Removing wallpaper is mostly patience. The paper comes off quickly. The glue underneath is what takes the time, and it's the step most people rush. Leave glue on the wall and your new wallpaper won't stick properly, paint will crack, and every bump will show.
What You'll Need
- A wallpaper scoring tool (used gently)
- A spray bottle or garden sprayer
- Warm water and liquid fabric softener, or a store-bought wallpaper remover
- A plastic or flexible metal scraper
- Sponges and old towels
- Dust sheets and painter's tape
- A wallpaper steamer (optional, for stubborn paper)
Turn off the electricity to the room at the breaker, then remove outlet covers and switch plates. Water and live sockets don't mix.
How to Remove Wallpaper
Step 1: Find Out What Kind of Wallpaper You Have
Pick at a corner and pull. What happens next tells you how much work is ahead.
- Peel and stick wallpaper lifts away in full strips. Pull slowly at a low angle and you're done in minutes.
- Strippable wallpaper comes off dry, often leaving a thin paper backing on the wall.
- Vinyl-coated wallpaper lets you peel the top layer off, but the paper backing and glue stay behind.
- Traditional paper wallpaper tears in small pieces and needs soaking.
Step 2: Peel Off What You Can Dry
Before you add any water, peel off every layer that comes away dry. Removing a vinyl top layer first lets your soaking solution reach the backing and glue underneath, which cuts the job in half.
Step 3: Score and Soak
If the paper won't budge, run a scoring tool lightly over the surface to make small holes. Press too hard on drywall and you'll gouge the paper face of the board, which means more repairs later.
Mix one part liquid fabric softener with two parts warm water, or use a wallpaper remover. Spray one section at a time and let it soak for 10 to 15 minutes. The paper is ready when it bubbles or slides under your thumb.
Step 4: Scrape It Away
Hold your scraper at a low angle and work from the bottom up. Re-spray any patch that resists, rather than forcing it. Forcing it is how walls get damaged.
For paper that still won't move, a wallpaper steamer softens old paste with heat. Hold it on a section for 30 seconds or so, then scrape. Work in small areas, because steam cools quickly.
How to Remove Wallpaper Glue
With the paper gone, run your hand across the wall. If it feels tacky or slippery, there's glue left. It has to come off.
- Mix hot water with a squeeze of washing-up liquid, or one part white vinegar to one part hot water.
- Sponge it onto a section and leave it for a few minutes to soften the paste.
- Scrape gently, then wipe with a clean, damp sponge.
- Repeat until the wall feels smooth and squeaky, not sticky.
- Rinse the whole wall with clean water and let it dry for at least 24 hours.
A quick test: rub your fingers on the dry wall. Any slickness means glue is still there.
Repair and Prepare Your Walls
Stripping wallpaper often reveals dents, nail holes and torn drywall paper. Fill holes with filler, sand smooth, and seal any torn drywall with a stain-blocking primer before you go further. Raw drywall paper soaks up moisture and bubbles if you skip this.
Then prime. Primer gives new wallpaper something even to grip and makes it far easier to remove next time. We recommend leaving primer to cure for 4 weeks before applying peel and stick wallpaper. Our installation guide covers the full prep checklist.
Mistakes to Avoid
- Soaking the whole wall at once. The solution dries before you get to it. Work in sections.
- Scoring too deep. Light pressure only, especially on drywall.
- Leaving glue behind. It's the number one reason new wallpaper and paint fail.
- Skipping primer. Your next removal will be harder than this one.
Make Next Time Easier
The simplest way to never do this again is to choose wallpaper that's designed to come off. Peel and stick wallpaper uses a removable adhesive, so when you fancy a change, you peel it away in full strips. No soaking, no scraping, no glue.
FAQs
What's the easiest way to remove wallpaper?
Peel off any dry layers first, then soak the backing with a fabric softener solution or wallpaper remover and scrape from the bottom up.
Does vinegar remove wallpaper glue?
Yes. A 50/50 mix of white vinegar and hot water softens most wallpaper paste so you can wipe and scrape it away.
Do I need a steamer to remove wallpaper?
Not usually. A steamer helps with old, heavily pasted or painted-over wallpaper, but most jobs need only a spray bottle and patience.
How long does it take to remove wallpaper from a room?
A typical bedroom takes a day for removal and glue cleaning, plus a day to dry before you prime.