Don't forget that steam condenses into water so pay extra care and attention when you strip wallpaper from around electrical sockets and light switches with a steam stripper. For safety's sake, identify and isolate the power and lights in the room in which you are working. Don't just switch them off at the wall, turn off at the consumer unit too to avoid the risk of water coming into contact with live wires. Let the walls dry out thoroughly before you return the power to the room. A room that has been professionally wallpapered will have had the light switches taken off so there are no visible edges of the cut wallpaper - these are masked by the faceplate. You will have to remove the faceplate to strip the paper off cleanly. Where the wallpaper has been cut around to fit the perimeter of the faceplate, a very light steam should be enough to lift the paper so you can pull it away.
Washing Down Surfaces
Always wash your surface after stripping and before applying paint or wallpaper. Start with the ceiling, if it's in good condition. Wash it thoroughly with sugar soap, or a weak solution of warm water and washing-up liquid, and then rinse it well. Washing is particularly important in rooms such as kitchens where grease will have been deposited. Open fires and cigarette smoke will also leave their mark. Walls should always be washed if they are to be repainted. If you're not sure if an existing wallpaper is washable, do a test on a small patch where it won't show. If the paper absorbs the water or the pattern is affected, the wall is not washable. Wash by sponging and rinsing overlapping sections - and don't stop until you've finished, otherwise you'll end up with 'tidemarks'. Skirting boards are the dirtiest part of the walls, so always clean them last.
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