3 Ways To Make Playdough Soft Again - WikiHow

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Terms of Use wikiHow is where trusted research and expert knowledge come together. Learn why people trust wikiHow How to Make Playdough Soft Again PDF download Download Article Co-authored by Amy Sheree

Last Updated: January 21, 2026 Approved

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  • Working Water Into the Dough
    • |
  • Wrapping in a Wet Paper Towel
    • |
  • Using Water in a Bag
    • |
  • Video
    • |
  • Expert Interview
    • |
  • Q&A
    • |
  • Tips
    • |
  • Warnings
    • |
  • Things You'll Need
|Show more |Show less ARTICLE VIDEO X

This article was co-authored by Amy Sheree. Amy Sheree is a Slime Expert based in Destin, Florida. She is the founder of Amma Slimes, an online slime retailer selling her handcrafted slime products. She started Amma Slimes in 2022, after spending months developing her recipes and products. Prior to running her business, she had a career as a food stylist and recipe developer, which informed her approach to perfecting her products and creating content. She sells a variety of slime types and textures, including thick and glossy, snow fizz, silica sand, her proprietary sizzly butter slime, and more. Many of her slime recipes are modeled after popular desserts and treats, like orange sherbet, apple crisp, and more. wikiHow marks an article as reader-approved once it receives enough positive feedback. This article received 24 testimonials and 83% of readers who voted found it helpful, earning it our reader-approved status. This article has been viewed 701,740 times.

When Play-Doh dries out, it gets hard, flaky, and difficult to play with. The putty is simple: it comprises mostly water, salt, and flour. In order to make this material soft again, you'll need to work water into the dough. Read on for several well-tested methods that you can use.

Steps

Method 1 Method 1 of 3:

Working Water Into the Dough

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  1. Step 1 Add water. 1 Add water. Put the Play-Doh into a small cup or bowl, then squeeze a drop of water onto it. Do not douse the dough. Go slowly, one drop at a time, so that you don't use too much. Try to fill in the cracks.[1] [2]
    • If you are working with a large amount of Play-Doh, feel free to start with more than one drop of water. Try using a teaspoon-full.
  2. Watermark wikiHow to Make Playdough Soft Again 2 Knead the Play-Doh. Use your fingers to work the water deeply into the dough. Roll the Play-Doh into a ball, stretch it out, pull it apart, and fold it into itself. If the Play-Doh is still hard after 15-20 seconds of this, add another drop of water and keep kneading.
    • If the dough is too hard to knead, try wrapping it in a wet paper towel to soften it up.
    • For very brittle dough, try sealing it in a bag with water to soften it.
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  3. Watermark wikiHow to Make Playdough Soft Again 3 Be persistent. Continue to add water and knead the Play-Doh until the putty is soft again. Don't worry if the dough is wet and slimy – just keep kneading.[3] Within a few minutes, the dough should be soft and pliable as new.
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Method 2 Method 2 of 3:

Wrapping in a Wet Paper Towel

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  1. Watermark wikiHow to Make Playdough Soft Again 1 Wrap a wet paper towel around the dough. You can also use toilet paper, a tissue, a napkin, or any other soft, absorbent paper product. Run water over the paper towel so that it is thoroughly soaked. Then, wrap the wet paper around the dough.
    • This is a good second method once you've already tried kneading water into the dough. The kneading trick is quicker and more straightforward, but it doesn't always work.
    • Make sure that the dough is relatively compact. Try rolling it into a ball or a clump. This way, it will be easier to wrap the towel.
  2. Watermark wikiHow to Make Playdough Soft Again 2 Put the dough into a sealed container. Consider using original plastic Play-Doh container, if you have it, or just using a small Tupperware. Make sure that the container is airtight so that the moisture from the towel doesn't evaporate.[4]
  3. Step 3 Leave the Play-Doh to soak overnight. 3 Leave the Play-Doh to soak overnight. Wait a day or so before you remove the Play-Doh from the airtight container. Peel the paper towel away – it should no longer be wet. Feel the Play-Doh: squeeze and pull it. Gauge whether it is soft enough.
    • If the dough still isn't soft, try adding more water and kneading it in directly. The Play-Doh mixture is mostly water, salt, and flour, so you might be able to restore the balance by re-hydrating the putty with enough water.[5]
    • If the dough doesn't become soft again with repeated efforts, it might be time to throw it out. Consider buying or making new Play-Doh.
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Method 3 Method 3 of 3:

