Wallpaper is often displayed on a wall for years, which means that it attracts a lot of dirt and dust. While most wallpaper can withstand occasional cleanings, you need to be gentle to avoid tearing the paper. Consider these tips on how to clean wallpaper, and ensure that the surface gets clean without being damaged.
1Remove dust. Use dry methods to remove dust from the wallpaper, such as a dry sponge or electrostatic dust cloth.
2Create a cleaning solution. Mix a small amount of dish soap with water in a bucket. Use clear soap to avoid staining the wallpaper with colored detergent. You can also buy cleaning products made specifically for wallpaper from a home improvement store.
3Dip a soft cloth in the bucket of cleaning solution. You can also use a sponge. Do not use scrubbing pads because they are usually too harsh for wallpaper.
4Wring out the excess cleaner into the bucket. Otherwise, the wallpaper will get too wet and start tearing.
5Test the cleaning product on an inconspicuous area. Testing the cleaning solution in a small, hidden area prevents you from damaging the entire wall should the cleaner turn out to be harmful to wallpaper. The surface near the baseboards is rarely noticeable to others, and is a good spot to test.
6Clean the wallpaper. Wipe the surface from the bottom to the top. Clean in the direction of the vertical seams. Clean one section at a time.
7Rinse with warm water. After cleaning the wallpaper, rinse each section with clean water.
8Pat the wallpaper dry. Use a terry-cloth towel for this task. Dry the surface immediately after rinsing it to prevent the wallpaper from soaking up too much moisture and tearing.
9Get rid of stubborn stains using household products.
- Use WD-40 to remove crayon marks. Spray a washcloth with the solution, and gently wipe the stains until they disappear.
- Rub fingerprints away with a piece of bread. The gluten in the bread removes stains from the wallpaper.
- Apply talcum powder to remove grease spots. Pour talcum powder on a washcloth. Rub the cloth on the wallpaper and let the powder sit for 10 minutes. Remove the powder from the wall with a dry sponge or brush.
- Vacuum or dust wallpaper regularly to keep dirt from building up over time.
- Do not try to clean mildew out of wallpaper. Mildew usually penetrates to the wall. Remove the wallpaper so you can get rid of the mildew on the underlying wall.
- Do not add too much soap to your cleaning solution. Excess soap will make the walls sticky. Pour in just enough soap to create some bubbles.
- Avoid using chlorine bleach or solvents to clean wallpaper. These products are too harsh, and may scratch or tear the wallpaper.
Things You'll Need
- 2 buckets of warm water
- Dish soap or wallpaper cleaning solution
- Sponge or soft cloth
- Terry-cloth towel
- Talcum powder
- Slice of bread