How To Remove Blue Tack From Walls

Blu Tack is a very useful product that allow you to stick white boards in the office, stickers in your home and other decorative items to your walls without making holes in the wall. Annoyingly, When its time to remove Blu Tack it can be a bit more complicated than simply peeling it off. If the paint on your wall has not adhered properly or too thin, then it may peel off with the Blu Tack, and if the wall surface is porous, oils from the adhesive can seep into it. Sometimes gentle cleaning can take care of these blue stains and leave the walls stainless.
- Removing Blu Tack By Hand Without Damaging Your Walls
The best and easiest way is to begin by rolling the blu tack slowly from the top edge forming a cylinder down to the bottom. Doing this step too fast may pull paint of the wall. If any small shreds of blu tack is left behind then use the larger piece you have removed and try blotting them. You may have to put the blue tack in the freezer until its hard and try blotting again if there is any stubborn bits remaining because the blu tac is not effective enough when soft and warm.
- Removing Potential Stains Left Behind
Unfortunately, blu tack leaves stains behind but don’t worry a solution for this is using a citrus based stain remover. You can purchase these commercially from stores like Screwfix and Toolstation. If you are based in London you can purchase from Leyland SDM. Alternatively you can make your own using lemon juice, washing up liquid, white vinegar and water.
Apply the solution by either spraying or using a clean cloth or sponge, leave for a few minutes then wipe away. Always test patch first on a hidden part of a wall to be sure the solution wouldn’t cause any damages to the paint or wallpaper.
You can also try using dishwashing liquid on its own on a old toothbrush. Brush the stains gently in circular motions then use a damp clean cloth to remove residue.
- Your Last Option If All Else Fails
Sometimes all efforts to remove blu tac and its stains will fail and your only option left is to paint the entire wall or walls affected. If you are a diy enthusiast then the task to repaint will be quite easy and straight forward, if not then your best bet is to hire a professional painter and decorator to carry out the job.
Start by sanding the area with a 120 grit sandpaper to remove the stubborn bits of blu tack. The next step is to apply 2 coats of stain blocker to the stained spot, you can use a product like Zinsser BIN which can be found in most diy and hardware shops in London and the rest of the country. The last step is to apply 2 coats of paint to match existing or perhaps a colour change to produce a feature wall for example.
Always remember to cut and roll the affected wall from corner to corner and top to bottom if you decide to match the same colour or use leftover paint as just touching up the walls will leave the finish patchy.