Are you tired of the decade-old wallpaper in your bedroom? Then it is time to spruce up your house with new wallpapers.
But how will you remove the old wallpaper without damaging or scratching the wall? Here are several methods that will show you how to remove wallpaper with fabric softener.
Table of Contents
How to Remove Wallpaper with Fabric Softener: Ste-by-Step Guide
Step 1: Cover It All up
First things first, remove the additional furniture in the area where you will get rid of the wallpaper. Seriously, this part is essential because the fabric softener might get on your furniture, and that is a whole different hassle of its own.
If you have trouble with furniture removal, use a plastic cover or tarp to cover them appropriately.
You can also add the electric outlet plates and switches to this segment of covering them up. I suggest you take time and cover all of these parts before the wallpaper removal to ensure safety.
Step 2: Safety Measures
Once the electric outlets are under the plastic tarp, go ahead and switch the electric power out. Going through such a lengthy measure for wallpaper removal may seem annoying, but your safety comes first.
Since the glue of old wallpapers contains chemicals that may be harmful, keep the kids of your home away during the wallpaper removal process for extra precaution.
Step 3: Strip Away
Now the safety portion is over, grab a piece of wallpaper from any corner and start to strip away. If your wallpaper is too old, there may even be loose parts.
The basic wallpaper removal is straightforward, and you can use just your hands to rip them away.
But try to start from a corner of the wallpaper. That helps to decently remove the rest of the part in an organized manner.
Step 4: Grab a Scraper
It is only natural that the full wallpaper will not come off so easily. So, this priming part is necessary. To remove the adhesive layer of the wallpaper correctly, grab a knife or a scraper.
After you pull the wallpaper’s corner, use the scraper to scrape away the wallpaper off the wall.
You can also use the knife to create random cuts in the wallpaper before scraping it off. The combination of both knife and scraper will help you get rid of the crusty wallpaper quickly.
Step 5: Add Hot Water
Now that the scrapes of wallpaper are gone, you have to remove the wallpaper’s residual contents. For this purpose, grab a sponge and a bucket. The magic element that removes this stubborn adhesive element is simple hot water.
Hence, soak up the sponge with hot water and get to pressing the sponge on the entire wall. Just remember, the hotter the water, the easier it will be to remove the adhesive paste.
Step 6: Time to Use the Fabric Softener
Thanks to the hot water and sponge treatment, you will notice the adhesive layer coming off smoothly. Now you have to make the fabric softener mixture. For this, mix up the fabric softener with hot water. This ratio of the fabric softener and water should be 1:1.
Pour this mixture into a bottle and shake it up properly. The saturation of these two components has to be smooth; otherwise, the adhesive will not loosen up. Now simply let this solution do its magic for 15 minutes.
Final Step
Now that the adhesive has loosened up properly, it is time for a final scrape. Go ahead and take your scraper again and start the process. If you still notice some stubborn glue patches, pour more solution and scrape away.
How to Remove Wallpaper from Drywall
Previously, removing wallpapers from drywall may have felt like a real nightmare. But now you do not have to worry about wallpaper removal anymore.
Thanks to the fabric softener, you can now remove it all. Here I will talk about how to remove wallpaper from drywall with fabric softener.
Step 1: Get Hot Water
First off, get hot water and a spray bottle. Now use the hot water all over the section where you want to take off the wallpaper.
Do not be conservative because hot water helps take off the adhesive like magic. So, use plenty of water to soak up the entire wall adequately.
Step 2: Pull It off
Now that the soaking part is over, you can go ahead and pull off the wallpaper with ease. While this hot water helps to remove the wallpaper a bit easier, you will still notice adhesive layers remaining on the wall, which is not a great look.
Plus, your new wallpaper will not stick to the wall if there are layers from the previous one.
If you still notice some leftover adhesive properties, go back to the hot water treatment again.
Step 3: Mix the Fabric Softener
Now grab the fabric softener and some more hot water. This mixture of fabric softener and hot water is the perfect combination to get rid of any excess adhesive leftovers.
After this mixture sits for a long enough time, you can go ahead and use a scraper to pull off any remaining bits of wallpaper effortlessly.
