Homemade Bubble Solutions

There are many recipes for bubble solutions on the web. Here are
some I found, along with links to the sites they came from:

Exploratorium Bubble Formula
from the Exploratorium web site
2/3 cup Joy dishwashing soap
1 gallon water
2 to 3 tablespoons of glycerin (available in pharmacies or chemical supply houses)

Cyndi's Bubble Recipes
from the Nathan's Wish web site
1/2 cup of dishwashing liquid (Dawn or Joy)
2 cups of water
2 teaspoons of sugar
Cyndi suggests adding a dab of food coloring for colorful bubbles. Mix the solution and place in a shallow pan (or refill your old bubble containers).
NOTE: More recipes and fun with bubbles are available at the website link above.

Homemade Bubbles
from Kids Domain Craft Exchange
1/2 (500 ml) cup dishwashing detergent
4-1/2 (4.5 liter) cup water
4 tablespoons (60 ml) glycerin (available in pharmacies or chemical supply houses)
Measure out the water, detergent, and glycerin into container with a cover and stir gently. The longer you let the mixture set, the larger the bubbles are and the longer they seem to last.

National WIldlife Federation Bubble Recipe
from NWF Backyard Buddies
1/4 cup liquid dishwashing detergent
3/4 cup cold water
5 drops of glycerin (available in pharmacies or chemical supply houses)

Marcia's Formula
from the Exploratorium web site
1 cup Ultra Ivory Blue
12 cups water
3/4 tablespoon glycerin (available in pharmacies or chemical supply houses)
Marcia says: "Gently stir the ingredients together and leave the solution in an open container overnight. We believe that this gives the alcohol on the dishwashing soap a chance to evaporate some. In any case, the solution seems to get better with age. If you substitute some other soap for Dawn, you will have to experiment with the rest of the formula... but that's the fun of science!"
Ann Hallock's Recipe
from the Family.com web site
Ann says: "This recipe is a winner. It's easy to mix up--and inexpensive to boot. Stir together 6 parts water, 2 parts Joy dishwashing liquid (this brand works the best), and 3/4 part corn syrup. Store in a covered container. Have your kids try experimenting with a variety of homemade bubble wands: pipe cleaners bent into interesting shapes, cookie cutters, yogurt lids with the centers cut out, and so on. For a giant bubblemaker, cut off the top and bottom of a large metal can with a can opener and hammer the inside edges until they are smooth (a parent's job). Dip either end in the solution and wave through the air."
Bubble Town Quick Start Recipe
from the Bubble Town web site
If you want to get started blowing bubbles immediately, just mix up a bubble solution using liquid dish washing detergent. 1 part detergent and 15 parts water. About one cup of water is all you will need to get started. NOTE: Much more detailed information is available at the website link above.
Big Bubble Magic's Basic Secret Formula
from the Big Bubble Magic web site
1 part ultra-Joy brand or 1-1/2 parts "cooked" Dawn brand
8 parts pure water (we used distilled)
1/4 part or less light corn syrup or glycerin
NOTE: Much more detailed information about varying the formula to work best in different conditions is available at the website link above.

Majic's Big Bubble Recipe
from the Jamico web site
Fills a gallon milk jug:
11 cups Water
4 cups Ajax dish soap (anti-bacterial works best)
1 cup corn syrup
Got your own bubble recipe?
Email your recipe to me and I will try to include it in this list. If it comes from your website, send me the link as well.

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last updated: 03/17/2009