You have painstakingly removed the wallpaper from the wall, but there is still one thing to do before painting it. The glue that was used to attach the upholstery is composed of modified starch or methyl cellulose. If you don't remove the glue before painting, the color may flake, come off or make the wall appear uneven. Follow these tips to get the glue off the wall.
Steps
Part 1 of 2: Preparing to Clean the Walls
Step 1. Cover the room
Since you can do a lot of dirt, it is best to cover the floors and other parts of the room before starting. If you've already covered everything to remove the upholstery, so much the better.
- Cover the sockets, switches, air outlets, baseboards and gaskets with adhesive tape.
- Cover the floors with plastic sheeting or rugs where you need to work.
- Move or cover furniture with plastic sheeting. If the room is large enough, place all the furniture in the center of the room during the work.
- Unplug the power to avoid problems.
Step 2. Have tools close at hand
The steps to remove the glue are as follows: wet the glue, scrape it off and then rinse the wall. This means you need a lot of different tools to do this job:
- A bucket full of solution to remove the glue.
- A sponge to wet the wall.
- A spray bottle full of water.
- A dry rag to clean the wall (you will probably need more than one to do all the work).
- A rubbish bucket.
Step 3. Prepare the solution to remove the glue
Hot water alone is not enough: you need a solution that softens the glue, so it will be easier to remove it from the walls. There are various types of solutions you can use:
- Hot water and a little dish soap. Works well as a solution for almost all types of upholstery glue. Fill a bucket with this mixture.
- Hot water and vinegar. This solution is good for the toughest jobs. Mix four liters of water and four liters of white vinegar.
- Add a tablespoon or two of baking soda to the bucket. Helps dissolve the glue.
- Trisodium Phosphate, or TSP. TSP is an industrial product that was widely used in the past. It is very powerful, but also very polluting, so only use it if you have run out of other systems.
- For the most difficult jobs, you can buy the solution in specialized stores. Commercial solutions use chemicals that dissolve the glue easily. Follow the instructions to get the solution. You can find it in specialized stores and it is specially formulated to dissolve upholstery glue.
Step 4. Put on rubber gloves
Upholstery glue contains chemicals that are harmful to your hands. The job could take many hours, so it's a good idea to protect your hands with gloves like those used for washing dishes.
Part 2 of 2: Moisten and Clean the Walls
Step 1. Soften the glue by wetting it
Dip the sponge into the solution you prepared. Apply the solution to the wall, wetting it all. Don't wet the wall all at once - wet one area of one square meter at a time - you'll prevent it from drying out while you're working on another part. Let the solution sit for a few moments to soften the glue.
- If you don't want to use a sponge, you can use a spray bottle. Put the solution in the bottle and spray it on an area of one square meter. Wait five minutes for the solution to soften the glue.
- Arrange the spray so that it doesn't spray too much product all at once - the product needs to penetrate gradually.
Step 2. Scrape off the glue
Use the sponge in a circular motion until the glue has come off. Put it in the garbage can when you take it off the wall.
- Scrape off the glue with a putty knife when you can't get it off with the sponge. Try to use the putty knife so as not to damage the wall.
- If the glue doesn't come off, wet it again thoroughly and try again.
Step 3. Repeat the process throughout the room
Do a methodical work, piece by piece, so that no points are left behind.
Step 4. Remove the glue residue
Moisten the remaining glue with a spray and scrape it off with an iron scourer. This may be necessary to completely remove the glue.
Step 5. Remove the adhesive tape from the vents, sockets, baseboards and gaskets
Use a sponge to clean small surfaces.
Step 6. Let the walls dry for 12-24 hours
Run your hand over the walls: if they are smooth, most of the glue has been removed; if they are still sticky, you need to repeat the process.
Advice
- If you use steam to remove wallpaper, you can also use it to soften the glue immediately afterwards. Then proceed as described above.
- Try not to damage the wall while removing the glue. Be careful when using the spatula.
- Shake the glue from the spatula into the bucket. Let it dry and throw it in the trash.
