Over the years of remodeling, I’ve helped strip off old wallpaper more than once. It’s not my favorite job. In fact, it’s often an exercise in persistence, patience and frustration. I’ve scraped, scratched, torn and then sprayed on enough vinegar to alter the pH level of an entire limestone quarry. I’ve had soggy strips plastered to my arms, flecks on my face and enough specks in my hair to alter my identity.

But I’ve never seen paper as stubborn as what we’re trying to remove in the small guest bath upstairs.

With most papers, you can tear off a strip, even if it’s only an inch or two wide. This stuff, you can’t pry it off with a razor scraper without digging into the wallboard. I got so frustrated the other evening, I even read the guide at the Wallpaper Removing Section at Menard’s. Brought home a sackful of stuff I’ve never used before.

I got two scratcher/pointy-wheel thingeys, a four-inch industrial duty scraper and a whole gallon of Zinsser’s DIF Wallpaper Removing Gel. After I got home, I ran the scratcher/pointy-wheel thingey over a small section of the wall. Its purpose, according to the propaganda, er, information bulletin, is to make hundreds of tiny holes in the paper so the gel stuff can soak through and soften up the glue that holds the paper on the wall.

Having made hundreds of tiny holes in the section of paper, I then rubbed on a fair amount of the blue gel. Then, once again indicating how desperate I was, I actually waited the recommended ten-to-fifteen minutes for the gel to soak in and work.

When I came back, there were just three or four little bubble places on the wall, showing the paper had turned loose in just three or four little places. Irritated and disillusioned, I took my little putty knife and checked to see if I could scrape off at least a little bit of paper. To my delight and surprise, the whole section lifted right off! I actually had bought a product and used a process that worked exactly as described. How novel!

Wouldn’t it be wonderful if every preacher preached the Gospel and every Christian lived the Gospel in such a way that every person who witnessed the Gospel would have to declare, “You know, that Gospel thing, that really works!”

I think the real secret to that is beginning with that piercing of the heart, so that truth and conviction can enter in and have their proper effect. You know, beginning with true repentance so that the whole of sinful life can be stripped away. Not just the easy parts.

H. Arnett
3/7/12