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Homemade Bubble Mixture Recipe

The sun has been shining since last week and our favourite way to play in the sun is with bubbles – you just can’t beat them. We were getting through bottles of store-brought bubbles mix and when I did a search through Pinterest and the web I found loads of recipes but the “best” ones all had corn syrup in them and we can’t get corn syrup in the UK.

I moaned to my mum about the good bubbles that I used to make as a kid all summer long and how we never ever seemed to run out of bubble mix and off she popped found her note book and handed me the homemade bubbles recipe that she used to use when I was a child (don’t you just love mums that kept things like that). So here’s your Homemade Bubble Mixture Recipe that means you won’t have to purchase bubble mix again this year!

Pinterest image for Bubble Mix Recipe that is easy to make at home

The bubble solution has been a huge success.

So much fun trying to blow the biggest bubbles and it’s made from ingredients that we have in the house.

Homemade Bubble Solutions Recipe

  • 2 cups Washing Up Liquid (dish soap in the USA my sister-in-law recommends Dawn Dish Soap)
  • 1 tablespoon of glycerin
  • Few Drops of vegetable oil
  • 1 cup Warm Water

Making the Bubbles Recipe

child blowing bubbles with a pipe cleaner bubble wand

In a large jar or small bucket pour lots of dishwashing liquid in – we use fairy but it really doesn’t matter what the make. Add in a little water so it’s a strong mix and give it a stir. To the mix add a minimum of 1 teaspoon of glycerine or cooking oil to make strong bubbles with a great surface tension then a couple of tablespoons glycerin liquid will work. The glycerine or cooking oil makes the bubble mixture stronger and the bubble less likely to burst.

blowing bubbles with homemade bubble mix and bubble wand

Using whatever bubble wands will work you have to go out and blow bubbles and when the jar is empty – a quick trip to the kitchen and you’ve got more mix within seconds.

We love these beaded homemade bubble wands from the Artful Parent and my kids have been making some for years.

Or how about using a straw or multiple straws to create a bubble shooter or even making bubble snakes.

a young child blowing bubbles with a homemade bubble mixture

Bubble Mix Recipe

Cerys Parker
Bubble Mix just like your Mom Made – easy to make no need to pop to the store and it works really well
3.80 from 114 votes

Ingredients
  

  • 2 cups Washing Up Liquid dish soap in the USA
  • 1 tbsp Glycerin
  • 1 cup Water

Instructions
 

  • a large jar pour lots of washing up liquid in – we use fairy but it really doesn’t matter what the make. 
  • Add in a little water so it’s a strong mix and give it a stir.
  •  To the mix add 1 tablespoon of glycerine or cooking oil – we have been using out of date glycerine cough mixture and last year used cooking oil and the bubble worked great both times. The glycerine or cooking oil makes the bubble mix stronger and the bubble less likely to burst
  • Using what ever bubble wands you have go out and blow bubbles and when the jar is empty – a quick trip to the kitchen and you’ve got more mix within seconds.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
bubble blowing bubble mix just like your mom made
Author
Cerys Parker

Cerys is a marine biologist, environmental educator, teacher, mum, and home educator from the UK. She loves getting creative, whether it is with simple and easy crafts and ideas, activities to make learning fun, or delicious recipes that you and your kids can cook together you'll find them all shared here on Rainy Day Mum.

28 Comments

  1. John Brown says:

    Did not work. At all. Not even close.

    1. I’m going to try the recipe. I had to look up what “washing up liquid” is…dish soap. Haha. Thanks for sharing the recipe.

    2. yes it did im at school and im doing a project and i got a great grade

  2. Thanks for this. Any chance you could tell me what the ratio of water to washing up liquid is, please (along with the subsequent increase in oil/glycerin)? I want to make a few litres for a bubble machine at a kids party. Thanks

    1. Hi,

      The best ratio that produces a thick liquid ideal for bubbles that you blow is 2:1 Washing up Liquid to Water. If you use the oil/glycerin then it’s a tablespoon per “cup” of water. I haven’t tested this in a machine so you may want to make a smaller quantity and then see how it goes before a big batch. From my experience with machines it maybe worth adding a little more water.

  3. Alexandra Huckins says:

    Hi! Just a quick note that you are not correct when you say that all washing up liquids will make bubbles- this is simply not true. There are several, such as Sainsbury’s basic washing up liquid, that no matter which formula you use will completely fail to make bubbles either by hand or from bubble machine. Safest to stick to original fairy or Johnsons baby shampoo for guaranteed results! Xx

  4. That was my favourite bubble game and now it’s my daughter’s favourite game. I’ve also made similar mix with washing up liquid because the liquid ends very quickly.

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