Now that you’ve determined you’re going to paint over your wallpaper, follow the steps below:

Step 1: Clean the Walls

Wipe the dust and dirt off the walls with a barely damp cloth. Paint won’t stick well to a layer of dust.

If the walls are greasy and grimy—like they may be in a highly-used kitchen—clean them with a diluted solution of trisodium phosphate (TSP).

Don’t soak the walls with  water or solution because that could soften the adhesive below the wallpaper and cause it to loosen or bubble.

Leave at least 24 hours for the walls to dry.

Step 2: Repair Any Damages to the Wallpaper

After you cleaned the walls, look for peeling edges or seams. Those spots have weaker adhesion. Some experts recommend using a thin layer of wallpaper seam adhesive to reattach these loose fragments.

You can also lift those areas with a thin putty knife, cutting the loose bits away and filling in with spackle to create a level surface, then sanding lightly when completely dry.

If the wallpaper has a texture you don’t want to detect through the paint, you can sand the entire wall until it’s smooth, using either a palm or orbital sander. Once that’s complete, you can wipe the dust away with a slightly damp cloth.

Step 3: Tape off Molding and Trim

Using tape, carefully tape off any molding, trim, wainscot, or baseboard you want to protect.

Step 4: Start Painting

Once the wallpaper is cleaned and repaired, paint it as you would any other surface. This will be especially necessary if the wallpaper has a bold pattern, or if you are applying light-colored paint over dark-colored wallpaper. You’ll likely need two coats, with plenty of drying time in between.