E-Paper
Sign In
Viral slime in microwave social media trend poses health risks, Dubai Police warn
Such practices may lead to burn incidents and serious injuries to children and teenagers due to chemical reactions and high temperatures
- PUBLISHED: Fri 3 Jul 2026, 2:01 PM
Dubai Police on Friday warned residents against blindly imitating social media videos that encourage children and teenagers to heat slime in microwave ovens to make it more flexible. The authority cautioned that such viral trends can pose serious health and safety risks.
In a statement issued by the Child and Women Protection Department at General Department of Human Rights and the Cybercrime and eCrime Prevention Department at the General Department of Criminal Investigation, the authority said that such practices may lead to burn incidents and serious injuries to children and teenagers due to chemical reactions and high temperatures.
Recommended For You
Parents are urged to offer guidance and encourage their children not to follow their children against blindly trying everything posted on social media in order to ensure their safety.
Stay up to date with the latest news. Follow KT on WhatsApp Channels.
The authority has explained that exposing the slime to high temperatures inside the microwave causes it to expand and release hot vapours and materials that may explode or splatter upon removal, exposing children to direct burns to the face, hands, and body.
“Additionally, it may damage household appliances or cause small fires as a result of improper use,” it added, calling on parents to strengthen their supervision of the content their children follow on social media platforms and not to allow children to use electrical appliances or microwaves without direct help from others.
Dubai Police has launched an awareness e-platform aimed at spreading knowledge about cybercrimes. The platform offers valuable content in both Arabic and English, covering all aspects of protection against the dangers of cybercrime, as well as how to recognise and avoid fraudulent methods. The awareness portal can be accessed via Dubai Police E-Crime Hub.
Yasmin Hussein is an Assistant Digital Editor who believes that every news story carries a human element. Her motto is 'get it first, but first get it right'.