We all know how wallpapers magically change standard looking home, office, school or any place to a million dollar one! Nevertheless, as one famous quote says, “Everything that is previous needs special attention”, same applies in the case of wallpapers.
A proper wallpaper care is a key to beautiful looking walls for a considerable duration of time. To keep your place dynamic and bright, basic wallpaper maintenance can guarantee a superior life for your wall decor.
There are various types of wallpaper available in the market. It comprises of a backing material and a surface layer. Depending upon the material and surface, maintenance plan varies. However, It is important to have a wallpaper maintenance plan after every 2-3 weeks to keep them shining with freshness and brilliance.
Indeed, it is easier said than done. We do not often consider maintaining wallpaper until its year-end, or the kids spoil it. Wallpaper mainly draws a large amount of dust and dust. Hence, all wallpaper must be clean periodically.
Contingent upon the condition of wallpaper, cleaning requires removal and dusting of stain. Luckily, this is one of the easiest tasks. With the correct methodology, you can bring your wallpaper as they were in the beginning.
Let us find out various ways to keep wallpaper bright and beautiful:
Cleaning
1. Know your wallpaper
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The first basic step before you start cleaning is to know the type of wallpaper installed at your home. Depending upon the type, you can decide the cleaning mechanism.
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For example, the vinyl based wallpaper is very easy to clean and can be cleaned with water or cleaning chemicals, the fabric based wallpaper needs some precautions while cleaning with the wet cloth while simple paper based wallpaper should never be cleaned with water.
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You can use a dry wipe where there is no dampness. It can easily dispose the dirt from your wallpaper. However, you have to ensure that you do not clean with rough material. This can give permanent scratches on the wallpaper.
2. Cleaning utilizing cleaners
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Mix a little quantity of dish cleaner, around one and a half tablespoons, with water in a container. Do not overuse cleanser. Utilizing many cleansers will result in dirt stick to walls.
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Make sure you always you plain cloth while cleaning to prevent any color mark on the wallpaper. Prevent using scrubbings pads since they are excessively harsh for wallpapers. Plunge a sponge or a plain cloth in the solution.
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Remove the excess solution so that you do not end up making wallpaper extra wet. Testing the cleanser that you have made in a smaller part of the wallpaper prevents you from harming the whole wall if the cleaner ends up being destructive. The surface close to the baseboards is generally a best spot to test.
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If it cleans and does not harm, start the cleaning mechanism. Clean the wallpaper from the top to the base. Clean toward the vertical creases. Clean one area at once in a circular movement.
3. Dry and rinse the wallpaper
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This is the where you should always use the second container filled with clean water. Utilize the water from the second container and use another clean cloth or sponge to rinse each area.
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Try not to utilize excess water; you would prefer not to end up with wet and damp walls. Use a thick plain towel to dry the surface quickly to prevent the wallpaper from soaking up excessive dampness.
Dusting
1. With a vacuum cleaner
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The most effective technique for expelling dust from your wallpaper is via vacuuming. Connect a wallpaper brush with your vacuum to start dusting. Depending upon the length of vacuum cleaner brush, you might need to utilize a ladder that can help in cleaning the upper part of the wallpaper.
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This expansion will protect you from making scratches on the wallpaper. Start from the top and dust multiple areas in a single instance. If you carefully run a vacuum cleaner on wallpaper, you can use them for cleaning any sort of wallpapers.
2. Dusting with a floor brush
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If you do not have vacuum cleaner do not worry. We have something more easy and cheap option for you. Find any clean cloth and put it over a floor brush. Swipe the floor brush over the wallpaper from right to left. This technique will enable you to reach the dirty corners as well.
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Move the floor brush, clearing dust as you go, from the top of the wall to the base. You need to ensure that you cover each portion.
3. Dusting with a clean cloth
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Another simpler way to dust is by utilizing clean cloth. If your house walls are tall and no one is there to help you, you need a ladder to reach the top of the wall. Start from the top and start removing the dust from the corners.
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While coming down, ensure the cloth you are using is not excessively dirty. A dirty material will smear your walls. Hence, try to replace it with newer one.
Removing Stains
1. Clean pastel symbols
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Use a specially designed blade or knife and remove the colored pencil mark you kid has done. This mechanism mostly removes all marks. After clearing, the surface place a smooth white towel on the stain and apply low heat via iron. Then wait for some time until the remaining mark is removed. Check the result by removing the towel. If the result is not 100%, you can try the same process once again.
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In case if you have wallpaper that is washable, you can also use a cleaner that you used to clean the wallpapers. Afterwards, slowly wipe the stains until you achieve satisfactory outcome.
2. Clean finger prints
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To clean fingerprints, you can use gum eraser. Rub it softly against the wall. The eraser will absorb the dirt and oil left by fingerprints. If you have wallpaper which is made from vinyl, you can likewise use cleaner and water to clean fingerprints.
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To make cleaner, use dishwasher and warm water and then stir it well. Soak clean cloth inside it for 5 minutes. Then utilize the cloth to remove prints from the wall.
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You can even use a piece of bread to clear the wall. Take a piece of bread and rub it on the marks. After some time the gluten in the bread will expel and the stains will be removed from the wallpaper.
3. Clean spots created from grease
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First, put a paper-based cloth over stains. Apply heat on it by using low temperature from iron. The grease ought to saturate the paper cloth. Evacuate the cloth to remove the stains.
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Another nice method is to apply face powder on the stain. Pour face powder on a clean cloth and then put the cloth against the stain on the wall and keep it for 10 minutes. Clean the powder from the wallpaper with a brush or dry sponge.
4. Clean stains generated from wine
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Wet a cloth with dish cleanser and peroxide. Utilizing the cloth, apply this blend to the wall. The mix should dilute the stain. Keep it around for 5 minutes. Utilize a wet cloth to clean the stain and later dry the wallpaper using air from the vacuum.
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If you are not successful in first attempt, you can remove the stain with sodium cleaner that will loosen the spot. Dip a cloth into this cleaner and keep it around for 4 to 6 minutes. This will result in removal of stain. With a wet clean towel or cloth, clear the spot. You can also use hot air to have immediate effect.
Now let us find out some common Do’s and Don’ts for wallpaper maintenance.
DO’S with wallpaper care
- For cleaning, the wiping direction should be from top to base to ensure 100% coverage.
- For Wiping, the direction should always follow the vertical creases.
- Dry dust must be wiped utilizing a dry and clean cloth.
- Finish one area at any given moment. Let it dry and afterward, work on the remaining portion.
- Make sure you plan cleaning activity once in 2 weeks. If you have kids at home, perform this activity on weekly basis.
- Remove stains as quickly as possible.
DONT’S with Wallpaper Care
- Do not utilize grating cleaners as they may destroy the wallpaper surface. They can even make a permanent mark on the wallpaper.
- Do not utilize rough materials amid cleaning.
- Do not utilize active solvent-based cleaning agents, chemical based ingredients, veneer thinners and nail clean remover. This can result in the burnt mark on the wallpaper.
- Avoid items that contain bleach, as they will harm the wallpaper print and finishing.
- Do not utilize hard scrubbers on the wallpapers as they may deface the surface.
- Do not over-wet the wallpaper.
With these basic maintenance tips, your wallpaper will look gorgeous and will last longer.