Using Water in a Bag

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  1. Watermark wikiHow to Make Playdough Soft Again 1 Break the brittle Play-Doh into bits. Snap it down into shards so that each piece can absorb water more quickly. This should not be hard to do if the dough has stiffened. If your Play-Doh is very crumbly, be careful not to spill!
  2. Watermark wikiHow to Make Playdough Soft Again 2 Put the Play-Doh pieces into a plastic bag. Make sure that the bag is seal-able and water-resistant. A Ziploc bag is ideal, but you can use a non-resealable bag as long as you tie it shut.
  3. Watermark wikiHow to Make Playdough Soft Again 3 Mix water into the Play-Doh. Seal the bag, then knead the water and the dough together. Start with just a few drops of water, to be safe, and keep adding water as you squeeze. Do not add so much water that the color bleeds and the bag becomes soggy. Go slowly and methodically. Keep kneading until the dough feels soft.[6]
  4. Step 4 Leave the water and Play-Doh in the bag overnight. 4 Leave the water and Play-Doh in the bag overnight. Let the dry dough absorb the excess water. Make sure that the bag is sealed so that the moisture doesn't escape! Within a matter of hours, the Play-Doh should be soft, supple, and as good as new! The exact time will depend on how much dough and water you've used.
    • Don't take the Play-Doh out of the bag until it looks fairly dry. If the dough is still very wet, the color might bleed off onto your hands.
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Community Q&A

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  • Question How do I prevent playdough from getting dry? Community Answer Community Answer You can keep playdough from getting dry by keeping it in a small container, or you can put it in a zip lock bag. Thanks! We're glad this was helpful. Thank you for your feedback. If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow Yes No Not Helpful 43 Helpful 93
  • Question Could I use lotion and water or would that make it worse? Community Answer Community Answer Lotion could work, but I suggest you use it on a small piece to test it out first. Thanks! We're glad this was helpful. Thank you for your feedback. If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow Yes No Not Helpful 21 Helpful 74
  • Question How can I make the playdough less wet and sticky if I accidentally add too much water? Community Answer Community Answer You can add some plain flour to the mixture and knead it to the desired texture. Thanks! We're glad this was helpful. Thank you for your feedback. If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow Yes No Not Helpful 12 Helpful 50
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Tips

  • If none of the above methods work, try simply dunking a ball of Play-Doh in water for 15 minutes. The dough should absorb enough water in this time that it becomes soft again.[7] Be aware that the coloring might rub off on your hands! Thanks Helpful 2 Not Helpful 0
  • Just sprinkle some water and keep it in pressure cooker for 5mins. Dough will be softer as a new one. Thanks Helpful 7 Not Helpful 2
  • Keep adding water if the Play-Doh is still hard. Thanks Helpful 5 Not Helpful 4
Show More Tips

Tips from our Readers

The advice in this section is based on the lived experiences of wikiHow readers like you. If you have a helpful tip you’d like to share on wikiHow, please submit it in the field below.
  • If the playdough is still too wet after kneading, put it back into the container and leave it alone for a few hours to dry out.
  • Sometimes you will need to knead the playdough for a good three to five minutes after adding water.
Submit a Tip All tip submissions are carefully reviewed before being published Name Please provide your name and last initial Submit Thanks for submitting a tip for review! Advertisement

