Moments happen and you’ll surely want to wipe your paper down at some point.

Note that not all substances can be cleaned from your paper, depending on the product on your walls. So maybe keep the flying spaghetti party in another room if you’ve got a particularly vulnerable product like an historic hand printed uncoated paper. Most folks don’t have this though, so rest assured there’s probably a way out of spill town for you:

The majority of papers on the market that you’re shopping for, or have purchased, have a coating on them that gives them some level of wipability. Please, always be careful - some of these coatings cannot handle much friction before the ink is removed from the paper. Always test in an inconspicuous area, or even better on a scrap piece of the product. *I always leave my clients with offcuts if an extra roll isn’t available & if I wasn’t your installer, hopefully yours has done the same.

Methods for cleaning stains or spills

Okay, I’m a little rigid about this. You’re going to think I’m overly cautious, but when you’ve got gorgeous paper on the line and have invested in not only the product, but the installation costs as well you really ought to be caring for your walls like your fine silks.

How to remove old or aged schmutz

REMOVE ANY SURFACE DUST FROM THE AREA YOU NEED TO WIPE

Small bits can act as an abrasive on the surface, so you may think you’re removing that splat of ketchup but also you could be sanding off the surface of the clearcoat with small particles, making your paper vulnerable to moisture and since you’re about to hit it with a damp rag you want to be careful. Run over the broader area with a dry microfiber cloth. Additionally, much like preparing to apply a screen protector on your phone, you could also try going over the area with a delicate surface masking tape to pick up any rogue wee bits.

Then you’re going to take a soft cotton cloth - woven, not terry cloth because it’s too abrasive. I’ve linked these baby cloths here because a flat weave will help lift said schmutz from the surface without breaking down like a paper towel would, and without marring the surface of your paper like a terry cloth would. You want the cloth damp enough that water won’t drip.

Keep your pressure feather light at first, adding force incrementally until your spot is gone. Please, never apply too much force. I’ve seen paper with bald spots from aggressive spot removal taking off the top layers of the artwork. Keep it light and remind yourself there’s no rush. And if you need a product to help keep it PH neutral and sud-free (suds = more scrubbing. scrubbing = thinning paper). Seventh Generation All Purpose spray is perfect.

To remove fresh schmutz…

You’re probably only going to need a quick swipe with a damp cloth, so you can disregard the preparatory business and go for it with your cozy rag. Let Seventh Generation All Purpose spray (or a comparable ph neutral spray product) be your assistant if necessary.

In short:

Think of your wallpaper like a hardwood floor - the amount of times you can sand and refinish a floor is limited. While you can gentry dry or damp wipe your walls periodically to keep them clean (as you would a painted wall), the amount of abrasion they can take tends to be limited. Just go easy and you’ll be safe.