Walls can look so dull at times. Posters, photos, and other items plastered to them make things more interesting. However, when it comes to removing items from the wall, the adhesive can remain.
Now you have a blotched wall marred by old tape, sticker residue, and other adhesive nasties. There are ways in which you can remove these marks.
Which method you choose depends on the type of adhesive you want to remove. Read on to find out how you can get any type of adhesive off your wall.
- Dos and Don’ts for Removing Adhesive from Walls
- Test a small patch of the wall with your removal kit
- Take your time
- Don’t use too much water/solvent
- Don’t use coarse materials to remove the adhesive
- Removing Adhesive from Walls
- How to remove stickers from your wall
- Removing adhesive tape from your wall
- Ridding your walls from wallpaper glue
- How to remove Blue Tack from walls
- Removing double-sided tape off a wall
- Removing glue stick glue from walls
- Your walls are as good as new again
There may be affiliate links in this article. You can read more about this in my disclosure.
Dos and Don’ts for Removing Adhesive from Walls
Before you start getting rid of the unsightly mess off your walls, there are some things you need to be aware of. This will ensure that you don’t damage your walls.
Test a small patch of the wall with your removal kit
Some of the chemicals contained in your cleaning products could damage or discolor your wall.
Take your time
Don’t think your need to get the job done as quickly as possible. Be patient.
Rushing the process could have you harming your wall.
Don’t use too much water/solvent
Excess water can soak into the wood or plastering of your wall. You don’t want a wall that starts to turn moldy or begins to flake away.
Don’t use coarse materials to remove the adhesive
You can imagine what your wall will be like if you use a hard-bristled brush or steel wool on it.
Removing Adhesive from Walls
Getting rid of the leftover adhesive can be done using products you already have in your kitchen/bathroom, solvents or heat. Match the right product with the adhesive and you have a marriage made in heaven.
That is, that old tape, sticker or other residues will be a breeze to remove.
How to remove stickers from your wall
Kids love stickers. Kids enjoy placing them on whatever surface they can find: beds, bedroom furniture, and walls.
When it’s time to say goodbye to the stickers, there is a range of options available:
- Hot water
- Dishwash liquid
- Hairdryer
- WD-40
- Rubbing alcohol
If you are unsure about the effectiveness of things like rubbing alcohol or WD-40, then stick with using water or dish soap.
Follow these steps:
- Apply your residue remover onto the sticker with gentle dabs. (Mix dish soap with your hot water)
- Use a cloth that is semi-coarse to carefully rub over the stickers. Keep rubbing until the sticker is removed.
- Once the wall has been cleared, give it a wipe-down.
Want to use a hairdryer?
Here is what to do:
- Have the hairdryer on the lowest heat setting. Hold it half an inch away from the sticker. Move it slowly over the entire sticker to soften the adhesive.
- Take a knife or scraper and carefully peel the sticker from the wall.
- Wash away any residual glue using hot water.
- Give the wall a final clean.
For those of you who have opted to try using WD-40, give the wall a thorough wash afterward. WD-40 can leave an oily smell in the air.
Removing adhesive tape from your wall
This situation is in the same boat as that with stickers. Some older tape can leave black marks on the wall when you try to peel it off.
To free your wall from the horror of tape, you can use the same products as that for stickers.
Also, the method is the same as that for liberating your wall from stickers. Follow steps 1 to 3 in the first method from the previous section.
Ridding your walls from wallpaper glue
You are in the process of doing up your home. Part of that requires taking down the old wallpaper to replace it with something new.
You can use any of the following to help you remove the glue:
- Dish soap
- Hot water
- Fabric softener
- Clothes steamer
- Distilled white vinegar
Dish soap works by breaking down the bond between the glue and the surface. Fabric softener and vinegar act to break down the glue itself.
Using hot water or your steamer softens the glue which makes it easier to remove.
Choose your preferred removal product and then proceed with these steps:
- Wash over the wallpaper glue with your chosen product.
- Use a scraper to gently remove the glue from the wall.
- Clean down the wall when you have lifted all the glue.
If you use a clothes steamer, hold it about an inch away from the glue.
Be careful that you don’t get any steam on your face or hands as it can burn you. Simply steam and scrape the glue away.
How to remove Blue Tack from walls
Okay, so Blue Tack is simple to take off walls. You just use another piece of Blue Tack to remove it from a surface.
But if the Blue Tack has been on the wall for a while, it can leave little blue babies behind.
To completely free your wall from Blue Tack, wipe it down with benzine or mineral turpentine.
- Apply your cleaning solution to a cloth.
- Rub over the blue tack until it is gone.
- Wash down the wall with hot water or soapy water.
Removing double-sided tape off a wall
Double-sided tape can be a blessing when it comes to sticking things on walls. However, removing it from walls can be a nightmare.
Thankfully, it’s not as nightmarish as you think.
What you need for the task is:
- Rubbing alcohol
- A cloth
- Scraper
Follow these steps to get rid of the tape residue:
- Dab some alcohol onto your cloth.
- Rub over the tape and wait for a couple of minutes.
- Take your scraper and peel the tape from the wall.
- Wipe down the wall when the job is done.
Removing glue stick glue from walls
If someone has gotten overzealous with the glue stick and you find it on your walls, don’t panic. You can take care of the problem.
What is required is the same materials needed for removing double-sided tape off a wall.
Follow the same instructions as that in the last section (on how to remove double-sided tape from a wall).
Your walls are as good as new again
Having a wall that has adhesive residue can make things look unkempt. But you don’t have to put up with such an eye sore.
There are plenty of products and methods you can use to remove the tape, glue, or stickers from your wall. Match the product with the situation and you will have walls looking amazing once more.
When it comes to removing the residue, take your time in the process. It isn’t a race.
Your walls will thank you (if they could talk) for the TLC see you have shown them.