Easy & All Natural Wallpaper Removal Tip: Use Vinegar and Hot Water

Over the holidays, I finally started on the spare bedroom in my Mom’s house. It has not seen any decorating love since the 80’s, and it was time to strip the wallpaper and give the walls a fresh coat of paint. I was a little apprehensive because I had never removed wallpaper before, but I soon realized it was more tedious than difficult. I also learned that it was a job that could be made easier with our favorite friend: white vinegar.

Before I began, I read AT’s wallpaper removal tutorial. I decided I did not want to invest in a pump sprayer if I did not have to, and I wanted to avoid fabric softer and commercial wallpaper remover formulas if possible. I did a little more research and read that a spray bottle filled with hot water and vinegar might just do the trick. I decided to give it a try and got to work.

First I prepped the room, and then I prepped the walls. I gently ripped off what paper I could using a wide putty knife, and then I scored the rest of the wallpaper surface with a scoring tool. Once my walls were ready, I mixed equal parts boiling water and vinegar into a spray bottle, with the understanding that the hot water would loosen the wallpaper glue and the vinegar would help dissolve it. I sprayed a small section, waited about 5 to 10 minutes, and then gently scrapped off the wallpaper with my putty knife. For more challenging areas, I reapplied the vinegar/water solution several times, and waited another 5 to 10 minutes in between sprays and scrapes. The whole project took an afternoon, and now the walls are ready to be prepped for paint!

Related Tutorial: How To Remove Wallpaper
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