Wallpaper care: how to look after it over time

Wallpaper is not a surface that needs to remain clinically new. It should live with the room and may take on a gentler tone with age. But graceful aging is not the same as grease, damp damage or areas worn smooth by repeated contact. The best approach is to do as little as possible, as early and precisely as possible.

How do you clean wallpaper without damaging it?

Always begin with a dry method. Remove dust and loose dirt with a clean, soft duster or a vacuum cleaner set to low suction and fitted with a soft brush attachment. Never allow a hard nozzle to scrape across the surface. In many cases, this is all that is needed, particularly on walls that are rarely touched.

For a small mark that needs further attention, work in four stages:

1. Test first. Try the method on a saved offcut or an inconspicuous part of the wall. Water and friction can alter a matt surface even when the colour appears unaffected at first.
2. Introduce moisture only when necessary. If dry cleaning is not enough and your test leaves the surface unchanged, dampen a clean, soft white cloth with plain water and wring it out thoroughly. Never spray liquid directly onto the wall.
3. Blot, do not rub. Work from the outer edge of the mark towards the centre using light pressure. Stop if colour transfers to the cloth, the surface remains dark after blotting or the texture begins to change.
4. Dry gently. Press a clean, dry cloth against the area to absorb any remaining moisture, then allow the wall to air-dry. Do not use a hairdryer, fan heater or other direct heat.

Linlava wallpaper has a matt, lightly textured surface. This texture is part of the pattern’s depth, but it also means the paper should not be treated like tile or wipe-clean vinyl.

Which stains should you not try to wash away?

Grease, ink, shoe polish, wax, soot and paint require more caution than ordinary dust or a fresh splash of water. Water and cleaning products may dissolve the stain and draw it deeper into the paper or spread it across a larger area. Vigorous cleaning can also polish a matt surface, leaving a shiny patch that is more visible than the original mark.

Avoid multipurpose cleaners, washing-up liquid, stain-removing soap, solvents, alcohol, bleach and cleaning sprays. These may affect both the print and the matt surface texture. Do not use a scouring pad or melamine sponge. They clean by abrasion and can remove the printed surface as well as its texture.

For a fresh spill, the safest first response is to absorb the liquid with a dry, colourless cloth. Press lightly and do not rub. A small amount of remaining discolouration is often preferable to a larger area that has become shiny, faded or roughened.

How can you prevent everyday marks?

Most wallpaper damage is caused not by age but by repeated contact in the same place. Use doorstops where handles might strike the wall. Leave a little space between the wallpaper and chair backs or sharp furniture corners. Avoid hanging wet coats or towels against the surface. In a hallway, a rail, a piece of furniture or a well-placed row of hooks can take the heaviest wear.

Wallpaper is not a splashback or a heat shield. It should not be installed where the wall is exposed to direct water, frequent heavy steam or intense heat, such as immediately behind a sink or hob. In kitchens and other demanding rooms, use a material designed to withstand water and cleaning in the exposed zone, and let the wallpaper carry the atmosphere elsewhere in the room.

Does wallpaper fade in sunlight?

Printed surfaces can change after prolonged exposure to strong sunlight. The difference often becomes noticeable where a picture, tall piece of furniture or curtain has shielded part of the wall while the surrounding area has received more light.

In rooms with strong south- or west-facing light, curtains or blinds can be drawn during the brightest hours of the day. This helps protect not only the wallpaper but also textiles, wood, artworks and furniture. Changes may be more apparent in dark or highly saturated colours, particularly when parts of the wall have remained covered for a long time.

A gentle, even softening over the years is part of the way a room ages. Rapid, patchy or damp-like changes in colour are not.

How do you repair minor wallpaper damage?

First consider why the damage occurred. A small tear caused by furniture can usually be repaired straight away. A blister, dark mark or seam that repeatedly lifts may indicate damp, movement in the wall surface or poor adhesion. In those cases, the cause should be addressed before the wallpaper is repaired.

A seam that has lifted

Lift only as much of the edge as necessary. Apply a small amount of paste-the-wall adhesive with a fine brush, taking care not to get adhesive on the printed surface. Press the edge back into place with clean hands or a soft wallpaper tool. Do not pull the length of wallpaper, as even a slight shift can make the seam more visible.

A small tear with the flap still attached

Do not remove the loose flap. Place a small amount of paste-the-wall adhesive beneath it, return it carefully to its original position and press lightly from the undamaged area towards the cut. Keep adhesive away from the printed surface. The existing flap already carries the correct colour, texture and pattern, and will usually give a better result than a new piece.

A hole or missing piece

An inset patch will look neater than a piece pasted over the surface.

1. Choose a saved offcut from the correct part of the pattern, slightly larger than the damaged area.
2. Align the motif as precisely as possible and secure the patch temporarily over the damage.
3. Using a fresh, sharp blade, cut through both the patch and the wallpaper on the wall. Where possible, follow a quiet edge within the motif rather than cutting an obvious square.
4. Remove the damaged section and the excess edge from the patch.
5. Apply a thin layer of paste-the-wall adhesive to the wall. Fit the patch edge to edge and press it gently into place, keeping adhesive away from the printed surface.
6. Leave the area untouched until it is fully dry.

Larger damage, or damage in a difficult part of the pattern, should be considered individually. The right repair will depend on the design, the position of the damage and the way the wall has changed over time.

Why should you save and label wallpaper offcuts?

Keep every useful offcut after installation, rather than saving one arbitrary strip.

Label each piece with:

• the pattern name and colourway
• the order number and date
• the room and wall name
• the drop number, where applicable
• whether the piece came from the top or bottom of the drop

Store the pieces somewhere dry, dark and protected from dust. Roll them loosely around a wide core rather than folding them. A cupboard inside the home is preferable to an attic, cellar or storage space with large fluctuations in temperature and humidity.

A clearly labelled offcut makes a future repair easier. It also records how the wall looked when the wallpaper was installed, which can be valuable years later when assessing a colour change or planning a repair.

What should you do about bubbles, discolouration or damp?

Wallpaper should not suddenly begin to blister, smell musty or develop yellow-brown or dark marks. These changes may come from the wall behind it, a leak, condensation, a cold external wall or a substrate that has begun to fail. Cutting open a blister or repasting a seam will only treat the visible symptom.

Investigate the cause before making a cosmetic repair. If a mark grows after rain, returns at a particular time of year or feels cold and damp, the wall needs to be assessed as part of the building, not treated as a dirty wallpaper surface. Damp is not patina.

How long does wallpaper last?

Wallpaper has no fixed expiry date. On a dry, stable and properly prepared wall, well-installed wallpaper can remain beautiful for a very long time. How it ages depends chiefly on the substrate, moisture, sunlight, wear and cleaning.

Wallpaper does not need to be replaced simply because it is old. It should be changed when the room calls for a different atmosphere, when the underlying wall needs attention or when damage can no longer be repaired in a way that sits well within the room. A slightly softened colour can become part of the room’s history. Lifting drops, mould, recurring bubbles and deep abrasion should not.