Easy Way to Remove Wall Paper

Wallpaper is meant to stay put, which makes it a real chore when you decide to replace it with new wallpaper or paint. Wallpaper is held to the wall with glue, which can hold it so firmly that trying to get it off can damage the wall and complicate your whole project. The best way to remove wallpaper involves patience -- soaking the glue so it loses its bond with the wall.

Spray bottle
Fabric softener
Hot water
Wide putty knife
Trisodium phosphate (TSP)
1 gallon warm water
Bucket
Nylon scrub brush

Instructions

- 1
  Mix a solution of 1 part fabric softener and 2 parts hot water in a spray bottle.
- 2
  Spray the solution along one of the seams of the wallpaper, at the top of the wall, covering a few feet. Saturate the area completely. Let it sit for 20 to 30 minutes, respraying the wallpaper as it dries.
- 3
  Scrape under the wallpaper with your plastic putty knife at the seam. If the paper doesn't come up easily from being saturated with the fabric-softener solution, spray it again and wait a little longer.
- 4
  Peel off as much of the paper as you can. Spray the next section, starting at the edge of the section you removed and saturating a few square feet. Repeat the process over the whole wall, letting one section soak while you're scraping off another. Take care not to damage the wall while you're scraping.
- 5
  Mix a solution of 1/2 cup TSP in 1 gallon warm water. Scrub the wall down with the solution, using a nylon scrub brush, to remove any residual paper and glue. Let the wall dry for 24 hours before painting or repapering.

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