Home Remedies for Wallpaper Glue Removal
Removing wallpaper can be one of the most unpleasant tasks of redecorating. Adhesive recipes have changed over the past 50 years: some solutions work better on older adhesives, some on newer. The idea is to use water and anionic surfactants that break surface tension and then reactivate the compounds in the adhesive. Does this Spark an idea?
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Water
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Water---as hot as possible---will dissolve most wallpaper "pastes" which by definition are water-based: spray it on, let it sit and wipe clean several times with clean cloths.
Vinegar
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Vinegar is a mild acid: use it with water to scrub older adhesives and as a finish rinse to discourage mold.
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TSP
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The first widely marketed wall and floor cleaner, trisodium phosphate is effective but caustic: work from the bottom of the wall and wear gloves.
Fabric Softener and Dishwashing Liquid
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Mix fabric softener and diswashing liquid with hot water to make an anionic surfactant that may work better on newer adhesives.
Grease-Cutters
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Hot water and dishwashing liquid or dishwasher detergent (which may contain phosphates) may cut through thick layers of adhesive.
Tools
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A wallpaper steamer is useful to remove liner paper left by "strippable" vinyl wallcoverings. Use plastic scrubbers to loosen, non-metal scrapers to remove thick layers, sponges and rags to rinse, and sandpaper to level the last remnants.
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Resources
- Photo Credit DRW & Associates Inc except as noted
