How to Remove Wallpaper Residue

Loosening the glue underneath is necessary for removing old wallpaper. Saturate walls with a wetting solution of warm water, warm water mixed with a mild household detergent, a mixture of warm water and cider vinegar, or a commercial wallpaper stripper.

When removing vinyl-coated wallpapers, make perforations in the paper before soaking by rolling a scoring tool across the surface. This allows the wetting solution to penetrate through the paper into the glue behind. The more cuts or holes that you make in the wallpaper, the easier it should come off.

Once the surface has been perforated or scored, apply the wetting solution with a sponge, paint roller, or large spray bottle. Be sure to soak the wallpaper thoroughly. Let it sit for a few minutes, but do not allow the paper to dry. You may need to wet the wall several times.

Once the glue begins to loosen, start peeling off the old wallpaper by pulling at a corner, and then using a wide-blade putty knife to pry stubborn sections of paper off the wall. Large pieces of wallpaper may come off easily while other smaller pieces may still stick fast.

In some cases, you may have to use a wallpaper steamer to loosen really stubborn glue, especially if you are trying to remove more than one layer of wallpaper. This process takes time and can be messy, but works best if you steam only one small section of the wall at a time.

When all the old wallpaper has been removed, scrape away as much of the glue as possible. Use coarse sandpaper if necessary to remove any remaining residue of old glue. Finally, clean the wall by wiping down with a moist sponge, and then rinse with clean water.