How to Remove Wallpaper with a Steamer

Are you wondering how to remove old wallpaper? Let me show you the easiest way to remove wallpaper. It’s inexpensive and simple!

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The Hills House had wallpaper in all the bathrooms and while I could tell a lot of thought was put into the design at the time (the wallpaper even matched the curtains), I knew I wanted to remove it at some point so I used the hallway bathroom as a test case. I tried most of the common methods like scoring it, warm water, vinegar, special liquid solutions meant for wallpaper removal. However, none of them worked very well in there. That’s why I decided to only use the method that worked best for me in the guest bathroom: a steamer.

I’ll show you the best way to remove wallpaper with a steamer in just a few simple steps. Here’s what I started with in the guest bathroom:

Materials and tools

• Steamer
• Putty knife
• Water
• Large garbage bag

Step 1: Remove waterproof layer

The first step is to remove the smooth waterproof layer:

In my case, it came off really easily and I was left with the true paper layer underneath:

Step 2: Steam the surface of the wallpaper

Once the top layer is removed, you can start steaming the paper layer to soften it. I used an up and down motion to distribute the steam:

I do recommend being careful around the steam, it’s very hot and I burnt my fingers a few times in the beginning!

Step 3: Scrape the steamed wallpaper

Next, you can grab a putty knife to gently scrape off the softened paper:

I recommend working in sections:

It’s definitely tedious and time consuming but so worth it once you see the blank wall poke through!

Step 4: Fill holes and sand

I noticed some holes in our wall the end of the process, some were caused by my scraping especially around the bullnose corners. I decided to fill and sand them in preparation for paint.

Finished wallpaper removal

I definitely spent a lot of time in this bathroom scraping off the wallpaper. I decided not to rush it and just did a little section each day.

Once I removed all the wallpaper, filled and sanded all the holes, our walls were ready for paint!

I can’t wait to share more about our guest bathroom with you!

I hope you found this quick guide on how to remove old wallpaper helpful, let me know if you end up trying it or have any questions!

Tina