her first set of Play-Doh when she was just 2 years old (with close supervision of course).
Needless to say, after a little over a year the original set is starting to get dry and crumbly.
Not so easy to fulfill Brynn’s requests for me to sculpt impossible things out of. “Can you make a Cooper and a bed and me in the bed with Cooper?” Yeah, sure…
Fear not, the life of this Play-Doh is far from over!
I’m going to share with you how I took my daughter’s Play-Doh from clumpy and hard to play with to practically brand new…
… with just one simple ingredient!
How to Fix & Revive Dried Up Play-Doh
Materials
- Dried Up Play-Doh
- Water
Instructions
1. Take your dried out, crumbly Play-Doh and run it under warm water for a few seconds.
2. Massage the warm water in. Yes, it will start out pretty goopy in your hands but as you massage, the water starts to get worked in.
3. Repeat as necessary. That's it!
Our ball of Play-Doh took about 2 rounds of moisturizing and massaging. Now, it’s back to it’s former glory.
My daughter’s favorite thing to make are “boo-bop-be-bops”.
AKA: these little red dots.
We think she’s referencing the sound you make when you’re pretending to press a bunch of buttons. How cute is she?
She can also be a little ridiculous. After the photo taking of our Play-Doh adventures was all said and done this was the best face I could get out of her. Stinker.
Other Methods for Making Play-Doh Soft Again
If the “kneading with water” method didn’t work as well as you hoped (or if you are just curious about alternatives) here are a few other methods to try:
Paper Towel Soak
This is an official method from the Hasbro website.
Wrap the ball of dough in a damp paper towel and place in the container with the lid on overnight.
Ziploc Soak
Rip the dried out playdough into small pieces.
Place the pieces into a ziploc bag and sprinkle them with enough water to dampen slightly.
Seal the bag and massage the playdough into a clump. Let it sit overnight.
Does Play-Doh Expire?
With all of my research, I found that store bought Play-Doh does not expire.
This does not mean that it can’t be affected by germs.
To reduce the chance of infecting your Play-Doh with potential viruses and germs, don’t allow sick children to play with it and make sure that healthy kids wash their hands before they play.
You Might Also Be Wondering: Is Play-Doh Gluten Free?
According to the Hasbro website…
The exact ingredients of Play-Doh compound are proprietary, so we cannot share them with you. We can tell you that it is primarily a mixture of water, salt and flour. It does NOT contain peanuts, peanut oil, or any milk byproducts. It DOES contain wheat.
playdoh.hasbro.com
You Might Also Be Wondering: Is Play-Doh Biodegradable?
Because Hasbro won’t release what is exactly in their dough, unfortunately I can’t exactly say if it’s completely biodegradable or not.
I will say that because they state it is primarily made of water, salt, and flour, you’re probably safe if you want to compost it.
I hope my tips for reviving old Play-Doh help save lots of dough from the garbage can. It really was so easy!
And if all else fails, Play-Doh isn’t that expensive. Throw in the towel and buy your kid (and honestly, yourself) a new Play-Doh mega pack.
Oh my god really? I'm never throwing out playdoh again. Thanks so much for sharing I never would have thought you could save playdoh!
It's really that simple! One of those, “Duh, why didn't I think of that?” moments. It really did bring it back to a soft, moldable form. Not sure if this would work for Play-doh that has REALLY gotten dried out, though. But it worked quite well for our thoroughly played with dough!
Ahah, yes, I have so many of those Duh moments. This tip will definitely come in handy with the kids!