Step 4: Final Wash
After the fabric softener treatment, all you have to do is get more warm water and take care of the residual adhesive components. Overall, this wallpaper removal from your drywall becomes 10 times easier just with some fabric softener.
How to Remove Wallpaper without Softener
A fabric softener is an excellent option for the removal of drywall wallpaper. But what if you do not have a fabric softener near you? Here I will talk about steamer and vinegar, two optional choices that you can reach for instead of a fabric softener.
1. Steamer: Remove Wallpaper with A Steamer
A steamer allows you to get rid of your pesky old wallpaper much faster than anything else. So, I will discuss how to remove wallpaper with a steamer in this segment.
Step 1: Warm up the Steamer
First, get your steamer to warm up after you add water. It would be best if you allowed the steamer to warm up properly before working on the wallpapers.
Step 2: Score Away
If you want the steamer to loosen up the glue properly, you will have to score up the wall. The scoring process is super easy. Simply grab your scoring tool and use it on the wallpaper.
Circle this scoring paper so that the steam can penetrate the wallpaper to reach the adhesive portion effortlessly.
Step 3: Time to Steam
While you were scoring the wallpaper, the steamer did a fine job of warming up. So, now you can directly use this steamer on the wall.
Allow the large surface of the steamer to face the wallpaper in the closest proximity possible for better penetration.
Cover each of the wallpaper areas with the steamer for about 1 to 2 minutes before moving on to the next section. Go ahead and use the steamer for the entire wall this same way.
Step 4: Take It Slow
It is better to scrape off the wallpaper as you are steaming. Meaning, finish off steaming in a particular area and immediately scraping off the glue to get optimal results.
If your stubborn wallpaper is more persistent than you thought, go back to steaming it for several more minutes before finally scraping it properly.
Step 5: Smaller Plate Size
Most steamers come with several plate sizes for your convenience. Why is this plate size important? How else will you get to the wallpaper around the corners of your sink? Therefore, grab a smaller steamer plate and repeat the same process to scrape it off.
Step 6: Remove the Glue
Once you are over with the wallpaper, use the steamer to remove the glue or adhesive layer. If you do not immediately clear this adhesive layer, it will become harder, and you will have trouble taking it off later on.
To soften up this adhesive layer, use the steamer for each portion. Just as before, only a minute or two of steaming will do the magic.
Final Step
After removing all of the glue layers, grab some hot water and give it a final wash.
2. Remove Wallpaper with Vinegar
What if you do not have a fabric softener at home or a steamer? What is a good wallpaper removal ingredient that you can find in your own kitchen? One easy guess; vinegar. Here are simple ways to remove wallpaper with vinegar.
Step 1: Time to Score
First off, get yourself a scoring tool to score your wall. As corny as that sounds, the scoring tool allows the vinegar solution to penetrate the wallpaper layer properly, so the glue comes off without any hassle.
You can gently press this scoring tool in whatever direction you find necessary in a circular motion.
Step 2: Prep Work
Now it is time for the wallpaper removal solution mixture. Gather white vinegar, a container, and warm water. Take white vinegar and water in a 1:1 ratio and add these to the container. After that, grab a spray bottle and pour the vinegar mixture.
Step 3: Saturate Properly
Go ahead and spray this vinegar solution on the wallpaper areas previously scored. Take your time to spray the vinegar and water solution because it may take a while.
Plus, you can even spray this acetic acid solution repeatedly for better results. After proper saturation, the rough adhesive layer beneath the wallpaper will loosen up better. Then grab the corners of the wallpaper, and it will come off effortlessly.
Final Step
This easy vinegar and water process takes a whole lot of time to work. But the acetic acid is strong enough to remove wallpaper with time. Therefore, wear your gloves and allow for a proper saturation before pulling the wallpaper off.
Final Words
Whether you want to change your old wallpaper or want a quick modern touch-up, a fabric softener can help in the long run. If you are unfamiliar with fabric softeners, this article will be perfect for you.
Additionally, the non-fabric softener methods will be a great option if you are a beginner. Do not let the old crust wallpaper scare you off; your house will be brand new again with the abovementioned steps.
