How to remove dirt from vinyl wallpapers and can they be washed?

Vinyl wallpapers are gradually replacing paper counterparts from the market. Dense multilayer coating - more stable and durable, better tolerates external influences. For this reason, you can wash vinyl wallpapers if you do it competently and accurately. Here, as in any other cleaning process, there are some nuances and pitfalls. And vinyl wallpapers are also different, and each subspecies has its own unique features. If some of them can be cleaned with a vacuum cleaner and chemicals, others can only be cleaned with a slightly moistened rag and soapy water.

Wallpaper Wash

Vinyl wallpaper consists of several layers.

• The bottom layer is made of paper or non-woven.
• The surface layer is actually vinyl.

The protective coating is less moisture permeable. But although such wallpapers can be washed, this process must be treated with care. It’s important not to overdo it. The fact that the coating is moisture resistant does not mean that it is worth filling the walls with water without fear of the consequences - in this case even the best material will not last long.

Here's what happens if you literally “bathe” the walls instead of gently wiping them with a damp cloth:

• water will penetrate under the coating, as a result, the wallpaper will begin to delaminate and fall behind the wall;
• in wet mold will develop;
• the picture will go bad;
• the coating is deformed, losing its original appearance.

Therefore, you need to clean vinyl wallpapers delicately. In addition, how intensively you can wipe the coating depends on its type.

Types of Vinyl Wallpaper

There are several varieties of vinyl wallpaper. Some tolerate contact with water better, others worse.

So that the buyer can figure out which roll will survive the cleaning, the manufacturer applies special markings on the packaging. It depicts one or more waves in a square frame. The number of waves indicates the degree of moisture resistance, the more there are - the better:

• 1 wave. Not very good moisture resistance. Such wallpaper can be gently wiped with a damp cloth. Moreover, manufacturers do not recommend using detergents.
• 2 waves - washable wallpaper. You can use detergents, but wiping the coating is better not too intense.
• 3 waves - super washable coating. They are distinguished by good moisture resistance. You can wash more intensively, but it is not recommended to use a brush or a washing vacuum cleaner.
• In addition to waves, a brush is also shown on the packaging. This means that the wallpaper can be cleaned using a brush or vacuum cleaner.

Vinyl coatings are divided into subspecies and other signs that are important to consider. In addition, not everyone has a roll package on hand.

Wallpapers vary in surface type.

• The compact vinyl coating has an even texture, therefore it is more resistant to external influences - both moisture and brush friction. They tolerate better cleaning with chemicals. But it is better not to use aggressive detergents, instead of them an ordinary hand soap, well soluble in water, is suitable.
• Wallpaper, which has a characteristic corrugated texture, requires delicate care. It is better to refuse a brush, a washing vacuum cleaner and strong household chemicals. Otherwise, the surface may begin to delaminate.
• Silk screen rolls carry moisture, but it’s better to wash them carefully. In the manufacture of such coatings, silk threads can be used, which makes the decorative layer “softer”. In this case, a soap solution and a rag are recommended.

How to clean wallpaper?

First of all, you need to carefully get rid of the dust layer, so that during wet cleaning the dirt does not flow on the wall.Here you will need a dry rag. It will be even easier to do this with a vacuum cleaner.

Then you need to make a soap solution and dip a rag into it.

After cleaning the wallpaper with a damp piece of cloth, you need to finally wipe them dry.

What other nuances need to be considered in order to wash the wallpaper quickly and efficiently?

• If you dry the wallpaper, having a draft in the room, then they can begin to peel off.
• You can not dry by heat, the surface will become wavy.
• The faster the cleaning, the better. The coating should be as humid as possible.
• It will be good if there is a spare fragment of wallpaper at hand. In which case it will be possible to seal the damaged piece.

At the first cleaning, it is better to conduct a neat test: try to wipe a small and inconspicuous part of the wall. If all goes well, continue.

So, not all vinyl wallpapers can be washed - but this is not always necessary. Usually a neat treatment with a slightly damp cloth dipped in soapy water is usually sufficient.