My Dollar Store Solution For Removing Wallpaper From Drywall

The Prows House is seriously ALWAYS a work in progress.  We wouldn't trade where we live for the world - we have the best neighbors and friends - but sometimes it would be nice to trade up to a house that was fixed up just the way we would like it.  Although is that ever truly accomplished by anyone?

Anyway.... I'm always driving Jeremy crazy with one project or another.  Our main bathroom is in pretty poor shape right now.  When we bought the house, the bathroom had wallpaper on the walls.  In case you ever wonder, wallpaper and moisture are not a great combination.  We're big fans of hot showers in this family, and we must be much steamier than the previous owners, because it didn't take long after we moved in for that wallpaper to start rippling, and peeling at the seems.  I decided the wallpaper needed to go.

Now I'm no expert at removing wallpaper, but I had researched a few tricks online and got to work.  I soon ran into quite the dilemma.  Once the top layer, the "vinyl-like" part of the wallpaper was peeled off, the paper/glued down part was a nightmare to try to remove.  It should have come off so easily after the soaking I gave it.  I quickly realized the problem.  The wallpaper was applied directly to the drywall!  There was no smooth layer of paint, or even primer to make the soaked pieces of paper and glue easier to remove.

I tried to research solutions to my problem online.  But mostly I found posts that said it couldn't really be done, or questionable companies trying to sell expensive wallpaper removal kits.  I wasn't about to take a chance on shelling out my money for a product that may not work.

I was so embarrassed whenever company came over and wanted to use the bathroom.  Partially stripped walls with splotches of adhesive everywhere looks way worse than rippled, peeling at the edges wallpaper.  It was bad.  I finally couldn't take it anymore and decided that I needed to experiment, to try something.  After all, it couldn't get any worse, right?

I had read that fabric softener works well to remove wallpaper.  But I knew I had to be careful scraping off the wallpaper, if I didn't want to make gouges in the drywall.  I headed to the dollar store, picked up a spray bottle, and a cheap jug of fabric softener.

I was still not sure what I would use as a scraper.  The paint scraper at the dollar store was quite sharp, and was sure to do some serious damage to the drywall.  Then I ran across this 2-pack of sanding blocks.  It was worth a try, right?

It worked like a charm!  I filled my spray bottle with fabric softener, sprayed a generous amount onto a section of the wall, and let it sit for just a minute.  I didn't want it to be too saturated, as I wanted to make sure the drywall didn't get ruined.  I then peeled what I could, and used the sanding block to sort of "file" away the excess paper and adhesive.  I immediately wiped the excess moisture from the wall with a dry rag.

I'm so glad I didn't waste my money on one of the expensive products online, that may or may not have worked!  I spent under $5: 1 spray bottle, one jug of fabric softener, and 2 sanding block packs.  I can tell that I will have to purchase more of the sanding blocks before the project is finished - but I will still be into it less than $10.

I'll keep you posted on how the bathroom makeover works out!  Do you have any great DIY tricks or tips you'd like to share?  I love all the help I can get in the ongoing adventure that is my "homemaking".

Making my Mark

I recently had a little bit of fun while cleaning the carpets of a rental property owned by a family friend. It is truly remarkable the difference good equipment and quality technique can make in the appearance of your carpet.

If you have any questions you'd like answered, shoot me an email, leave a comment, or connect with us on Facebook.

Let me introduce myself...

Hello! My name is Jeremy and I own and operate J.P. Carpet and Tile Care here in the Salt Lake Valley. I love Utah, and have lived here my entire life. My wife and I started the business in 2000, when our second child was born. Since then we have been working hard to expand our business, and provide for our family. We are now the proud parents of 4 beautiful children - 1 son, and 3 daughters!

We decided to start this blog as a way for customers to get to know us, give us feedback and ask questions, as well as see what we have going on in our ongoing mission to provide the best carpet, tile and upholstery care available. We will also feature special offers and promotions from time to time, so check back often!

At J.P. Carpet and Tile Care, we specialize in high powered hot water extraction. This is still the number one recommended form of carpet cleaning recommended by carpet manufacturers. I am certified by the Institute of Inspection, Cleaning and Restoration Certification (IICRC). As a non-profit certification organization, the IICRC helps ensure that you have access to trusted and trained cleaning professionals by establishing and monitoring certification programs and standards for these industries.

I am continually educating myself on the latest industry products and methods in order to provide you the highest quality in carpet, tile and upholstery care.

When we first started our company, my wife and I had to decide what our main priority would be for our services. Did we want to offer the highest quality, the least expensive service, around-the -clock availability of our services, or something else all together? We both agreed that the most important thing to us was to offer the highest quality available to our customers.

I work hard, and take the extra time needed to ensure that the job is done well, and I am satisfied that I have done the best job possible. So far my entire business has been built entirely by word of mouth from happy customers! I'd like to continue that tradition!

I wanted to share a few pictures that demonstrate the quality of my cleaning before I go. I hope you'll give me a call if I can help you in any way with your carpet and tile care needs!