Fabric Softener to Remove Wallpaper

As the name suggests, fabric softeners are used for making the fabrics softer. Nowadays, these products are available in a liquid form or as dryer sheets. While, liquid fabric softeners are added to the water that is used for rinsing clothes, the dryer sheets with dry softener coating are attached to the dryer of the washing machine. Apart from softening clothes, you can also use fabric softeners to remove wallpaper.

More About Fabric Softener

We all know that fabric softeners are used for making clothes softer. Do you have any idea about what is a fabric softener and how does it work? Fabric softeners prevent the generation of static electricity, which causes static cling. Light materials like clothes cling together, as they rub with each other, due to the formation of static electricity and this phenomenon is called static cling. Fabric softeners are products that contain a combination of certain chemicals. These chemicals form a thin coating over the surfaces of clothes. Such coating acts as a lubricant that conducts electricity, thereby preventing the formation of static cling.

As static cling is responsible for most of the wrinkles and creases formed on clothes, after washing, use of fabric softeners prevents such problems. So, you may do away with ironing. Even the fabric becomes softer, after application of these products. Some of the fabric softener brands claim to have anti staining and anti soiling properties too. Even slow-release perfumes are added to some of these products. So, fabric softeners are meant for clothes. But, it is one of the popular home remedies for removing wallpaper.

How to Use Fabric Softener to Remove Wallpaper

Wallpaper removal is often viewed as one of the difficult tasks that require a lot of effort. Even though, you may get a wide range of products for removing wallpapers, you may use a fabric softener for this purpose. Apart from softening clothes, these products can also soften the wallpaper as well its glue and makes its removal an easy task.

• Once you decide to remove the old wallpaper and stick a new one, you have to plan how to remove the existing one. Prepare the room for the task, by removing all furniture and carpets.
• Spread old clothes on the floor and switch off the power supply to the room. Cover the electrical outlets with duct tape and remove face plates from sockets.
• Take a sharp utility knife and score through the wallpaper. You have to cover the whole surface area by making crisscross marks. But, make sure you avoid damage to the wall, while doing this. Such puncturing helps the solvent to penetrate the wallpaper and soften it, thereby, making it easier to remove.
• The next step is to mix equal parts of hot water and liquid fabric softener. Fill the mixture in a spray bottle and apply on the wallpaper. You may also add equal amounts of fabric softener and water to the wallpaper removal steamer and apply the mixture on the wallpaper to be removed. It will be better to use gloves, while handling this solution.
• Let the solvent remain on the wallpaper for at least ten to twenty minutes, so as to make it soft. Once done, use a putty knife to scrape off the wallpaper. Take care to avoid damage to the wall, while scraping.
• It is always better to apply the solution in sections, that too from top to bottom. Once you are done with wallpaper removal with fabric softener, wipe the walls with a solution made of equal parts of white vinegar and water. This is beneficial for removing the residues on the wall. Let the walls dry completely, before fixing the new wallpaper.

Fabric softeners are found in almost every household and are one of the easily available materials for wallpaper removal. So, you may try fabric softener to remove wallpaper, the next time this task comes up.