How to Clean Wallpaper and Remove Marks
Regular dusting, the slightly damp white cloth, what to do the moment something marks it, and the cleaning products that will take the print off
Dust wallpaper regularly and it will rarely need anything more. For a mark, act quickly: blot gently with a clean, slightly damp white cloth, working from the outside of the mark inwards. Never rub, never scrub, and never use a wet sponge, an abrasive cream or a solvent cleaner.
This is paper and it is ink, and it should be treated as such. Everything below follows from that.
Routine care
- Dust every few weeks with a soft dry cloth, a clean duster or the soft brush attachment of a vacuum on low suction.
- Work top to bottom, so what you dislodge falls onto paper you have not done yet rather than onto paper you have.
- Pay attention to the top edge, the area above a radiator and anywhere near a door handle.
Regular dusting does more for how a papered wall looks over ten years than any amount of cleaning. Marks are mostly dust that has been left long enough to bond with the surface.
Dealing with a mark
- Act quickly. A fresh mark lifts. A mark left for a fortnight often will not.
- Test first somewhere inconspicuous, behind a door or low down behind furniture, and let it dry before you judge the result.
- Use a clean white cloth, slightly damp. White, because a coloured cloth can transfer dye onto damp paper. Slightly damp, because water is what you are being careful with.
- Blot, don't rub. Press and lift. Rubbing burnishes a matte surface and can take ink with it.
- Work from the outside in, so you do not spread the mark outwards.
- Blot dry with a second clean dry cloth and let it dry naturally.
What never to use
- A wet sponge. It puts far more water onto the paper than you want and drives it into the surface.
- Abrasive creams, scouring pads and melamine sponges. All of them remove the printed surface.
- Solvents, white spirit, bleach or anti-bacterial sprays.
- Coloured cloths.
- Steam cleaners. They are for taking wallpaper off.
Traditional, 150gsm
The most delicate surface of the three. Super-matte and smooth, so it shows what you do to it. Dust regularly and blot marks gently.
Heavy-grade, 300gsm
Vinyl-coated, so it copes best with cleaning, which is why we recommend it for kitchens, bathrooms and hallways. The sand texture holds onto anything abrasive, so blot rather than wipe firmly.
Removable, 180gsm
Treat as the traditional paper. Keep water away from the seams and edges, where it can work behind the adhesive.
Rooms that need more thought
- Kitchens: grease carries in the air and settles. Dust more often and keep paper away from the immediate hob and sink area.
- Bathrooms: ventilate properly. An extractor or an open window during and after a shower does more for wallpaper than any cleaning.
- Hallways: the wall at shoulder and bag height takes the most wear. Heavy-grade paper is worth it here.
- Children's rooms: deal with marks the same day.
When cleaning is not the answer
Some marks are damage rather than dirt: a scuff that has taken the surface, ink, or a stain that has come through from behind the paper. Rather than working at it and making it worse, patch it. A repair cut from an offcut is invisible, and gentler on the wall than another ten minutes of rubbing.
A stain that keeps returning after cleaning is coming through the wall, whether damp, a leak or salts, and needs the cause dealt with first.
Can you wash wallpaper?
Not in the sense of washing a painted wall. Dust it regularly, and blot marks with a clean, slightly damp white cloth.
How do I remove a mark from wallpaper?
Act quickly, test somewhere hidden first, then blot gently from the outside of the mark inwards.
Is your wallpaper washable?
The heavy-grade paper is vinyl-coated and copes with gentle cleaning. All three should be blotted rather than scrubbed.
Can I use a magic eraser or a cleaning spray?
No. Melamine sponges are abrasive and sprays leave marks of their own.
How often should I dust wallpaper?
Every few weeks, as part of ordinary cleaning. It is the whole of the maintenance.
What if the mark won't come out?
Stop before you damage the surface, and patch the area with an offcut instead.
