How to clean wallpaper?

The most simple and versatile material for wall decor is, of course, wallpaper. Regardless of what type of coating you have chosen, you must certainly know how to clean the wallpaper in order to preserve their attractive appearance for a long time and reduce repair costs. Our specialists will tell you how to do this and what means to use for different types of pollution.

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How to clean the wallpaper?

Many different products are suitable for cleaning this decor material:

• washing and cleaning concentrates and pastes for dishes and hard surfaces;
• soda;
• salt;
• vinegar;
• hydrogen peroxide;
• stationery eraser;
• starch;
• iron;
• citric, oxalic and hydrochloric acid;
• potassium permanganate.

Special soft rags, hard and melamine sponges, and even a vacuum cleaner for each individual type of wallpaper will come in handy.

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What are the wallpapers?

In today's market, the range of these products is more than diverse. It can be:

• familiar paper materials;
• vinyl and non-woven coatings;
• canvases with metallized inserts - imitation of gold and silver;
• Natural wallpaper from bamboo, dry leaves, algae or straw.

For some options, an exceptionally dry method of removing dirt is suitable, while others are moisture resistant, so a full wash is also acceptable.

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How to clean paper wallpaper?

Paper wallpapers require a very delicate approach. It is unacceptable to wet them, therefore, we will cope with all the stains exclusively “dry”.

Method 1

The most simple technology for removing dirt and dust from paper wallpapers:

1. Take a dry carpet brush or a clean, soft broom.
2. Walk carefully over the entire surface.

Important! In this way, you can remove dust deposits, particles of dry, easily removable dirt and cobwebs. Perform this procedure during regular spring cleaning and as needed.

Method 2

Another common problem is the appearance of fingerprints. You can deal with it as follows:

1. Take a stationery eraser.
2. Gently rub in the right places.

Important! If the need to clean the walls arose due to another problem - the children outlined them with a pen or felt-tip pen, use the special selection of methods from a separate article "How to clean the pen from the wallpaper?".

Method 3

This is an option to remove greasy stains from the surface:

1. Attach a sheet of white blank paper to the stain.
2. Iron with a warm, not hot, iron.
3. Grease must be absorbed into a piece of paper during heat treatment.

Important! Please note that this method of removing dirt is only suitable for fresh traces. To remove old traces, you will have to make a new repair or partially change the wallpaper.

Method 4

This option is an exception that applies only to metallic paper wallpapers. Golden or silver aluminum foil is usually applied to their surface, and therefore they are suitable for wet cleaning.

To remove dirt from such material, do the following:

1. Vacuum gently to collect dust.
2. Prepare a warm, slightly saturated soapy solution.
3. Wash the surface with a soft sponge dipped in soapy water.
4. Dry with a dry cloth and allow to dry further under normal conditions.

Important! Do not open windows to ventilate the room after such a wet cleaning - under the influence of fresh air and draft, the wallpaper may peel off.

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How to clean natural wallpaper?

It is only possible to remove dirt from natural wallpaper using the dry method. To do this, special feather brushes are on sale - they simply brush dust off the surface.

Important! In no case do not wash such material, as it has a protective dust-repellent layer, which dissolves when exposed to moisture.

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How to clean vinyl and non-woven wallpaper?

With vinyl and non-woven wallpaper everything is much simpler. The coating has a special marking that indicates an acceptable method of removing dirt. Before you start cleaning vinyl coatings, be sure to pay attention to these recommendations:

• one wavy line drawn inside the square indicates that only gentle rubbing with a slightly damp cloth is permissible, without using any chemical agents;
• two such lines indicate the possibility of a full wash, even with a small addition of soap;
• 3 waves are resistant and durable coatings that easily tolerate washing with any cleaning agents;
• the scallop icon indicates that such wallpaper can be cleaned with a washing vacuum cleaner and rubbed with brushes to remove any dirt.

The procedure for thorough cleaning of non-woven and pvc wallpaper is as follows:

1. Turn on the vacuum cleaner at low power and go over the entire surface of the decorative coating on the walls. This procedure is mandatory in order to avoid the appearance of unsightly stains, especially when a sufficiently thick layer of dust has collected.
2. Prepare a special solution based on warm water in the basin, adding 1 cap of any detergent and 2-3 tablespoons of liquid powder to it. Keep in mind that you should get a non-foaming wallpaper cleaner.
3. Wet the sponge in the prepared washing solution, squeeze well and proceed to wipe the surface of the walls. Rub well, but at the same time carefully so as not to damage the upper protective layer of pvc.
4. Do not allow them to get wet abundantly, since any coatings tend to become sap.
5. Dry the material under normal conditions without drafts and airing.

Important! If you plan to repair, think in advance about possible dirt and cleaning methods. Read useful information about washable wallpaper for the kitchen.

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How to clean wallpaper from complex spots?

It is not difficult to remove an ordinary layer of dust and easily wiped dirt. But for complex spots, a slightly different approach is required - here, it will not be possible to do without suitable means. Take into account the following tips for using various improvised products to clean stains and dirt of different origin:

1. Oxygen powders and chlorine-based bleaches can quickly remove almost any stains. The only condition is to use them only on light materials without patterns.
2. Washing pastes and gels such as “Mr. Muscle”, “Fairy”, “Mr. Proper” will help to solve the problem not only of cleaning dirt from the wallpaper itself, but also in hard-to-reach places near sockets, switches and other technical units.
3. Alcohol, solvents, ammonia and vinegar, citric acid and gruel from starch with water, as well as talc - these products quickly and efficiently clean traces of marker, ball-point pen and felt-tip pen, coffee, juice and other complex contaminants from the wallpaper. To apply them correctly, prepare a light solution, soak cotton wool or a sponge in it, and gently wipe the stained area until the stain completely disappears. Talc is used dry, and the starch mixture should dry directly on the stain on the wallpaper.
4. Melamine sponge is an excellent modern solution for removing stains of different nature. The method of application is extremely simple - just rub the dry surface of the wallpaper until the dirt is removed.

Important! You would like to update the interior a little, but are you not ready for radical decisions and repairs? Learn different wallpaper design options.

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Regularly clean, immediately wash complex dirt on the wallpaper, following our advice, and your house will always sparkle with cleanliness, and you will be healthy and in a good mood, contemplating the fruits of your own labors!