Remove Contact Paper
Contact paper is used to cover drawers, shelves, and a variety of other household items. If it becomes worn or you no longer desire to coat items with it, a full removal of the contact paper is in order. It contains strong adhesives that allow it to stick to such surfaces, which will cause objects to stick to it if not properly removed. However, with a few household items, it can be easily removed. The following explains how to remove contact paper.
Contents
Steps
Remove contact paper with a hairdryer.
- Heat the contact paper with a hair dryer.
- Turn the hair dryer on to its highest setting.
- Hold it 3 inches (7.62 cm) from the contact paper.
- Continually move it over the entire area of contact paper that you wish to remove.
- Carefully peel off the contact paper as you heat it until all of it comes off.
- Apply cola to the residual adhesive.
- Some adhesive may remain on the surface that the contact paper was on.
- Dip a sponge in cola and apply it to the surface.
- Allow the cola to work for a few minutes.
- Clean the surface.
- Use a cloth and a cleaning agent to wipe down the surface to remove any residual adhesive.
Remove contact paper with a utility knife.
- Score the contact paper with a utility knife.
- Cover the entire surface with 1 inch (2.54 cm) cuts that are 1 inch (2.54 cm) apart.
- Cut through to the adhesive.
- Apply cola to the contact paper.
- Soak a rough cloth (such as a shop towel) in cola.
- Moving perpendicular to the scores, rub the entire surface of the contact paper with the cloth.
- The contact paper will begin to peel off as you do this.
- Continue doing this until all of the contact paper has been peeled off.
- Clean the surface.
- Use a cloth and water to clean the surface that held the contact paper.
Tips
- Instead of using cola to remove the adhesive, a citrus-based adhesive remover may be used.
