Wallpaper Removal

Updated on December 06, 2009
M.H. asks from Warner Robins, GA
27 answers

Hi Ladies!!

I have EXTREMELY stubborn wallpaper in my bathrooms. I've spent the past two days trying to remove one bathroom's wallpaper and have only gotten rid of about 2 square feet! ACK! :) I've tried the normal perforation and wallpaper stripper, and I've also tried the boiling water and vinegar remedy to no avail.

Any suggestions would be SO greatly appreciated!!! :)

M.

What can I do next?

  • Add yourAnswer own comment
  • Ask your own question Add Question
  • Join the Mamapedia community Mamapedia
  • as inappropriate
  • this with your friends

So What Happened?

Thank you SO MUCH, everyone!!! I really appreciate all your tips!

I finally found a solution: it's called "Husband." :D lol... Seriously, he went in there with the hot water and fabric softener that most of you had suggested, and it worked well---was still difficult, but he got one wall finished in a matter of two hours last night!! Thank heavens! We're having out-of-town guests for Thanksgiving, and I really wanted this bathroom finished. Thanks to you all, it will be!! :) Thank you!

Featured Answers

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

L.M.

answers from Atlanta on

I would use dift but first you need to score it.hoem Depot and Walmart both sell the scoring thing a dif.You would need to score firs and thna sprsy the dif and you need to soak it so you wil probably need 2 or 3 bottles

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

M.C.

answers from Chattanooga on

Half fabric softener and half water has always worked for me. Allow it to sit for 10 minutes before peeling off!

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

K.

answers from Nashville on

Hey there M.,
I've heard that liquid fabric softner and warm water works. I've never tried it. I would prefer that wallpaper just fall off the face of the earth. It's pretty, but hard to take off.
Hope this helps,
K. :-)

More Answers

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

J.R.

answers from Nashville on

add fabric softener to your vinegar and hot water. Worked like a charm in our house! Good luck :)

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

M.H.

answers from Macon on

Try warm water and fabric softener. It worked for me. I had to get the paper really really wet and let it sit like a half hour and then get a pampered chef scraper and use that to get the paper and backing off the wall but it worked. Let me know if it works for you.

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

D.R.

answers from Nashville on

Have you tried liquid fabric softener? Mix with water (about 50/50) in a spray bottle. Perforate a small section, spray on the mixture, let sit for a couple of minutes and then scrape. It's still a slow go, but has worked for me in the past. Good luck!

D. R.
Brentwood, TN

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

L.M.

answers from Nashville on

oh my, I just had the same problem. NOTHING worked. Not vinegar, fabric softener or a steamer. DIF wallpaper remover did the best only because it was not as messy...it didn't run. I eventually completed the job, but in the mean time, I almost ruined the wall and may have caused more damage. I have heard that you can use primer over the wallpaper then paint over that. Make sure the seams are all flat, etc. A lot of people don't agree with that method, but if it's that or tearing up your wall and possibly needing a professional to repair it, it's the lesser of two evils.

good luck

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

A.H.

answers from Davenport on

I have found that if you make a mixture of 1 part fabric softener to 2 parts hot water, it works VERY well and smells good too! I've done 2 bathrooms, dining room and hallway that way. I've also found that if you spray a section and let it soak while you strip a section that makes things go much quicker too. Hope that helps!
A.

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

G.S.

answers from Atlanta on

Try a blow dryer to melt the adhesive in the back.

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

M.

answers from Nashville on

M.

Have you tried renting a steam remover? It is time consuming but it removes the wallpaper and residue from the glue.

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

B.R.

answers from Atlanta on

The softener and H2O is great, I used it. BEWARE. You must clean the walls well after words!!! After you paint, the stuff will seep through and look like its been sloshed with water. If you have allready painted. IF that starts happening, clean the walls well with windex and a paper towel. Make sure you dry them well too. WALLPAPER SHOULD BE ILLEGAL

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

J.K.

answers from Nashville on

Try a fabric softner/water mix. Score the paper first, then put mixture on. Let it set for a few minutes to let the softner work and it should come off a little easier.

Let me know if it works for you!!

--J.

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

A.S.

answers from Memphis on

We had a wallpaper professional advise us to "abrade" the wallpaper with course sandpaper before trying to use any kind of solution to soak it and peel it off. The solution he recommended was hot water with a small amount of Ivory dishwashing liquid. I see other people have recommended steamers and fabric softeners which sound like great ideas as well. Whatever you use, the liquid or steam has to be able to soak into the wallpaper backing. Good luck!

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

T.

answers from Knoxville on

I had a terrible experience and tried everything until I found that a spray bottle of lightly diluted fabric softener (any brand) takes it off. I found it helpful to use the scoring tool, then spray on the fabric softener. I got it pretty wet before letting it sit for a few minutes, then peeling it right off.

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

C.

answers from Atlanta on

M. - I had a terrible experience like this in my dining room. We finally gave up taking the wallpaper off and ended up spackling quite a bit before using Kilz primer on the walls and then painting them the color we had picked out. Since then I have painted two other rooms leaving the wallpaper on the walls in both instances. I used the Kitz primer again (you can get it in white or in a grey or they can tint it for you) and then painted as usual. If the wallpaper is in pretty good shape - no problem. If the wallpaper is old with corners and/or the lines showing where the strips are joined then you might want to spackle those areas first (you can even use some super glue to hold down the corners that are coming up) and then use the primer. Much easier and I've been very happy with the results.... Good luck. C.

