How to Remove Wallpaper

Whether you're refreshing a room or prepping for new paper, removing old wallpaper is straightforward once you know which type you're dealing with — and once you accept that the water does most of the work, not the scraping.

The hands-on method below comes from professional installer Matthew Williams of MWD Interiors, who has been decorating interiors since 1994.

Before you start

  • Clear the room or move furniture to the centre and cover it with drop sheets, then cover the floor.
  • Cut the power to the room at the fuse box, and tape over any nearby power points. This is a wet job, and water plus electricity is dangerous.
  • Matthew's tip: roll up old beach towels into tight "sausages" and press them along the base of the wall to catch the run-off before it reaches your floor.

First, find out what you've got

Pick at a corner with a scraper and lift.

  • If the paper peels away dry, in one layer — you likely have a modern strippable or peelable paper. Lucky you; this is the easy case.
  • If it tears into small bits and clings — it'll need soaking to release the paste.
  • If it won't budge at all — it's a traditional paper that needs water and a stripping solution (see Matthew's method below).

The easy case — strippable paper

  1. Lift a corner with a scraper.
  2. Pull gently and steadily at an angle. It should come away in large pieces.
  3. Wash any remaining paste residue off the wall with warm soapy water and let it dry.

The soaking method — for stubborn paper

You'll need: a sponge or garden sprayer, warm water (a little washing-up liquid helps), a scraper, and patience. A scoring tool helps on water-resistant papers — it makes tiny holes so water can reach the paste.

  1. If the surface is water-resistant, gently score it all over with a scoring tool. Don't gouge the wall.
  2. Wet the wallpaper generously with warm water and let it soak in for a few minutes.
  3. Re-wet if needed — the paste needs time to soften.
  4. Slide your scraper under the paper at a low angle and lift it away. Keep the scraper flat so you don't dig into the wall.
  5. Work in sections, re-wetting as you go.

Matthew's installer method (the one the pros use)

For traditional, textured (such as Anaglypta or seagrass), painted-over, or otherwise stubborn wallpaper, this is the professional approach.

You'll need:

  • Hot, hot, hot water — the hotter the better
  • A bottle of Zinsser DIF wallpaper stripping solution (about $20 from Bunnings) — optional, but it makes the job dramatically easier
  • A 5-litre pressurised pump spray bottle (from the garden section at Bunnings)
  • A snap-off blade knife and spare blades
  • A plastic scraper (a plasterboard/gyprock blade is ideal — it won't scratch the wall)
  • Old beach towels

Method:

  1. Fill the spray bottle to the 4-litre mark with hot, hot water and add a good splash of DIF.
  2. Lightly score the surface of the wallpaper with a sharp blade in a diamond pattern — parallel lines roughly 200–300mm apart. This lets the water get behind the paper.
  3. Pressurise the sprayer and soak the wall several times.
  4. Start gently peeling and scraping with the plastic blade.
  5. If it isn't lifting easily — soak it again. Patience here is everything; the water does the work, not the scraping.
  6. Keep those rolled beach towels at the base of the wall to mop up the run-off.

"The way to strip wallpaper easily involves a lot of water — so turn off the electrics and use those beach towels to soak up as much as possible." — Matthew Williams, MWD Interiors

On a budget? Some people swear by diluted fabric softener or vinegar in warm water as a cheaper alternative to a chemical stripper.

A faster option — a steamer

If you've got multiple layers, a wallpaper steamer (hire one cheaply) speeds up tough jobs. Hold the plate to the paper for a few seconds to loosen the paste, then scrape. Keep it moving so you don't scorch the wall, and wear gloves — steam is hot. Treat it as a last resort, and work with a friend if you can.

Finish the wall properly

Once all the paper and paste are off:

  • Wash the wall down to remove every trace of old paste (new paper won't stick over old paste).
  • Don't over-soak plasterboard (drywall) — it can be damaged if it gets too wet, so soak enough to lift the paper but don't drown the wall.
  • Let it dry fully.
  • Fill, sand and prep — see Prepping Your Walls — ready for your new wallpaper.

Take it gently

Don't gouge or rush — damaging the wall surface just creates repair work later. Soak, wait, and let the water do the hard part.

Ready for something new? Browse our collections, and order a $10 sample so your next wallpaper is the one you'll love for years.

With thanks to Matthew Williams of MWD Interiors, professional wallpaper and wallcovering installer, Perth.