Keep your wallpaper clean with these easy tips

Keeping your wallpaper clean

One of the most effective and easy ways to clean your wallpaper is by vacuuming it. Use a soft vacuum brush, especially if your wallpaper has a texture with grooves in it. Vacuum your wallpaper starting from the top and working gently to the bottom. When it comes to dust balls or cobwebs, ensure that you lift them off the wall with the suction power of the vacuum cleaner, rather than running the head of the vacuum directly over them, as this could cause dirt and dust to streak and stain your wallpaper. 

Wallpaper dough is another excellent cleaning technique when it comes to removing stains from a reed, fabric or uncoated wallpaper that would otherwise be damaged by any water-based cleaning. Wallpaper dough is specially designed for these delicate surfaces and can be purchased at any paint shop or home store. The dough must be rolled into a ball, and then rolled across the wallpaper surface that has a blemish. When the wallpaper dough begins to get dirty from the substances it is lifting off the wallpaper, simply remodel the ball to get a fresh, clean surface.

Some of the most easily damaged and delicate wallpaper coverings are fabric, reed, grass, leather, or cork. These materials are highly susceptible to damage by water and therefore can not be washed with liquids. If you are unsure exactly what material your wallpaper is made of, test a small, unnoticeable area with water and a little dishwashing liquid to see how the surface reacts, rather than taking a chance and applying water to a large, central area of your wallpaper. If the wallpaper soaks up the liquid and darkens in colour, or if its colour runs, do not clean it with liquids and instead use a tool like wallpaper dough.