I tested out 3 different ways to remove wallpaper so you don’t have to! Watch to find out my tried-and-true formula that works the best!
Technique #1: Remove Wallpaper with Steam
- steamer*
- 6″ drywall knife
I’m obsessed with the power of steam! It can clean the dirtiest things with just water! I’ve used this steam cleaner to steam a lot of things, so I thought I’d give it a go on the wallpaper.
They do make steamers specifically for wallpaper. But since I’m not going to be removing wallpaper for a living. Or probably ever again after this room, I wanted to use what I had on hand.
Unfortunately the steam didn’t help AT ALL. I couldn’t even get the piece started. This method may work better for a more papery wallpaper. Mine seems more like a vinyl paper than paper-paper.
Technique #2: Homemade Remover Recipe
- 1 cup wallpaper remover concentrate*
- 1/3 cup vinegar
- 1 Tbsp baking soda
- 1 oz fabric softener
- 1 gallon HOT water
- pump-up sprayer*
We’ve been using this recipe on Today’s Homeowner for years. And we haven’t found anything that beats it yet. I wanted to try it second since it’s slightly more involved. Because I’m guessing you don’t have wallpaper remover concentrate on hand, do you? Plus you have to cover up your floors and do prep stuff like that!🤪
After spraying it over an entire section, waiting a few minutes and then re-wetting the area, I attempted to peel the wallpaper off. It definitely worked better than the steamer. BUT I knew it could work better and get bigger pieces off at one time. SO on to technique #3!
Technique #3: Recipe PLUS Scoring Tool
- all ingredients above
- Paper Tiger* or
- WP Chomp* or
- Piranha Scoring Tool*
Running the scoring tool over all of the paper is the secret to this recipe working its wallpaper magic. The small holes in the paper give the solution more entry points to dissolve the adhesive behind the paper. In fact, as I was peeling, I could see where it had saturated starting at the tiny holes and working its way out. In places where the I didn’t score enough, you could see it wasn’t wet at all!
(Make sure you hit that play button up top to watch this in action in my video!!)
Now, I’m not a wallpaper hater. In fact, I actually installed wallpaper for an accent in Lucy’s nursery at our old house. But I didn’t love the wallpapering in our dining room. It wasn’t the ‘look’ I wanted. You know what I mean?
I’ve also even thought about installing an accent with a wallpaper mural in this dining room. Ha! But for now, we’ll enjoy the plainness of un-wallpapered painted walls.
Have any other techniques to remove wallpaper to share? Please share in the comments below!
Thanks for Checking In! ~Chelsea
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I have always used a 50/50 mix of vinegar and hot water. Works great on paper wallpaper. Vinyl wallpaper would need to be scored with a paper tiger. Which I have never used. I found that most vinyl wallpaper can be peeled off but it leaves the paper backing. Then I use the vinegar/water mixture. Also use a same mixture and a sponge to wash off any glue residue. I recently remodeled a half bath which had vinyl wallpaper. I was able to peel the vinyl off. Then used the vinegar mixture on the backing paper. One wall was very stubborn and Would not come off. I was forced to paint over the wall.
Interesting! Thanks for sharing! ~Chelsea
Chelsea, I’ve heard that, in order to paint over wallpaper, you should use oil-based primer over the wallpaper that has been directly put on a bare wall, especially a bare plaster wall. Also, that you can use latex paint on the wall once the oil-based primer has cured. My house is about 107 years old, and someone did place vinyl wallpaper over the bare plaster wall about 40 years ago. If I ever get up enough nerve to try this method, I’ll let you know the results. Thanks for all your information!!
It makes sense! Latex paint can make it curl up like a wet piece of paper! ~Chelsea
Thanks for the video and the info on removing wallpaper. Looks like I have some work to do, but now I know how 🙂
You got this!👊🏻
I used the #3 method and it does work better. NEVER again I will have any wallpaper on my walls.. I actually hung all the wallpaper in our house but removing it makes you hate wallpaper.
Haha! It really does make you hate it! ~Chelsea
Chelsea, first of all I love Today’s Homeowner and your dad and you. Thank you!
I removed the wall paper in our master bath. The wallpaper came off easy, but left a fuzzy coating. I want to paint my bathroom. Do I need to remove the fuzz before I paint and if so, how do I remove this fuzz?
Thank you.
Hmmm! Could the fuzzy coating possibly be part of the wallpaper? I would definitely try to get rid of it before painting! Either try removing it like you did your wallpaper, or sand it off. A power sander with 120 or 220-grit sandpaper would make it go pretty fast! ~Chelsea
I wish the videos on Today’s Home Owner worked as well as these on your site.
We’re making improvements to our videos all the time!
Years ago, in our first house, we rented a big oil -powered steamer to take off 3 layers of wallpaper! This is so much easier. Will it damage plaster walls? My 1955 house has 1 1/2 inch thick plaster walls.
We have plaster walls and there was no damage! ~Chelsea
Is the process the same if you have multiple layers of wallpaper to remove?
Yes it is Kate! ~Chelsea
Chelsea, if I use the scoring tool and all the paper get removed, how do you get rid of the Mark’s the scoring tool left in the drywall? Love watching your show every Saturday morning.
Hi John! The wall doesn’t not get scored, in my experience! The scoring is just deep enough for the wallpaper but doesn’t go beyond that. If you have a few here or there, a quick skim-coat of drywall compound is all you need! Or even lightweight spackling depending on how many holes you have. ~Chelsea