How do I remove really old wallpaper glue from the wall?

Lily,

I have used vinegar with water - mix it 50-50 in a spray bottle. Let it sit for about 10 minutes and the wall paper will come right off. I struggled with the same problems when I was trying to remove very old wallpaper in a 1920's bungalow. None of the commercial removers worked. Then someone told me about the vinegar and I could not believe how good it worked. Have fun!

Have you tried Fabric Softener & Warm to Hot water in a spray bottle? Mix like 1/2 & 1/2 of each in an empty spray bottle. I’ve taken off a lot of wallpaper and this is the best thing I’ve used to get the “backing “ of the wallpaper that is always left when I stripped them. And you don’t have to pay for stripping sprays they sell for $6-$7, it’s just as good if not better. Spray a section and let it sit a few minutes then use a scraper. Hope it works for you!!

Having done wallpaper removal for people for over 50 years, I can tell you people use some weird stuff to paste their wallpaper up. I just sand it off, and then skim coat the walls with joint compound.

I used vinegar and water... I sprayed it on and then used a sharpened paint scraper... It took awhile, but it worked...

Thank you Deanna. I’m going to try this method. I have both vinegar and water.

I have used the fabric softener and water formula (half and half) and it always works for me.

Thank you. That sounds much more pleasant to smell Han vinegar but I’ll try them both.

Hi Lily, you can buy a really inexpensive tool at the home improvement stores called a wallpaper shark. Its a handheld disk that has rolling cutters in it. Scrape the wall paper with the shark and spray on cheap window cleaner. The stuff you buy for cars. Wait a few minutes. It should easily peel off once it is soaked into the paper.

I would ask the pros at a specialty paint shop. There are a lot of products out there that we may not be aware of to help with this issue. In the past, we have steamed the glue away but it takes hours and hours and it's a very labor intensive job.

Water and a stippper made for this.

Hello Ms Lalo, hope this helps, To get a smooth, clean wall, mix hot water, some liquid dish soap, and a tablespoon of baking soda together in your bucket. This solution is going to help soften the glue enough that it will be easy to wipe or scrape away.

Vinegar is a spray bottle.

What happens if you try to warm up the glue and scrape it off?

Visit a diy store, they have strippers for old wallpaper adhesive.

Vinegar and warm water in a spray bottle. Scrape it it off as it softens.

Have you tried warming the glue/paste with a steamer?