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

R.J.

answers from Chattanooga on

my boyfriend said to rent a steam machine to get it off. you can rent one at action rental on lee highway. if you want more info you can email me. hope this helps. ____@____.com good luck!!! R.

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

J.H.

answers from Atlanta on

yea i agree with the post below if you take something to kinda rip the paper like a grater and run that down the paper then put in that mixture of the water and fabric softner it comes right off...........good luck

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

B.

answers from Augusta on

We JUST did this exact thing. The best thing that worked for us is steaming it. We bought one of those shark steamers the small ones made for cleaning, it worked GREAT , just steam up the paper really good actually wet the paper wait about 5 mins before scrapingit off use a plastic scraper it works better and less likely to hurt the sheetrock. It just comes off like pealing a banana. if it dosnt steam it again soak the paper. Oh yeah peal off the top layer of paper first ya know the colored part , before steaming lets the steam go through to the glue.

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

J.T.

answers from Nashville on

You can buy a steamer at Home Depot or Lowe's for about $25-30.00. Believe me it is worth it. We bought a home with 5 rooms of paper to be removed. Could have never done it without the steamer. We checked on renting, that was going to cost $20.00 a day. I'm glad we bought it!

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

M.J.

answers from Macon on

Hi, I removed stubborn wallpaper with a steam iron set on hi. I hope this works for you good luck.

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

P.

answers from Atlanta on

Please don't paint over it. We just moved into a house where someone did this and it is making me nuts! I am going to have to tear it down b/c I can still see the seams.

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

I.

answers from Albany on

Be Careful! I used to own a wallpaper store and worked closely with contractors, builders, etc. Many times, if wall paper was being put in the bathroom/ kitchen, etc. of a new construction house, the builder would not paint the new sheetrock (to save $$$$). Therefore, when you try to remove wallpaper from unpainted/unprimed sheetrock, you end up taking the surface paper-layer of sheetrock off! If you decide to continue with removal, you need to check the condition of your walls carefully, once you get the wallpaper off. Be sure to prime the walls with a good primer before painting (otherwise your first coat of color will just soak into the raw sheetrock). Hope this is a little useful info.

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

K.B.

answers from Knoxville on

We had issues too and had it professionally removed. What our person told us was to peel the top layer off, leaving only the sticky backing then fully saturate it, let it soak really well and then use your spackling tool to remove it. It came right off for her and we had three layers in one room.

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

G.M.

answers from Atlanta on

I haven't read all of the responses, but here is how we are dealing with this "sticky" situation in our house...

In the kitchen the paper came down easily in full sheets, but left a permanent residue on the drywall. We decided to "skim coat" all of the previously wallpapered walls-this is basicily "frosting" the entire wall surface with 2-3 very thin coats of drywall compound (the stuff they use to cover the paper tape on new drywall to cover the seams). After skimming the entire surface is sanded down smooth-we used small foam sanding blocks It's a bit messy but once you get the hang of it not all that bad. We practiced in a small laundry room which was helpful to develop our technique. Pros-once you master it, you will have flawless, brand new walls; low cost if you do it yourself. Cons-Skimming tapes a little practice. Tip-make it VERY thin with water. The sanding is very messy. We taped up plastic walls to seal off the area and keep the rest of the kitchen area clean-worth the prep work. A high-quality dust mask and goggles are a must-not just a "doctors mask". You could also hire someone to do this.

In our master bath the paper doesn't peal off at all. In there we are going to put bead board over the wallpaper on the walls from floor to ceiling and then paint. This Cottage Living/vintage look works well with the style of our house and decorating. Might not work for everyone.

PS We'd be happy to talk/email directly in private if you want any more info!

Good Luck!

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

S.M.

answers from Nashville on

Ok, I have the solution for you! I have used this several times and it works GREAT!!! Make a solution of warm to hot water with a small amount of liquid fabric softener. Put solution in a spray bottle. Take single sheets of newspaper and spray them enough to make them stick flat on the wall. Spray the newspaper to saturate it and let it sit on the wall for about 15 minutes or so. You can do several sections at a time. After the 15 minutes, take the newspaper down and start peeling and your wallpaper should peel right off!! Sometime it leaves a little bit of slimy residue on the wall, just scrape it off! Hope this helps, it has been a lifesaver for me!

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

D.

answers from Memphis on

perforate....then use Dif from wallpaper section...of hdwe store....or use a clothing steamer....

good luck

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

M.H.

answers from Atlanta on

I have tried every know product you can buy and none worked without too much work to still get the wallpaper off and lots of nics in the wall. All you need is already in your home I promise. Use 5 parts warm water to one part fabric softner in a spray bottle. Spray on wallpaper until wet and let sit for about 2 minutes. Then the wallpaper will just peel off. No lie. It is easy as pie and even fun after trying to get it off for days with other products.

Happy Removal!

For Updates and Special Promotions
Follow Us

Related Questions

Related Searches