Tips for maintaining and cleaning wallpaper in your home

Tips for Cleaning Wallpaper for your Home

Wallpaper is a beautiful way to make your house look unique and welcoming. But, as beautiful as wallpaper is, over time, dust and moisture can discolour wallpaper, making the walls look dingy. Smoke and evaporated oils can create a sticky surface on kitchen wallpaper. Bathroom wallpaper could get mouldy and stained since it is exposed to moisture and humidity.

Cleaning wallpaper is a delicate process as you must ensure that you don't damage the design in the process. Here are some tips on the best way to clean wallpaper to ensure that it stays looking new and fresh for many years.

Dusting Interior Wallpaper

Dust settles on wallpaper just as it does on furniture. A regular mild dusting of wallpaper should be done with a duster or a soft microfibre cloth every month to ensure that it doesn’t look faded and dirty. These materials help brush away light dirt and dust without scratching the paper or pattern.

Spot Cleaning of Wallpaper for Walls with Soapy Water

Over time, your wallpaper may get dirty due to splashes, hand marks, or pencil and crayon marks if you have young children. Doing spot cleaning, every few months, will help rejuvenate your wallpaper. Make sure that you first dust the walls before doing spot cleaning. Check out the cleaning solution that you intend to use in a small inconspicuous area to ensure it does not damage the finish of the wallpaper. Do not use very abrasive cleaners. A little dish soap in warm water is good enough and can be used to delicately scrub any spots or stains on the wallpaper.

Keep these items handy in case of tougher stains:

• Vinegar
• Chlorine Bleach

Step 1

Dust or vacuum the wallpaper thoroughly before using water. If you don’t, any dust or cobwebs will turn muddy, causing streaks on the wallpaper.

Step 2

Mix 3 litres of water with ¼ cup of dishwasher liquid and mix it well. Dip a sponge in the soapy solution and wash down the wallpaper. The sponge should be damp and not soaking wet.

Step 3

Allow the wall to dry well by airing the room. You can put the fan on or even use a hair dryer on damper spots to dry it out faster. Now check to see if all the small stains are gone.

Step 4

If there are very tough stains on the wallpaper that the soapy mixture did not remove like greasiness and stickiness, especially on kitchen wallpapers, you may need a few more steps of cleaning.

First, you will need to figure out what has caused the damage. Depending on that, here are a few methods to tackle it.
 

Water Stains – Cleaning Wallpaper with Bleach

First, try cleaning wallpaper with vinegar. If it does not work, try a bleach solution but only as a last resort as bleach is a strong substance and can damage the wallpaper. Mix 1⁄4 cup of bleach with a cup of water. Do the same test as with vinegar to ensure that the solution does not damage the paper. Then use a sponge dipped in the solution and pat it on to the stain and let it sit for ten minutes. Wipe down with a damp microfiber cloth. Towel dry.

Cleaning Different Types of Interior Wallpaper

Almost all wallpapers will take a light dusting and even a little bit of wipe down and spot cleaning. But if you are considering a deep clean, you need to check whether your wallpaper can take it.

Let’s take a look at the different wallpaper materials and what is the best way to clean them.

Vinyl Interior Wallpaper

Vinyl is the most durable kind of wallpaper and can take a good deep clean. But even with the most durable wallpaper, it is better to use soft cleaning pads and non-abrasive chemicals so that you do not scratch, peel off or damage the paper or design. If maintained well and with a regular cleaning, vinyl wallpapers can last 10 to 20 years, and are the best options for kitchens and bathrooms.

Fabric Modern Bedroom Wallpaper

This wallpaper material looks gorgeous anywhere but as it is quite difficult to clean it is better in low traffic areas like the bedroom and living room. High end fabric wallpaper materials like silk, linen, velvet, or raffia are very expensive and one has to be cautious when cleaning them. It is best to dust or wipe down the wallpaper. Any more cleaning needs to be left to an expert.

Bamboo Modern Living Room Wallpaper

While bamboo wallpaper is sustainable, and looks gorgeous on a living room wall, it is high maintenance and one has to make sure that it is dusted and vacuumed regularly to keep it looking good. It cannot be exposed to water and dampness.

With regular maintenance, your wallpaper will last for years enhancing the décor of your interiors.

How can Beautiful Homes Help you with the Best Wallpaper for Home?

At Beautiful Homes, we believe that your time is valuable and so are your finances. When designing your interiors, we will pay attention to every small detail and guide you in the selection of each paint colour, wallpaper or fabric, and provide a wonderful finish by carrying out a perfect installation. We believe in complete integrity and professionalism and we bring that to every project. We have a strong in-house design team and we collaborate with the finest craftsmen, artisans, architects and builders. Using their mastering skills, Beautiful Homes gives creative life to your project.

Beautiful Homes has a wonderfully curated collection of interior décors in its design store and you will find a fine selection of wallpaper for your home. And if you don't find what you are looking for, we will source it for you. We believe that every project, big or small, is a work of art. We will help you select the perfect wallpaper, have it installed with the minimum inconvenience, and help you create interiors that are sophisticated and stylish.