Wallpaper border?

Not to my knowledge...will probably need to replace but maybe somebody else will answer with other ideas! Sorry

Is there a reason you don't want to remove/replace the border? Looks like this is in a bathroom, which means it would be a fairly small room and not take a lot of time to get it down. I don't think you'd be happy with painting over it and even if you did, you'd likely need to paint all the walls as well. Can't think of any way to just lighten up the border without wrecking it.

In my past, I installed wallpaper and borders professionally for over 15 years. I have washed off my own wallpaper with mixture of White Vinegar and warm water, using a sponge and a light hand. Remember it is pasted to the wall and may be basically paper and aged glue which may have deteriorated over time and may loosen from the wall. There are other options like vinyl and vinyl face, etc. From the picture, I am unable to determine what composition your border is. I was washing mine for spring cleaning and fall cleaning. Since yours has been up a number of years, washing it may not accomplish much. I would try a spot in the least conspicuous spot, like over the doorway where you enter the bathroom or in a corner. Do not soak the border, just dampen it. Wait a day or at least 8 hours to let it dry. If you can see the border is cleaner in that area and there is no damage from the water, you are probably ok to proceed. If there is any damage or the border has loosened from the wall, stop, OR continue to remove border from the entire area. Most borders are fairly simple to remove AND to install new. You might even prefer the area with no border. That was a current trend for several years but today, it seems that the trend for plain walls is, once again, the trend is reversing, so it is personal preference. Ratio: 1/2 cup-1 cup vinegar to to a gallon of warm water. If you wish to ask for more information, let me know.

Magic sponges!!

http://www.howtocleanstuff.net/how-to-remove-smoke-and-nicotine-stains-from-wallpaper/

like others before me....remove it...its dated, old and really discolored...sorry...just my opinion.

Try washing it with dish soap little bleach try in a small spot first leave on for 15 min

If your heart is set on keeping it I would wipe it down and then use a paint color that matched on the cabinets and other decorations in the room then it would all tie in together and you could keep it.

My personal opinion only...Take it down, its a dated decor option. Take it down and give the room a fresh coat of paint.. you will love the new look.