Remember when everyone just slapped paint over wallpaper?

Honestly, I see people trying it now and it's a guaranteed mess. I learned the hard way in my first apartment, the paint bubbled and peeled off in sheets after about 6 months. Anyone have a good trick for removing that stubborn vinyl stuff?

3 comments

3 Comments

mason2833mo ago

What about using a fabric softener and water mix to loosen the glue? I sprayed it on, let it sit for 15 minutes, and the vinyl peeled off in long strips. The smell was way better than commercial stripper too.

taylorcarr3mo ago

That's a clever use for fabric softener. I've had good luck with the blue kind mixed about half and half with warm water in a spray bottle. It works well on the paper-backed vinyl in old kitchens, the kind with the little fruits or flowers. For really stubborn glue residue left behind, a second spray and a pass with a plastic scraper usually gets it up without damaging the underlying surface. It's definitely my go-to method now for smaller jobs.

dixon.willow1mo ago

oh yeah, the fabric softener trick is decent but lemme tell you, nothing prepares you for the smell of wet wallpaper glue mixed with cheap dryer sheets. i tried it on my grandma's old kitchen with those cursed fruit pattern vinyls and ended up with a sticky goo that attracted every dust particle in a five mile radius. taylorcarr is right about the plastic scraper though, just don't be like me and use a metal one on drywall unless you want to practice your patching skills. that blue fabric softener combo is the way to go, just open a window unless you want your place smelling like a laundry mat crossed with a craft store from hell.