Method #3: Stripping Solution
You can also use a homemade or store-bought stripping solution to loosen the wallpaper glue. The homemade recipes aren’t complicated and use ingredients you likely already own. Here are a few options:
- Fabric softener + hot water
- Laundry detergent + hot water
- White vinegar + hot water
- Dish soap + hot water
For each solution, mix the two ingredients about 50/50 – maybe a little heavier on the water for the last two. The hot water helps reactivate the glue, while the detergents help dissolve it.
With a spray bottle or sponge, dampen your wallpaper with the solution and wait a couple of minutes to let it work its magic. If you are using a storebought stripper, follow the label instructions for how to apply. Then you can peel it by hand or with a small putty knife. Again, your paper may come off separately from the glue. We often had to go back around a second time, respray the glue, and remove it separately.
For small sections of glue, we also found that rubbing it with the rough side of a small, damp sponge helped get off little bits that were hard to see. They also sell wallpaper scrapers to help with this task, but we didn’t use one.
Read the full post about using homemade stripper to remove wallpaper.