Last Updated on
Have you finished stripping down the wallpaper of your home and are now wondering how you can descale your wallpaper stripper tool? Read on to find out more.
A wallpaper stripper is a small and special tool that removes paper from your wall surfaces using steam. It comes with a container that boils water as you are stripping the wallpapers.
If you live in a hard water area, you may know that hard water can deposit limescale particles on your wallpaper steamer, which may lead to ineffective stripping. While a stripper can be used for many years, limescale deposits affect its durability, which is why we recommend regular maintenance of your tool.
Regular descaling restores it to its original form. In this post, we’ll show you how to descale a wallpaper stripper properly and demonstrate how to easily remove limescale from a steamer in under an hour.
What You Need
To descale wallpaper steamers, you have to use strong enough chemicals to break some of the mineral components that might be stuck on your stripper.
Such chemicals are known as descalers or limescale removers and are available in powder form or liquid form. Most of them are acidic in nature and can break down minerals into their simple components. Limescale can also be removed from a kettle and an iron steamer using a descaling acid, such as white vinegar or citric acid.
Step-by-Step Guide on How to Descale a Wallpaper Stripper
Step 1: Take the Descaler Product and Pour It Into the Container
Before you start this procedure, disconnect the stripper from its power supply and ensure that it is turned off completely. It will minimise the risk of any accidents.
Moreover, if the reservoir of the stripper still contains hot water, let it cool off and discard it.
Once discarded, pour clean distilled water into the reservoir, then add the descaler product of your choice to create a solution. Read the instructions on the descaling product and make sure you use the right amounts. In most cases, the solution will fill the reservoir tank completely.
Step 2: Power on the Wallpaper Stripper
Shake the reservoir gently. After that, plug the wallpaper steamer into a power source and let the water boil for a short period until it starts to produce steam steadily.
Allow the stripper to run until the tank becomes half-empty. Once the solution runs through the hose pipe of the stripper, it will break down some of the limescale deposits that may be clogging the pipe. Additionally, as the water starts to boil, it starts breaking down the limescale buildup that may have been deposited in the tank. Warning: do not touch the steamer plate, as you could scald yourself.
Step 3: Check Whether the Stripper Functions Effectively or Not
Once the stripper has been running for a while, double-check how well the machine functions. You can do this by seeing how much steam is being produced.
If the stripper blows steam at a steady and normal rate, the solution has effectively descaled your stripper. However, if the stripper is not blowing very much steam, it may still have some limescale deposits affecting its performance.
In this case, top up the water reservoir with the same components and repeat the process until it starts to blow steam effectively.
Step 4: Let the Hot Water Cool Off
Once you’re really satisfied with the result, turn off the wallpaper steamer. Let the stripper cool off for about 25-30 minutes.
Pour out the solution, and rinse the tank with some clean distilled water.
If you want to stop limescale buildup in your wallpaper stripper, you should consider buying and using only distilled water every time you strip paper from walls. While this may be rather expensive, it will help you avoid future complications.
Invest in a Descaler
A descaler helps you get rid of all the minerals particles that might be stuck in your wallpaper remover. Using a good descaler will remove the limescale and restore the machine back to its previous state so that it can work for years to come. Ensure that you follow the instructions of your device and the descaling solution and have all the equipment you need at hand. Good descalers will get rid of the mineral components stuck in your stripper in no time, though you may also find that a white vinegar solution is also effective (and can even be used to descale your kettle).
We recommend browsing the various types of descaler solutions available and choosing the one that suits your needs the most.
So, what did you try out and use? Citric Acid? Vinegar? Or a normal store-bought solution? Let us know how you got on!
Ian loves everything that revolves around the home improvement niche. He loves trying out new home appliances. He has also handled a lot of equipment and has a lot of insight. Plus, he’s worked on various home improvement projects that became a success.
If Ian isn’t busy working on his latest project, you can find him reading up about another one!
