You've done the hard work of removing wallpaper from your walls, but there are still big steps to take before you can paint them. The sticky paste used to attach wallpaper to the wall is usually made from a mixture of starch or methyl cellulose. If the paste is not removed before painting, the paint may peel, chip or have an uneven appearance. Use these tips to remove wallpaper paste from walls.
Step
Part 1 of 2: Preparing to Wash the Walls
Step 1. Protect your room so you can remove the wallpaper paste from the walls
This job can get quite messy, so it's a good idea to cover the floor and other parts of the room before you start. If everything is protected because you just removed your wallpaper, even better.
- Plaster and cover plugs, electrical switches, vents, wall borders and decorations with paint plaster or plastic cover.
- Cover the floor with a plastic sheeting or canvas near any walls where you will be working.
- Remove or cover furniture with plastic sheeting. If your room is large, move furniture to the center of the room while you work.
- Turn off the electricity to the room to avoid electrical accidents.
Step 2. Prepare your equipment
The process of removing the wallpaper paste is as follows: soak the paste, rub the paste, then rinse the wall. That means you'll need a variety of objects to do this job:
- A bucket filled with wallpaper paste removal solution.
- A sponge to absorb the paste.
- A spray bottle filled with water.
- A dry cloth to wipe the walls clean (you may need more than one to do the entire job).
- A trash can.
Step 3. Mix your wallpaper paste removal solution
Hot water alone won't work - you'll need a solution that softens the paste, making it easier to remove from the wall. There are various solutions you can use for this job:
- Hot water and some dish soap spray. It works well for most wallpaper pastes. Fill a gallon bucket with this solution.
- Hot water and vinegar. This is great for tougher jobs. Mix one gallon of hot water and one gallon of white distilled vinegar.
- Try adding 1 to 2 tablespoons of baking soda to the bucket. The baking soda helps dissolve the wallpaper paste.
- Trisodium phosphate, or TSP. TSP is an industrial grade cleaner that used to be often used as a cleaner. These cleaners are very strong, but not good for the environment, so try using them when other gentler methods have run out.
- For the toughest jobs, you may want to purchase a wallpaper paste remover from a store. Commercial erasers use chemicals to quickly dissolve the paste. Follow the directions for mixing a commercial wallpaper paste remover. These are available at most paint or hardware stores, and contain ingredients made specifically for dissolving wallpaper paste.
Step 4. Put on rubber gloves
Wallpaper paste can contain chemicals that are not good for your hands. The task of removing pasta can take several hours, so it's a good idea to protect yourself by wearing a pair of long rubber gloves, the kind you use when washing dishes.
Part 2 of 2: Wetting and Wiping the Walls
Step 1. Soften the wallpaper paste by wetting it
Dip a sponge in the wallpaper-paste-removing solution you mixed. Apply the solution to the wall, completely wetting it. Don't wet the entire wall at once; work 1.5 x 1.5 meter sections at a time, so they won't dry out before you can handle them. Let the solution sit for a while so that there is time to soften the paste.
- If you don't want to use a sponge, you can use a spray bottle. Pour the solution into a bottle and spray a 1.5 x 1.5 meter area with wallpaper paste remover. Wait 5 minutes for the pasta to soften.
- Adjust the end of the nozzle so that it doesn't spray directly on the wall, but instead sprays a fine mist. Gradual absorption is required when spraying walls.
Step 2. Grind the wallpaper paste
Use a sponge to scrub in circular motions until the softened paste begins to come off. Throw it in the trash after the paste is removed.
- Scrape off the wallpaper paste with a putty knife if you're having trouble removing it with a sponge. Scrape using an even motion so as not to cause the putty knife to damage the wall.
- If the paste seems to stick, wet it thoroughly and try again.
Step 3. Repeat the process
Soften and scrape the wallpaper paste all over the room until most of the wallpaper paste is gone. Do it methodically, piece by piece, so you don't miss a single area.
Step 4. Remove the remaining wallpaper paste
Wet the remaining wallpaper paste with more spray mixture, and scrub with a strong scrubber. Strong scrubbing may be required to remove it.
Step 5. Clean the remaining areas that were previously plastered or covered
Remove plaster and coverings from vents, plugs, buttons, wall borders and trim. Use a sponge and spray eraser to handle small areas carefully.
Step 6. Allow the walls to dry for 12 to 24 hours
Run your hand along the wall. If it feels smooth, most of the glue has been removed. If it feels sticky, repeat the process.
Tips
- If you used the steamer to remove the paper, do it again on a blank wall after you removed the paper, and use the steamer to soften the rest of the same paste. Then scrape and wipe as described.
- Do not puncture the base wall while trying to remove the adhering wallpaper paste. Be careful when using a putty knife.
- Remove the glue that has been removed from your putty knife into the bucket. Let the glue dry and take it out with the trash for disposal.
