You may frequently clean your floor around your home, but you don’t really pay attention to your wallpaper when actually it needs a regular cleaning too. Just like any surface, the dust and grimes may get collected over time which turns your striking wallpaper into a complete mess.
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Cleaning your wallpaper doesn’t only bring back its beauty again, but also prolongs its lifespan. The job is actually not that difficult and you can do everything all by yourself without costing you a lot. There are some home supplies that you can really rely on to clean your gorgeous wallpaper in no time.
Just check out our easy tutorial on how to clean wallpaper below for your ultimate reference.
How to Clean Wallpaper
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Before we start cleaning everything, keep in mind that different type of wallpaper requires different treatment. If you have vinyl wallpaper, you can literally wash it with a liquid cleaning solution. It’s because vinyl wallpaper is much more durable than the other in which most of them can last up to 10 to 20 years with proper regular maintenance.
For those who have a wallpaper that is made of fabric or paper, you can’t treat them with liquid. They are made of delicate materials which can get damaged if you wash them with a liquid cleaning solution. That being said, regular dusting is really necessary to keep the fabric and paper wallpaper always looking nice and clean.
(You may also like: White Walls Cleaning Guide | DIY Home Care)
Prepare these supplies:
The supplies below are suitable to clean all types of wallpaper:
- Vacuum with a brush extension
- Duster
- Microfiber cloths
If you have vinyl wallpaper, you can wash it by using the supplies below:
- Warm water
- White vinegar
- Castile soap
- Dishwashing soap or white bread
- Microfiber cloth
- Clean sponge
- Hot iron, optional
Follow these steps:
Dust the wallpaper
No matter what type of wallpaper you got in your home, you have to start with dusting the surface first. You can’t clean your wallpaper with any cleaning solution when the dust still sticks on the surface since it can create an ugly mess.
Use a duster with a long handle to clean the high areas that are close to the ceiling and use a vacuum with a brush extension to handle the tricky corners of the room. You have to be careful if you use the wall brush extension as it may damage the surface.
For small dusty areas that the brush or duster can’t reach, you can use a microfiber cloth to get the job done.
For you who have paper or fabric wallpaper, you have to stop your cleaning process here. Washing those types of wallpaper with liquid can damage the structure and discolor the look.
Wash the wallpaper
If you have vinyl wallpaper, you can wash it with your own cleaning solution. You just need to mix some home supplies.
Just follow the steps below to properly wash your vinyl wallpaper:
- Mix a gallon of warm water with 1/4 cup of castile soap in a large bowl or bucket.
- Soak a non-abrasive sponge in the mixture and wring it, so it won’t be overwet.
- Gently wipe down the wallpaper, only scrub on the heavily stained areas if necessary. Always work your way from top to bottom, so you can wipe the drips as you wash around.
- Once you are sure that you have cleaned the stains on your wallpaper, you have to let it air dry. If your home has a high humidity level, you can speed up the drying process with a microfiber cloth.
Treat difficult stains
You may still find some tough stains after you have done the cleaning process above, you can treat them with some options below:
- A clean sponge with a few drops of dish soap
- A piece of white bread
- A gum eraser
They are good to handle grimes, fingerprints, and scuffs. You just have to gently rub the tough stains that you notice on your wallpaper with one of the options above then rinse with a damp clean sponge.
For grease stains, you can follow the steps below:
- Mix a cup of warm water and a half cup of white vinegar in a plastic bowl.
- Dip a clean sponge in the cleaning solution then wipe the stained area.
- Dry it up with a clean towel.
For crayon stains, you can follow the steps below:
- Scrape the sticky crayon wax with the edge of a dull knife or any safe scraper that you have.
- Place a stack of paper towels over the stained area, then place a hot iron. It allows the crayon stains to transfer to the paper towel from the wallpaper.
(Read also: How to Wash Drapes Professionally in Home All by Yourself)
When do you need to deep clean your wallpaper?
You can execute the deep clean steps above ideally three to four times a year. It depends on the environment of your house. If you regularly clean your wallpaper (which means simply dusting it), you may just need to deep-clean it once a year.
Tips to keep your wallpaper clean
The cleaning steps above may not be really difficult, but, of course, doing that too often can be quite exhausting. That being said, keeping your wallpaper clean for a longer time is a much better idea.
- Clean the stains immediately – Once some inevitable accidents that stain your wallpaper happen, treat them as soon as possible. As you may have been aware, the longer the stains stay on the surface of your wallpaper, the harder they can be removed.
- Inspect the area – It’s always a wiser idea to install wallpaper in the areas where excess grease and moisture are frequently present (like the kitchen and bathroom). You have to buy the one which is specifically manufactured for rooms with harsh environments since they are more versatile and durable.
