Which walls work
The vinyl face wipes clean and does not mind the odd splash. What it dislikes is heat and steam that keep coming back, day after day, to the same edge.
So in a bathroom, paper the wall behind the vanity or the toilet, and leave a gap of a foot or so around the shower or tub. In a kitchen, keep it off the wall behind the stove and away from the kettle.
Steam, edges and seams
When an edge lifts in a bathroom, it is almost always at the top of a strip or along a seam near the shower. Press it back with a smoother as soon as you see it. A lifted edge that stays up collects damp underneath.
Overlapping seams by a quarter inch, rather than butting them, gives the edge more to hold on to in a damp room.
Keep the room dry
Paper lasts as long as the wall behind it stays dry, and the EPA advice on damp rooms is short and practical.
The key to mold control is moisture control.
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, A Brief Guide to Mold, Moisture and Your Home. Read 27 September 2026.
If possible, keep indoor humidity below 60 percent (ideally between 30 and 50 percent) relative humidity.
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, A Brief Guide to Mold, Moisture and Your Home. Read 27 September 2026.
Run the bathroom fan or open the window when showering.
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, A Brief Guide to Mold, Moisture and Your Home. Read 27 September 2026.
A cheap humidity meter tells you if your bathroom stays damp long after a shower. If it does, fix the fan before you paper the wall.
Check the wall before you cover it
Paper hides what is under it. Do not stick anything over a stain, a patch of mold or a wall that feels cold and damp. Clean and dry it, find out why it was wet, and only then decorate.
For example, removal of wallpaper can lead to a massive release of spores if there is mold growing on the underside of the paper.
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, A Brief Guide to Mold, Moisture and Your Home. Read 27 September 2026.
If you take down a strip and find dark spots under it, stop there, let the wall dry out and deal with the damp before hanging a new strip.
Cleaning
Wipe with a soft cloth and warm water with a drop of dish soap, then dry it. Skip scouring pads and strong solvents: they dull the print and can loosen the edges.
