• Utility knife (or razor blade)
• Chemical wallpaper remover
• Electric steamer
• Taping knife (or wall scraper)
• Protective goggles
• Rubber gloves
• Heavy-duty detergent (trisodium phosphate)
• Large sponge

Once you have the necessary tools, follow these simple steps to get your wallpaper off and your wall ready for paint:
Step 1. Score the Wallpaper. Score the Wallpaper: What does this mean? And why should it be done? Well, before using either a chemical agent or steam, you must score the wallpaper with a utility knife so the chemicals or steam can soak into the paste and soften it. To score the paper means to make cuts in it in a crisscross pattern. This helps the softening agent to get through the paper to the glue.

This step is especially important if the wallpapers are made of vinyl or foil which are waterproof. If these papers aren't scored, the paste will not soften at all, and your job will be very difficult.

Step 2. Soften the Paste. To do this, you will likely use chemical wallpaper remover. Chemical wallpaper remover is best applied with a garden sprayer, but you can also use a sponge, however a garden sprayer is much faster than using a sponge. You can buy the chemical remover at PaintSuppliesDirect.com. It usually needs to be mixed with water, so follow the manufacturer's directions. Apply the chemical until the paper is saturated. Wait a few minutes for the chemical remover to disintegrate the paste. Make sure that you use rubber gloves to protect your hands and arms from the harsh chemicals found in this product type.

If you do not want to use chemicals, you can use an Electric Steamer as an alternative to a chemical remover for softening the wallpaper paste. A steamer is easy to use and can be rented from most rental stores or hardware stores. Fill the steamer's tank with water and heat it electrically. Once the hand held plate starts pumping steam, hold it against the paper until the paste becomes soft.

Step 3. Scrape Off Wallpaper. When using chemicals, you can saturate the entire wall before scraping. However, if you are using steam, only steam a small portion at a time before you scrape the wallpaper. You scrape off the wallpaper using a taping knife or wall scraper. You will want to scrape the paper as soon as the glue has been loosened by chemicals or steam. The surface may be soft, so be careful not to gouge it with the scraper, or you will have to do some drywall repair before you can paint.

Step 4. Remove Old Adhesive. Use a heavy-duty detergent, such as trisodium phosphate and a sponge to remove the excess adhesive from the walls. Rinse the walls using a clean sponge. Do not paint over the walls until they are completely dry.

Step 5. Remove Peel-able (or Strippable) Wallpaper. Some wallpapers are peel-able or strippable and do not require chemicals or steam to be removed. These papers are easy to remove if you just use a utility knife to pry up a corner and pull the strip off the wall. Once you have removed all the strips of wallpaper, use warm water and a sponge to soften the adhesive, and scrape it away with a wide taping knife or wall scraper, but again be careful not to gouge your drywall.