Comments on: How to Remove Wallpaper

on 11/22/2005 First, I pulled off the vinyl portion. I then mixed 4 ounces of potassium nitrate (also known as salt peter) with one gallon of water and sprayed the solution on the paper. Within minutes the paper pulled off and the glue turned to liquid. I sprayed more of the solution on the wall and the glue under the yellow glue started to break down. I gently brushed it with a scrub brush and scraped with a putty knife. A flat blade, wide, utility knife can also be used to gently scrape the wall and the soft glue scrapes off easily. I added one teaspoon of Shaklee's Basic H to the solution. It reduces the surface tension and permits the water to be absorbed into the paper and glue. This little known remedy of using potassium nitrate works fast and is so cheap.

on 11/22/2005 Believe it or not, you can remove wallpaper with a blow dryer! There must be a layer (or more) of latex paint on the drywall, which is usually the case. It is still OK if a layer of paint is over the wallpaper, actually it's better. No steamer is needed, only heat. Start by scoring the paper with a razor knife at the bottom and base board (you're actually scoring the paint). Take the blow dryer, a long extension cord and a step stool, and work in circles. Use a very thin 4 inch to 5 inch spackle knife, one that will bend and is easy to work with. Apply heat in circles, let the latex paint and paper soften (that's the key). Start at an edge and slowly peel and work off the paper. Try to keep one section together, you'll be shocked at the results - it will be coming off in large pieces.

on 11/22/2005 I used vinegar and hot water mixed in a spray bottle. I had vinyl wallpaper, and it came off easy. The first time it left paper and glue on the wall, so I sprayed and soaked the paper for about 15 to 20 minutes, and it worked.

on 11/22/2005 Use a sprayer with a vinegar and water solution. This will loosen the glue very quickly. It's a little stinky, but it's safer than most other solutions.

on 11/22/2005 I scored with the Paper Tiger, making sure to get good coverage. Then I sprayed hot soapy water from a bottle and let it set a few minutes, then I sprayed again. I scraped it off with a wide scraper and the paper came right off. We had 2 layers of wallpaper with paint on top, and it came off easily with this method. The paper has to be good and wet.

on 11/22/2005 To remove wallpaper which has been painted over, use an old-fashioned wood plane. It removes the top layer of paper. The paint and the middle layer of paper protects the sheetrock or plaster. It takes a lot of adjustment of the plane blade, but it is worth it in the end.

on 6/11/2007 Use full strength fabric softener. Sponge it on or roll it on. It will peel off very easily!

on 11/22/2005 I found that W.P. Chomp burned my skin and eyes. If this stuff is as safe as baby shampoo (as they advertise), Lord help the babies.

on 11/22/2005 If you haven't tried the Wallwik System yet, you are missing the boat. What takes some methods 4 to 5 hours (and a steamer days), Wallwik can do in 3 hours. Wallwik uses its own scoring tool, solution, fabric, and plastic skimmer to do the job safely and easily.

on 11/22/2005 When removing a border, I used to a roller to apply undiluted fabric softener to the border (after first peeling off the shiny layer so that only the paper backing remained). I worked in small areas, waiting until the paper was saturated, and it peeled right off. My room smelled very fresh and clean. The fabric softener also did not leave much of a glue residue on the wall, so glue clean up was a breeze.

on 11/22/2005 Regular water on scored wallpaper makes things easier. If you respray an area with the wallpaper removed, you can easily remove most of the glue. Then just go back with a rag and some warm water to remove the tough stuff. It makes it all nice and smooth.

on 11/22/2005 To remove wallpaper backing, use a garden sprayer with hot tap water. Spray a large area at a time and start to scrape off, but keep spraying ahead of yourself. The wetter it gets, the easier it comes off. Be sure tape up all of your outlets first.

on 11/22/2005 We used very hot water and dishwashing soap in a spray bottle, and were stunned with how well the glue peeled off our walls. We have a newer home in which the builder did not prime the walls, so when we peeled the wallpaper off, all the glue was left on. So, we used some tips here and it worked! It saved us time and money! We used Pampered Chef nylon scrapers to peel off the glue. What a charm!

on 4/16/2007 I tried spraying on a mixture of fabric softener and water on 30-year-old wallpaper. The paper came off in small postage-stamp pieces. I then began using a roller to apply straight vinegar. The paper came off in much bigger pieces.

on 11/22/2005 It WORKS! My bottom layer of wallpaper was applied directly to the sheetrock, and it appeared to be stuck for good. I tried adding liquid dishwashing detergent to my water, applied it, and voil! Twenty minutes later, it peeled like a banana.