Wallpaper Care Guide
Looking after your wallpaper
Your panels are printed on premium polyester fabric with a soft matte finish. It's durable and easy to keep looking good — most marks come off in seconds with nothing more than a damp cloth.
Everyday cleaning
Start with the gentlest option and only step up if you need to. Always test on a hidden patch first.
Dust and light marks
A soft, dry microfibre cloth or a clean dry paintbrush. Work top to bottom in light strokes. Don't rub hard — it disturbs the fabric fibres.
Fingerprints and smudges
Dampen a clean white cloth with plain warm water and dab gently rather than rubbing. Let it air dry. For most everyday marks this is all it takes.
Food and sticky marks
Act quickly — fresh is always easier than dried. Warm water with a tiny amount of mild dish soap, dabbed on, then wiped over with a clean damp cloth to lift the soap.
Crayon and pencil
For pencil, try a clean eraser with very light pressure. For crayon, a small amount of white toothpaste on a damp cloth can help. Test in a hidden spot first.
Do
- Use a soft, damp cloth and plain warm water before anything else.
- Dab, don't rub. Pressure is what damages the fabric surface.
- Act quickly on fresh marks — they lift far more easily.
- Let it air dry naturally rather than rubbing it dry.
- Test anything new in a hidden area first.
Don't
- Don't scrub or rub vigorously at a mark.
- Don't use bleach or harsh household chemicals.
- Don't use abrasive cloths or scouring sponges.
- Don't soak the surface — damp, never wet.
- Don't use steam cleaners or solvent-based cleaners.
How long will it last?
On properly prepared walls, expect 5–10 years or more. What limits it is almost always the wall and the room — not the wallpaper.
| Factor | Why it matters | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Wall preparation | By far the biggest factor. Clean, cured walls dramatically extend the life of the install. | Work through the prep steps in the installation guide before you start. |
| Room humidity | Dry rooms like bedrooms and nurseries outperform humid spaces by a wide margin. | Avoid bathrooms and laundries entirely. |
| Direct sunlight | Prolonged UV exposure causes gradual fading over several years. | Use blinds or UV-filtering window film on sun-facing walls. |
| Temperature swings | Big swings make the adhesive expand and contract, weakening the bond over time. | Avoid uninsulated rooms and walls that get very hot or very cold. |
| Physical contact | Edges near doorways and hallways take knocks and may lift sooner than the middle of a wall. | Re-press those edges now and then — see the repair steps below. |
| Cleaning frequency | Regular gentle dusting stops grime building up and dulling the surface. | Dust lightly every few months with a dry microfibre cloth. |
Fixing a lifted edge
An edge lifting here and there over the years is normal, and easy to put back.
Clean behind the lifted section
Use a dry cloth to remove dust from behind the lifted piece and from the wall underneath. Dust is usually what stopped it holding in the first place.
Try pressing it back first
Often that's all it needs. Warm the area briefly with a hairdryer on low, press the edge down firmly and hold for 30 seconds. If it holds, you're done — no adhesive required.
If it won't hold, add a little paste
Use a fine brush to apply a thin, even layer of wallpaper paste or PVA glue behind the lifted section. Never superglue or contact adhesive — those will damage both the fabric and the wall.
Note: paste is a repair for a lifted edge only. You never need paste to install our wallpaper — the panels are self-adhesive.Press, wipe and leave it
Press the edge back into place and hold firmly for 30–60 seconds. Wipe away any adhesive that squeezes out with a damp cloth before it dries, then leave it undisturbed for at least 2 hours.
Widespread lifting in the first few months usually points to the wall rather than the wallpaper — most often paint that hadn't fully cured, a surface that wasn't quite clean enough, or a wash-and-wear paint the adhesive can't grip. Email us at hello@tinywalls.com.au with a photo and we'll work out the best way forward for your situation.
Storing spare panels
We always suggest ordering one extra panel. Designs get discontinued, and a spare means you can replace a damaged section years later without risking a colour mismatch from a different print run.
- Keep the original backing paper on. It protects the adhesive while the panel is stored.
- Store flat, or rolled loosely. A tight roll creases the fabric and the crease can show once it's on the wall.
- Keep it cool and dry — in a clean plastic sleeve, or between sheets of clean cardboard.
- Keep it out of sunlight. UV fades stored panels just as it fades hung ones, which defeats the point.
- Label it with the design name and the order date, so a matching re-order is straightforward.
Something not looking right?
Send us a photo and we'll tell you what we'd do. We'd always rather help you fix a wall than have you live with it.
hello@tinywalls.com.au Shop all wallpaper