Peel Off Dry-Strippable Wallpaper

Test whether your wallpaper is dry-strippable by lifting a corner. If it peels off in large sheets without water or steam, simply pull it off the wall.

How It Works

Many modern wallpapers manufactured after the 1990s are designed to be "dry-strippable" or "peelable." They use a special adhesive that releases cleanly from primed walls when pulled at the right angle. The entire sheet — or at least the top decorative layer — can be peeled away without any chemical treatment, water, or steam. This is the quickest and cleanest method when it works.

Instructions

1. Find a bottom corner or seam edge of the wallpaper
2. Use a putty knife or your fingernail to lift the edge slightly
3. Grip the lifted edge and pull slowly and steadily at a low angle (close to the wall, about 10-15 degrees from the surface)
4. If the paper comes off in a large, intact sheet: continue pulling slowly around the room
5. If the paper tears frequently or only the top printed layer comes off (leaving a paper backing behind): this wallpaper is "peelable" but not fully "strippable." Peel off all top layers, then use a wet method (scoring and soaking) on the remaining backing
6. After all paper is removed, wash the walls with warm water and a sponge to remove any adhesive residue
7. Let walls dry completely before priming or painting

Tips

• Always test this method first before mixing solutions or renting equipment — it costs nothing to try
• Pull slowly and at a low angle. Pulling fast or at a steep angle causes tearing
• Warming the wallpaper slightly with a hair dryer can help initiate peeling on stubborn starting edges
• Peelable wallpapers (where only the top layer peels) are still worth peeling first because it reduces the remaining work to just a thin backing layer
• Pre-pasted and self-adhesive wallpapers are more likely to be strippable than traditional paste-applied types

Common Mistakes

• Assuming all wallpaper is strippable and becoming frustrated when it tears — test one section first and switch methods if it does not peel cleanly
• Pulling too fast or at too steep an angle, which tears the paper and leaves patches that are harder to remove
• Not washing the walls after peeling — even strippable wallpaper leaves some adhesive residue that interferes with paint adhesion
• Pulling against gravity (upward) when pulling with gravity (downward from the top) often works better