The Stain Library

Material

Wallpaper

Printed paper over water activated paste, where moisture lifts seams, marks the face and cockles the surface, and vinyl faced papers are the exception.

  • SurfacePorous
  • WashingSpot only
  • Colour run riskHigh
  • Reviewed7 September 2026

What wallpaper can and cannot take

  • Heat Avoid
  • Water and soaking Avoid
  • Acids, including vinegar Avoid
  • Strong alkalis Avoid
  • Solvents Avoid
  • Chlorine bleach Avoid
  • Abrasives Avoid

Always test on a hidden area first and let it dry before you treat the visible mark.

General rules for wallpaper

Work out what the paper is before touching it. A vinyl face feels slightly plastic and beads a drop of water; a traditional paper, grasscloth or fabric face absorbs it immediately.

On ordinary paper, the safe method is dry: lift solids, blot, and stop. Anything damp risks the paste, the print and the surface all at once.

Where something damp is unavoidable, the cloth is wrung out hard, worked downwards, kept away from the seams and dried immediately.

Check the label

Ordinary paper wallpaper is not washable. Water activates the paste behind it, so a wet cloth at a seam breaks the bond and lifts the paper, and the paper face itself marks and cockles. Vinyl faced papers are a different material and can be wiped.

Stains on wallpaper

Wallpaper is a printed face hung with a water based paste.

The paste is the vulnerability

It is activated by water. Wetting a seam breaks the bond and the paper lifts, and a lifted seam cannot be re-stuck invisibly.

The face marks

Uncoated paper absorbs, so a damp cloth leaves a tide line and rubbing takes the print off. Traditional papers, grasscloth, fabric and bamboo faces are all in this category.

Vinyl faces are different

A vinyl coating resists moisture, soap and gentle wiping, which is why kitchen and bathroom papers are vinyl.

Direction matters

Wallpaper guidance is specific that cleaning is done downwards, so drips land on an area about to be cleaned rather than on dry paper below.

Sources

What we checked and when. Where a manufacturer instruction disagrees with anything here, follow the manufacturer.

  1. How to clean wallpaper, William Morris Wallpaper specialist

    Wallpaper guidance that vinyl faced papers resist moisture, soap and gentle wiping while traditional paper, grasscloth, fabric and bamboo do not, that cloths must be wrung thoroughly because damp rather than wet is the rule, that wallpaper paste is activated by water so excess water at a seam breaks the bond and lifts the paper, that surfaces tolerate gentle wiping but not abrasive scrubbing, that cleaning is done downwards to avoid drip marks, and that the area is dried immediately.

    Checked 7 September 2026

  2. Concealing water stains on plaster surfaces, US General Services Administration authority

    Building conservation procedure establishing that stains in plaster bleed through finish layers of paint if they are not sealed, that the moisture source must be found and the surface allowed to dry completely first, that the area is cleaned with a stiff brush and a damp cloth, that a white pigmented shellac is used to seal, prime and block the stain, and that the whole wall is primed rather than only the stained patch when a standard paint is used, to avoid visible shiny patches.

    Checked 7 September 2026

  3. Dulux Easycare frequently asked questions, Dulux manufacturer

    Paint manufacturer guidance that its washable matt uses a stain repellent technology which makes spills bead rather than absorb, that a mark is cleaned with a soft non abrasive damp cloth, that a stubborn stain is treated with a non bleach based cleaner such as washing up liquid on a soft damp cloth, that abrasive cloths and scrubbing are avoided, that spills are best dealt with quickly, and that the stain repellent property returns once the paint is fully dry again.

    Checked 7 September 2026