Wallpapering

So, you remember that old Three Stooges skit with the wallpaper sticking to everything?

I've never found that to be true of wallpaper.

AND I've always hated the Three Stooges.

I know, so unAmerican.

 Now, granted, I use the prepasted stuff- ON PURPOSE.  Honestly, why would you want to do that step yourself!?

In the last month, I've had the opportunity to hang wallpaper, install linoleum, paint and primer (Prime-R!) every room in the house, and now caulk the kitchen and baths.

But of all the mess goo in these projects, it is HANDS DOWN FAR WORSE to have to caulk something than do ANYTHING else.

By design, the stuff it made to keep out water and not break down with soap.  So, when you get it on YOU or the floor or the wall, or where it's NOT supposed to be, it's IMPOSSIBLE to get off.  You just end up redistributing and smearing it into finer and finer circles.

Fun, huh?

So, I found out the hard way that the "wet your finger and push it down" method isn't going to work.  It just gets is ALL OVER you.

What I DID find is this:

Wet a paper towel (like a good one- not a napkin or toilet paper because these paper products are made to breakdown easily.  You need a Bounty-type towel here).

So, wet the paper towel and push it into the hole.  The dry towel will attract and collect the extra stick goop while the wet part keeps a clean edge.

Really worked well, I have to say.

The other thing I learned is that YOU DO NOT use soap and water to get it off your own hands.  Just immediately go to a dry paper towel and start abrading the top layer of your skin.

After doing two bathtubs, two showers, a toilet (man was that tricky), the kitchen counter, and a pedestal sink, I finally got the hang of it...

...just in time to not do it again for another 5-10 years.