Repair in Practice: How to Easily Remove Old Wallpaper

You've started a renovation, but the old wallpaper won't peel off? We'll tell you what to do.

Protect surrounding surfaces from water

Before removing the wallpaper, protect the floor, baseboards, and electrical fittings from water that you'll use during the process. Cover the baseboards with masking tape and lay down fabric or old towels on the floor. Ensure that water doesn't reach electrical wires, sockets, and switches.

Try removing the wallpaper

If you notice that in some places the wallpaper has started to peel off by itself, try prying it up with a putty knife. It's quite possible that most of the wallpaper will come off easily. However, a thin lower layer may remain on the wall.

Wet the wallpaper with a soapy solution

Add soap or a special wallpaper removal product to warm water. Spray the solution onto the part of the wallpaper that couldn't be removed earlier. Then wait a few minutes for the water to soak in.

Remove the wallpaper with a spatula

Gently remove the wallpaper using a spatula, moving from top to bottom. Try not to scratch the wall with the spatula if the wallpaper is peeling poorly — add more water or use a special wallpaper steamer.

Rinse the wall surface with a sponge

Once you've removed the wallpaper, don't forget to go over the wall a few times with a damp sponge to remove any remaining primer. You can use a special cleaning solution to avoid stains. The walls need to be thoroughly cleaned so that new wallpaper doesn't bubble.

Does the type of wallpaper matter?

It's easiest to remove paper and liquid wallpapers—they will easily peel off if soaked. For vinyl, washable, and flocked wallpapers, you need to make cuts with a sharp object first—this helps them absorb water better. For glass wallpapers, it's better to use special removal products rather than water—these are sold in construction stores.