Works for Me Wednesday: Removing Wallpaper Adhesive

Last week I asked (begged) for tips on removing wallpaper adhesive. Some of you commented, some emailed and some simply wished me good luck. Thank you, thank you for all the help!

Julie, a friend from my long ago working days, actually called her husband to help me find the best answer. We haven’t seen each other in years and she’s still one of my most helpful friends! So, Julie and Bruce, you get a special prize. Honorable mention goes to Erin and Kellie who both suggested I bribe friends to do it for me. Apparently the going rate is a case of beer and/or a lot of chocolate. Unfortunately, neither of these wonderful ladies live within 100 miles of me. Alas, I was left drinking and devouring chocolate all on my own. For the record, I consumed several vente white chocolate mochas and a couple mocha frapaccinos during the course of this project. Thank you, Starbucks!

And the winner is … DIF!

Intended for stripping wallpaper, this stuff really works (as the slogan aptly states). You may remember my wallpaper came off without a hitch; it was that lovely vinyl stuff that peels in one piece without damaging the sheetrock. However, I was left with a ton of wallpaper adhesive. Hot water and elbow grease were doing the trick, but the process was far too labor intensive for a mom with two preschoolers. Enter DIF.

The instructions say to spray it on, wait 15-20 minutes then wash off with a damp sponge. I found these directions to be less than complete. Here’s what worked for me.

1. Spray DIF gel on the walls. (If you buy the large “refill” bottle, you could actually roll it on with a paint roller. This might be great, but I stuck with spraying.)
2. Wait 15 minutes.
3. Using HOT water and a textured sponge, scrub the area. Some of the adhesive will come off immediately, but some won’t. Scrub the whole area in a circular motion until the surface is evenly shiney and tacky to the touch.
4. Take a wallpaper scraper (a beveled razor blade with a long handle) and scrap the adhesive off the sheetrock. Be sure to do this at an angle; you don’t want to damage your walls. I found using a diagonal direction works best.
5. Repeat steps 1-4 if necessary.
6. Once all the visible adhesive is removed, wipe down the walls with a soft sponge and hot water. This removes any residual adhesive.

That’s it! It sounds like a lot of work, but trust me: this is the easy method!! It took me two and a half days to finish the dining room. Four years ago I did our living room, just slightly larger than the dining room, using hot water and vinegar. It took three weeks and that was with only one child, an infant who slept sixteen hours a day. Yup. This is much, much more effective and much faster.

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