# vinyl wall covering mess



## MNpainter (Jul 17, 2008)

This may be a basic question for some, I hope so. I don t do much wallcovering anymore and today I stopped by a job to see a friend whom I usually send all my wall coverng work. She i trying to fix up some rooms in a motel. walls are a fairly heavy vinyl maybe 10 yrs old. there appears to glue, paste whateve on some of the face, not all at the seams. Nothing seems to take this off. Old seam glue or clay paste was my guess. 
sorry no pics. it is whitish in color, any suggestions on removal? thanks
steve


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## ProWallGuy (Apr 7, 2007)

A picture would definitely help in diagnosis.


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## daArch (Mar 15, 2008)

I'll take a stab without pix, because I'm soooo much more experienced with commercial vinyl than PWG :no:

No, seriously, commercial vinyl is NOT my forte, but, normal pastes used on vinyl should be washable with either warm water or with some stripper solution added. A micro fiber cloth would help more also.

Clay will be brownish. Clear pastes will create "shiners" without much color. My fear is that you may be faced with VOV (vinyl over vinyl) which is not a regular and simple starch based paste. It's a polymer and not many things will dissolve it. 

Our friend Mike Zekich of Safe and Simple used to have a solution that would help with the removal of VOV, but discontinued it. I asked Mike if he had a suggestion as to what to use. He said fabric softner. Now, we were in a non serious frame of mind when I asked, and NOT was it in a public setting, so I can not be 100% sure if he was serious. But it's worth a try.


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## chrisn (Jul 15, 2007)

Try a can of Coke.:yes:


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## daArch (Mar 15, 2008)

good point Chris. I now remember others have suggested Coke. Hell, it will remove rust, why not VOV.

(then WHAT does it do to one's stomach ? )


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## [email protected] (Mar 1, 2008)

You might try almost straight ammonia add thought with a green sctoch bright. or vinger Been to long since I had one like that and it was a border on painted walls that we repainted. 
David


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## Colour Republic (Aug 20, 2010)

daArch said:


> He said fabric softner. Now, we were in a non serious frame of mind when I asked, *and NOT was it in a public setting*, so I can not be 100% sure if he was serious. But it's worth a try.



What does that mean??? I can only assume you 2 were in bed at the time:blink:



:jester:


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## daArch (Mar 15, 2008)

Colour Republic said:


> What does that mean??? I can only assume you 2 were in bed at the time:blink:
> 
> 
> 
> :jester:


or at the bar, perhaps???

you brits are just WEIRD 

you guys just have too many politicians in bed with too many various warm blooded critters. :whistling2: Not only do you now not bat an eye at no matter WHAT you see, it's come to be the norm.


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## daArch (Mar 15, 2008)

[email protected] said:


> a green sctoch bright.


I'd be awful leary of a teflon scrub pad. It WILL abrade the surface and quickly remove ink - yes even on commercial vinyl. This is DO have experience with. 

(Don't ask)


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## robladd (Nov 22, 2010)

3m doodlebug white cleaning pad I believe is still a trade secret shhh! I have cleaned fiberglass, aluminum, glass and pretty much everything under the sun that is delicate with them. 

This product does not scratch any of the above mentioned substrates painted or not.

Any time I clean any fine fragile items I have turned to this pad, it has not let me down yet, truly heaven sent!!!


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