Whether you purchased a home and don’t agree with the former owner’s wallpaper choice, or if you’ve suddenly realized that your own wallpaper choices are outdated, it’s time to create a fresh look in your home. Wallpaper removal doesn’t have to be a hassle.
What you’ll need:
- Patience
- Drop cloths
- Wallpaper scorer
- Hot water
- Fabric softener
- Spray bottle
- Putty knife
- Dish detergent
- Sponge
Steps:
- Place drop cloths at the base of the walls you’ll be stripping. Remove your outlet covers, and turn off the power to the room.
- Using a wallpaper scorer, make small holes in the paper. This allows your solution to penetrate through the wallpaper adhesive.
- Mix one part hot water with one part fabric softener. Don’t mix too much at once. You want the solution to be warm. If this means re-mixing the solution a few times, it’s worth it.
- Using a spray bottle, saturate a section of the wallpaper. Spray only as much as you can strip in a 15 minute period.
- Use a putty knife to get a piece of wallpaper peeled, then pull upward.
- Clean the walls with a mixture of a tablespoon of dish detergent and hot water. Sponge down the walls carefully to remove any remaining traces of wallpaper adhesive.
- Rinse down the walls with clean water and dry it with a towel. Allow the wall to dry for a day before you paint.