How to Remove Difficult Wallpaper Glue

Wallpaper adheres to a wall with glue or paste made especially for wallpaper hanging. The glue, somewhat runny when applied, dries quickly, bonding to the wall and securing the wallpaper into place. After removing wallpaper, the glue may remain stuck to the wall and become difficult to remove. Certain products allow you to remove the glue without damaging the surface of the wall.

Towels or old sheets
Pump sprayer
Fabric softener
Wide putty knife
Bucket
Ammonia
Sponge
Clean cloths

Instructions

- 1
  Lay towels or old sheets along the walls under the wallpaper glue to catch any liquid runoff.
- 2
  Fill a pump sprayer with warm water and 4 tbsp. fabric softener. Spray a 4-foot wide section of the wall with the solution. Allow the solution to soften the glue for five minutes. Spray the next section of the wall right before scraping the glue on the first section, so it has time to soften.
- 3
  Glide a wide putty knife over the wall, removing the glue. Scrape the glue from the putty knife into a bucket. Continue spraying and removing the wallpaper glue from the walls until finished.
- 4
  Mix 1 part ammonia with 5 parts water in a bucket. Wash the walls with the ammonia solution and a sponge to clean off any leftover glue residue. Rinse the walls with clean water, and dry with clean cloths.

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