How to Soften Playdoh? Follow the Step by Step Guideline

If children surround you or you are passionate about crafts and art, you will know that clay tends to harden when it is not used for a while. However, there are many ways to smooth it out again so you can keep creating. Among the components of plasticine, flour, salt and water stand out, and precisely the latter will be of great help when softening the plasticine. If you want to discover a simple step by step on how to soften playdoh, do not miss the following article.

How to soften playdoh?

There are several ways to soften the plasticine with water. It is always important not to abuse this liquid, as the mass could lose its color. Follow the step below:

1. Place the clay in a medium cup and add a few drops of water to it, as you should avoid soaking it. You must pour the water drop by drop, as this way you could wet the playdoh superficially but without filling it with water. If the clay in question is very large, you can do it by the spoonful.
2. Knead the plasticine little by little so that the water is introduced into it.
3. Finally form a ball, stretch it and join it again. If the ball of clay is still hard, you should add a few more drops of water and try again.
4. You can also wrap the modeling clay with a wet towel and let the playdoh sit overnight in a hermetically sealed container so that the water in the towel does not evaporate.

If for some reason neither procedure works, you can do the following:

• Break the play playdoh into several pieces and store them in a plastic bag that is waterproof (make sure it has a tight seal).
• Add several drops of water to it, then close the bag and begin to knead the playdoh. If it does not become soft, you can put a little more water.
• Let it sit overnight, so it absorbs the water almost completely. The bag must remain closed so that the steam will not escape.

Soften play playdoh in the microwave

If you wonder how to soften the clay, you should know that there is a very easy option for which you will only need one appliance: the microwave.

• Put the piece of play playdoh in a glass or plastic container.
• Please put it in the microwave for 20 seconds. You must respect this time since if the playdoh were to overheat, it would release sulfur vapors (very harmful to health).
• Take the plate out of the oven and let the clay sit at room temperature before using.

Or, you can soften the playdoh under sunlight for 1-2 hours or in an oven. If you use this last option, follow this step by step:

1. Place the playdoh on a cookie sheet.
2. Preheat the oven to 150 degrees and insert the clay for no more than 10 minutes.
3. Remove the playdoh with the necessary protection to avoid burning yourself.
4. Let it cool for 2-3 minutes, especially if it’s steaming.

Keep in mind that you choose the process you choose, you should always add a few drops of water to the playdoh, since otherwise it would dry out and lose its properties.

Soften playdoh with steam

Our last suggestion is that you soften the clay with steam. To do so, follow this simple step by step:

1. Flatten all the playdoh along the sides of a steamer but make sure it doesn’t cover the entire space.
2. Place a little water in the pot in question and turn on the fire so that the steam acts on the clay. 5 or 10 minutes will be enough.
3. Knead the clay without completely removing it from the pot, because if it is still hard.