How To Remove Wallpaper

Paper quality is not just about the design, color and ease of installing.  Quality also comes into play when you remove the paper. At Milton & King, we are always on the steady path of improving. And over the past few years, the wallpaper we have been manufacturing and selling is head and shoulders above the rest. Our superior quality demonstrates itself both in the application and the removal of the paper.

Check out this short video clip of us removing some wallpaper from our office. Notice we are removing it completely dry with no solution.

In another example, Allie from @prvbsthirtyonegirl on Instagram did a completely dry removal of the Tile Progress wallpaper from her bathroom and posted it to her Instagram stories. It comes off like a dream.

Pretty impressive, huh?

But there are steps you can take that will make it even easier.  Read on…

First, please note that the more preparation you do in the beginning, the better. You’ll be thanking yourself when you want to remove the wallpaper. Smoothing, cleaning and adding a coat of primer to the wall prior to hanging your wallpaper will help make this job much easier. In addition, using a strippable paste will also be to your advantage. Though we do not recommend a strippable paste for bathrooms. For more information on wallpaper prep, read our blog on How To Prepare Your Wall For Wallpaper.

The industry standard for taking down wallpaper is to use a spray bottle with a mixture that is equal parts hot water and vinegar.  The hot water helps to loosen up the paste and the vinegar dissolves it. But a more accessible home remedy is to use fabric softener.  Here are 5 basic steps to remove wallpaper:

1. Use a large spray bottle and mix equal parts fabric softener and hot water.
2. Using a razor or a scorer tool, create horizontal slices in the wallpaper. (This allows for easier penetration of the solution)
3. Generously spray the strip of wallpaper and allow it to soak for up to 15 minutes.
4. Grab the wallpaper drop by the bottom and pull it up.
5. Use hot soapy water to remove any excess paste.

Just to drive the point home, here is a video sent to us by Libby @libbylivingcolorfully when she had to move apartments and remove her Garden Bloom Wallpaper. She used a scorer tool and wallpaper stripping solution to help with the process. Check out how clean and easy it came off.

The stigma of removing the new generation of non-woven wallpaper can be laid to rest in the dustbin of history.  You can put your mind at ease that if you want to give your room a change by installing new wallpaper, it’s no longer going to be a headache to remove the old stuff.

Now while this wallpaper CAN be removed, it’s manufactured to be a hard-wearing long-term solution.

With peace of mind, you can feel comfortable and confident that you can decorate to your heart’s content without it feeling like a life sentence.