what's the easiest, cleanest, safest way of peeling-off wallpaper?

Answer 1

Getting the Wallpaper Down

The way most of us strip wallpaper requires some preparation, a few specialized products and tools, and a fair amount of patience. Start by removing all the switch plates and outlet covers from the wall, and move the furniture out of the room or at least into the center so you have some room to work. It's also a good idea to spread drop cloths on the floor at the base of the walls where you're removing the wallpaper.

The problem with just spraying the wallpaper to soften the glue is new vinyl coated and multi layer wallpapers are designed to prevent water from getting in and softening the glue (that's what makes them washable). So what you have to do is make some holes in the wallpaper surface to allow the water to penetrate.


The underside of a wallpaper scoring tool.
Lightly scoring the surface with a utility knife or the edge of a putty knife will work, but it's easy to cut too deeply and actually cut the paper surface on the underlying drywall. A better option is a wallpaper-piercing tool available at your home store. This little tool fits into one hand and you roll it all over the wall. Inside the tool are a series of spiked wheels that pierce the wallpaper, making lots of little holes so moisture can get through the surface and down to the glue.

Once you've scored the wallpaper, wet the walls with a solution of warm water and vinegar using a spray bottle or bucket and sponge, and leave it for 30 minutes. You can also get wallpaper remover at your home or hardware store. This is a non-toxic chemical that you mix with water and put onto the wallpaper, and some people think it works better than vinegar.

After about 30 minutes, pick a corner or a seam and gently peel back on the wallpaper. If you're lucky it will peel off, but you are probably going to need to use a wallpaper scraper (or a wide blade putty knife) held at a low angle to scrape the paper off in sections. Keep a spray bottle of wallpaper remover handy to spray stubborn areas as you work your way across the first section. It will take time, but work your way around the entire wall spraying, peeling and scraping the wallpaper.

Answer 2

After doing this many, many times, I have found there is no easy way to remove wallpaper.

I have found 2 ways to be the most effective. If you plan ahead and are patient they can be somewat clean and easy.

Both options work better in a room completely free of all furniture and such. I usually remove everything and then use plastic sheeting to cover the floor completely. It is also helpful to remove all of the outlet coverplates and if there is moulding anywhere such as baseboards or anything remove all of it.

Once you have the room prepared, use a wallpaper scoring tool. $5-$6 at home depot or lowes. and score the entire area covered in wallpaper. This will make small holes in the paper to allow either of the following to work better.

Option 1: Dif wallpaper remover. I buy the concentrate and use HOT water to dilute and a spray bottle to apply to the wall. Spray the entire wall once, let sit for about 10-15 minutes and spray again. You can also use the gel version and use a roller or paint brush to apply. Both work well. After you let it sit for about another 5-10 minutes. you can start to remove the paper. Make sure you have some putty knives available to help in the removeal process. Also you will want to keep the wall damp while you are working on it. IF you let it dry out it will be harder to remove. The Dif works at the glue and breaks it down. I is a slow process and will require patience and hard work. Once you have the wallpaper removed I usually spray the wall again and use a wide putty knife to remove any of the glue residue. You will definitly want to do this if you are going to paint.

Option 2: Steam. You can rent a steam machine for about $40-$50 a day in my area. This opotion is a little messier but I have found that it works very wel lon older Paper based wallpaper. If you are removing vinyl based paper use the Dif.
I have found this process easier to do in the past but again is very slow and time consuming.

Either way good luck ad let the walls dry for a day or two before you do anything after the removeal.

Oh and if you want it real easy Hire someone to do it for you.

Answer 3

There is a product sold at Home Depot that comes in the form of spray. It is specially formulated to remove vinyl wallpaper. I cant remember the name but I just did this about a month ago. Spray, peel, throw away. I had very little mess, the paper came off in solid, long strips and it was vinyl wallpaper. Most hardware stores also sell this stripper. I did not do wall preparation, sprayed, let sit for about 5 minutes, peeled off the paper and put in garbage bag.

Answer 4

the final thank you to get wallpaper off a wall is to persist with those steps: a million. Use a scoring gadget (it sounds as though like a pizza cutter with spikes) you will get one at any abode ironmongery shop for peanuts. 2. Run the gadget each-which-way throughout your wallpaper. 3. Fill a twig bottle with blue windshield washer fluid and spray this all over the wall. Wait 10 minutes. Sray a 2d time and wait 10 minutes. 4. Peel and scrape the paper off the wall. It comes off easily. do no longer use fabrics softener like some human beings will inform you to. this is slimy and tough to get off the partitions after and in case you choose to paint, it will shop the paint tape from sticking to the wall and your latex paint won't word exact. relish your new wall!

Answer 5

we got a scorer (they can be either rented for a couple bucks for a day, or purchased for not a lot more) and scored the paper so that water could be absorbed. then we used a wet sponge and a spray bottle of water and wet the entire surface... going over several times.... allowing about 10 minutes between each time.... and after 1/2 hour it peeled right off.... we used a plastic scraper to get off the stubborn stuff

we have also done the steamer thing..... it works but it is 'more work' than the above method, at least in our experience

Answer 6

Lightly score it and then steam it. It will peel right off in most cases.
Don't score it too much, you want it to come down in one piece and not hurt the wall.
When I was feeling too cheap to buy a steamer, I used very hot water on towels and saturated the wallpaper. It came down almost by itself.

Answer 7

water and vinegar in spray bottle