How to clean wall stain off wallpaper with simple ingredients

Overview

Wallpapers help add in any type of aesthetic you want in your home. As much as they are pretty, they can also be stained accidentally. Especially if you have kids in the house or if your wallpaper is in the kitchen grease stains and ink marks are not uncommon. Now it is not possible to make kids sit quietly in a corner. That’s why it is important to know how to clean those accidental stains that tarnish your precious wallpaper. If you are wondering how to clean wall stains, this article is for you.

 

How to clean wall-stains- Some General Tips 

While cleaning stains off a wallpaper, there are a few things you need to keep in mind. Take a look below:

• Look at the type of wallpaper you have. Certain wallpapers are easily washable while others are a little difficult to handle.
• Make sure to use a simple, soft sponge and some common dishwashing liquid.
• Use a damp, not wet cloth to wipe away any stains.
• DO NOT scour the wall since it might damage the wallpaper pattern.
• Always make sure to conduct a patch test on an inconspicuous area of the wallpaper like behind furniture. If the wallpaper gets wet or color runs off, then stop immediately. If there is no reaction, then continue washing the stain.

How to clean wall-stains of various types

 

Crayons/Ink/Felt pen stains 

Simply follow the below-mentioned steps to effectively remove light ink stains from wallpapers:

• Take a damp cloth/sponge moistened with water. Make sure to use cold water.
• Try to rub gently in a way that your movement strokes overlap. This is to ensure there is no additional streaking on the wallpaper.
• Then pat dry with a clean, lint-free cloth.

However, this is not the only way. Another thing you have to consider is whether your ink stain is washable or not. For washable marker stains, you can use baby wipes. For non-washable inks, make a paste of baking soda and water.

Also, consider the quality of your wallpaper. If your wallpaper is of very durable quality, then rub some alcohol or silver polish to get rid of those accidental ink stains.

Permanent markers are a whole different story though! Try rubbing alcohol in those cases. In fact, you can also try rubbing in some sanitizers, hairsprays, or nail polish removers as most of them contain alcohol. However, we will always advise you to conduct a patch test first somewhere hidden. Also, make sure to wear some rubber gloves while applying this solution.

Now if your wallpaper is made from biodegradable material, then you might want to skip the alcohol altogether. Rub the affected area very gently with bicarbonate of soda sprinkled on a clean, damp cloth. Be very careful as there is a lot of chance that some of the wallpaper designs might fade. Now whether you want a faint pink stain on your wallpaper or a faded wallpaper portion is up to you.

 

Crayon marks

This one is a very common occurrence in households with kids. If by any chance your kid uses the wallpaper to doodle, here is what you can do:

• Take a blunt knife.
• Now scrape away the crayon mark gently.
• For more stubborn crayon stains, take a paper towel and iron it flat.

Fun fact: You can also scrape away any food spills on your walls with the help of a blunt knife! 

 

Moulds and mildew

Usually, the first line of defense against moulds would be simple soapy water. If you find this solution not strong enough, then add in a few drops of white vinegar and then apply to the mouldy area.

 

Grease/oil stains

Another very common occurrence if you have toddlers or kids around the house. Also, if you have wallpapers in the kitchen, there is bound to be some grease/oil stains. How do you clean them in that case? Simply follow these few steps:

• Make a paste of cornflour and water.
• Apply this to the affected areas/grease spots in the house.
• Leave this off to dry and then brush off. Repeat this step if necessary.
• For non-vinyl wallpapers, use talcum powder. It can absorb grease stains very well.
• Simply leave it on for a few minutes and then brush off the powder.

Another thing you can do to take care of grease stains is to use the good, old iron! Heat up your iron a little bit. Place a paper towel over the grease stain. Now iron over the paper towel a few times. Ideally, this should help the paper to absorb the grease.

 

Fingerprints

Fingerprint marks can be easily removed with the help of a clean eraser. Alternatively, you can also use a Magic eraser for best results.

Wine stains

Had a party last night? Bonded over some food and drinks? Now don’t be surprised if you discover some pesky wine stains on your walls! But hey, don’t fret. You can take care of this easily with the help of blotting paper and some natural dampened sponge. First, blot the stain dry and then wipe it off with a sponge dampened with warm soapy water.

If it’s not working, try adding vinegar to the mix. Since different wallpapers act differently, be patient and go from one method to the other.

Conclusion

By now I am sure you have a fair idea about how to clean wall stains of various types. Please remember that the efficiency of all these cleaning hacks depends largely on the type and durability of your wallpaper. Just don’t forget to conduct a patch test first if you are using any hack for the first time.

FAQs 

• Can I remove stains from non-washable wallpapers?

Yes you can easily remove stains from non washable wallpapers with the help of baking soda-water paste. You just have to be a little careful and gentle about it.

• Is it possible to remove food spills and drink stains from wallpapers?

Yes. You can easily remove these pesky stains with the help of a sponge dampened with warm soapy water and white vinegar.