Warnings

  • Be aware that mold and other bacteria may be housed and thriving in the dough. Inspect it for light or dark circles forming around the driest areas and smell it to make sure it's ok. It should not be slimy or rancid. Discard any strangely discolored globs, and connected bits. Then wash your hands before making or handling any more. Thanks Helpful 5 Not Helpful 2
  • It's a craft medium and should be given to a child as such. Please keep them supervised by a responsible person. Thanks Helpful 5 Not Helpful 2
  • Despite common misconceptions, while most Playdoughs are non-tix, they are not actually safe to eat. Ingesting even small amounts can induce tummy pain, queasiness, nausea, malaise, fever, bloating, constipation/diarrhea, vomiting (often violent/projectile) and internal blockage. Thanks Helpful 5 Not Helpful 4
  • If you add too much water, the dough may get mushy. Keep kneading it until the texture returns to normal.[8] Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
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Things You'll Need

  • Water
  • Play-Doh
  • Bowl or Play-Doh container
  • Spoon to add water

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Expert Interview

Thanks for reading our article! If you’d like to learn more about playdough and slime, check out our in-depth interview with Amy Sheree.

References

  1. ↑ Amy Sheree. Slime Expert. Expert Interview
  2. ↑ http://playdoh.hasbro.com/en-us/faq
  3. ↑ http://www.learnwithplayathome.com/2012/07/dried-play-dough-water-invitation-to.html
  4. ↑ Amy Sheree. Slime Expert. Expert Interview
  5. ↑ http://playdoh.hasbro.com/en-us/faq
  6. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r4MmSmv_0yo
  7. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CjifG4g1hk4
  8. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_h9K-PythCs

About This Article

Amy Sheree Co-authored by: Amy Sheree Slime Expert This article was co-authored by Amy Sheree. Amy Sheree is a Slime Expert based in Destin, Florida. She is the founder of Amma Slimes, an online slime retailer selling her handcrafted slime products. She started Amma Slimes in 2022, after spending months developing her recipes and products. Prior to running her business, she had a career as a food stylist and recipe developer, which informed her approach to perfecting her products and creating content. She sells a variety of slime types and textures, including thick and glossy, snow fizz, silica sand, her proprietary sizzly butter slime, and more. Many of her slime recipes are modeled after popular desserts and treats, like orange sherbet, apple crisp, and more. This article has been viewed 701,740 times. 12 votes - 83% Co-authors: 29 Updated: January 21, 2026 Views: 701,740 Categories: Putty Dough and Slime Article SummaryX

To make Play-Doh soft again after it has hardened, place the dough in a bowl and squirt one drop of water onto the Play-Doh. Then, work the water into the dough by kneading it with your hands for 15-20 seconds. If the Play-Doh is still stiff, add another drop or 2 and continue kneading until it softens. Alternatively, you can wrap the Play-Doh in a wet paper towel and put it in a sealed container. Place the container in the refrigerator overnight to moisten the Play-Doh, making it soft again! If you want to learn how to moisten Play-Doh in a plastic bag, keep reading the article! Did this summary help you?YesNo

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Reader Success Stories

  • Carm Merola

    Carm Merola

    Jun 17, 2016

    "I had containers that had been sitting in a closet for a number of years, and when the kids came over, I thought I..." more
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Did this article help you?

Yes No Advertisement Cookies make wikiHow better. By continuing to use our site, you agree to our cookie policy. Amy Sheree Co-authored by: Amy Sheree Slime Expert Co-authors: 29 Updated: January 21, 2026 Views: 701,740 83% of readers found this article helpful. 12 votes - 83% Click a star to add your vote Carm Merola

Carm Merola

Jun 17, 2016

"I had containers that had been sitting in a closet for a number of years, and when the kids came over, I thought I..." more Luke B.

Luke B.

Jul 28, 2016

"Excellent! Of course, we all know that the Play-doh loses the moisture, but how to effectively reinsert this..." more Anonymous

Anonymous

Jan 7, 2017

"I was advised to do some exercises using Playdough when recovering from a broken wrist, and was disappointed in how..." more JoLayne Vrazel

JoLayne Vrazel

Aug 14, 2017

"I play with my grandson all the time making things with the playdough. But because we play with it so often,..." more Rated this article: Kinga S.

Kinga S.

Jul 28, 2017

"Very helpful and very precise description. I did use the "knead in water" method, but wanted to double..." more Share yours! More success stories Hide success stories

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