Spring Cleaning for Your New Year Already? Time to take down that ugly wallpaper!

Tips for Stripping Wallpaper: How to Get Rid of Ugly Wallpaper!

I broke my promise to myself and stripped wallpaper again. While stripping the wallpaper, I realized that many homemakers get wrong advice for this horrendous task. After years of experience on over 30 houses (including one 6,000 square foot Victorian with layers of painted-over wallpaper!), I offer my tried and best tips to strip wallpaper:

1. Use a clothes steamer or rent a professional steamer.

2. Soak a large section of the wall.

3. Run a "Paper Tiger" scoring tool across the damp section.

4. Steam the section again.

5. Spray the section with fabric softener and hot water.

6. Score the section with the paper tiger again.

7. Steam again.

8. Remove any curling edges (sometimes large areas peel off).

9. Scrape with a six inch sheetrock blade or a plastic scrapper if you have a heavy hand. Take care not to scratch the walls.

10. Repeat the above steps on the section until most of the wallpaper and sticky glue scrapes off easily.

11. Scrub with hot water, TSP, and a sponge with a scratchy surface.

Cautions: Use the Paper Tiger gingerly so you don't scratch or gouge the walls. Use gloves with the harsh chemical TSP.

Don't live with ugly wallpaper any longer!

P. S. Please email me if you have any additional tips on stripping wallpaper that would help others!

Copyright © Jeanette J. Fisher.


Jeanette Fisher loves to help home makers create homes for glorious living. She teaches five easy steps to makeover your home for happiness. For free ebook on Design Psychology go to http://www.joytothehome.com