1- You could look on the manufacturer's website to see what the recommend solvents are - or email them for advice.

2- Try a hair dryer to soften up the residue, then scrape with a single-edge razor blade holder.

3- If the residue doesn't soften, you could try sanding it off. Test for lead paint before sanding.

someone the other day told me that hand sanitizer disolves tape residue. I had just bought a really big cabinet with glass doors, used. The previous owner had taped things all over the glass doors, and all over the wood back, and even on the shelves. I was prepared for this to be a big job to remove, but, decided to try the hand sanitizer on just a few small places. I let it sit a couple minutes and wiped with paper towel and it all wiped right off. What I thought would take hours, took about 30 minutes.

Scrape it off with a plastic scraper, or try using Goo-gone. Do not paint over it.

I was told to use rubbing alcohol. I guess that's basically the same as hand sanitizer. I tried scrubbing with it with not success, but I'll let it sit and see what happens. Thanks!

I would spray Goo Gone on the walls and let it sit a couple of hours and then scrape it off. The directions say it can be used on drywall as long as it has been previously painted. Directions also say let it sit a few minutes. I had a similar situation recently and a few minutes was not enough. I sprayed it on at night and came back a few hours later or the next morning and it came right off.

Paint over....call it a textured wall....
Seriously lighter fluid....like Zippo lighter fluid will remove it. Just don't smoke while you are working with it. I keep a can of it just for removing the sticky residue from sticky labels.

Bottom line is that if you paint over it, it is going to show.

Buy a bottle of acetone-based fingernail polish remover and see if that takes it off.

I don't really mind if it shows, this is an old house and the walls are never going to be perfect. I'll just use a flat paint. I'm more concerned about the paint not taking well and peeling off (esp since it's a bathroom) or the adhesive seeping after a while.

if you are unsuccessful with the residue removal, you might want to look into this Zinsser product. I came across it while researching plaster wall repair...

Gardz® Problem Surface Sealer

Oh the paint will stick just fine to the sticky residue...at least oil based enamel will....ask me how I know!
Not sure of a latex paint. but likely would be fine....if you don't mind the texture.

@elunia I think I'm going to use that very primer because I also have chipped paint issues in this bathroom. I now know why they covered the walls in wallpaper originally. 🤦

have you tried the goo gone adhesive remover? see if that works.

or try this recipe:

Combine hot water, liquid dish soap, and a tablespoon of baking soda in your bucket. If you find that the glue doesn't come off easily when the solution is applied to the walls, add vinegar to the mix—about 1 cup per gallon of water.

• Hot water and dishwashing liquid.Mix some hot water with a few drops of dishwashing liquid. Use a spray bottle or sponge and gently apply to a section of the wall. You should see the sticker residue wipe away as it softens. Or if using a spray bottle, carefully scrape with a putty knife or other flat object to remove the softened glue. (For a bit of extra oomph, try adding a tablespoon of baking soda to your mixture.)

• Vinegar and warm waterAnother effective, albeit fragrant way to remove sticker residue, is by mixing a few ounces of cider or white vinegar into a bucket of warm water. If using a spray bottle, try a 50/50 mix of water and vinegar, or if using a sponge, 1 part vinegar to 6 parts warm water should do the trick. No matter which method you use to apply the vinegar mixture, let sit for a few minutes before removing.

• Fabric SoftenerFor a more pleasant smelling solution, try mixing 1 part liquid fabric softener with 2 parts water. This method also can be applied with a spray bottle or sponge, but just make certain to work in smaller section as the fabric softener could stain the rest of the wall, leaving streaks.

• Clothes steamerIf you happen to have a clothing steamer on hand, this handy little gadget can also serve a dual purpose. Simply place the steamer near the sticker residue and let the steam soften the glue. Once softened, the sticky residue should just wipe away.

Even with a primer, you still have to smooth out that chipped paint. The primer won't miraculously make the chipped paint stick again. You need to prep the space properly or it's going to look awful and will need to be redone in a few months.

you have a different problem too. your photo shows paint that appears to peel very easily. if you paint over it, it will continue to bubble / peel forever. you need to scrape all the way down to the drywall. the steamer Beth recommended will help with that.

or clean up and panel over everything. I'm sorry, this is a terrible mess you have to clean up. curses to the previous homeowner for being so ignorant.

Several layers are lead, so scraping it isn't really a good option. I've used joint compound over a few of the especially bad areas.

Nail polish remover. Not sure if it will take the paint off but it takes off sticky tape.

Jane

I have used Gardz and was very pleased with it. It is the constistency of water so you will have a lot left over. It makes a barrier between the wall and your water-based paint. I then had my handyman spray texture on it to match the rest of the walls and painted it. I've used it on several different situations and it really helped.

That's why I re papered my bathroom after removing 2 previous layers of paper. Wallpaper covers a multitude of sins!

Wallpaper again like lindac92 ?

Clean it up and buy some wallpaper that suits your personality and re wallpaper it again. It will look a lot better than anything you can do, since you do not want to scrape lead paint. Nothing wrong with wallpaper. Some of the newer patterns are beautifuil. Please use regular type wallpaper, NOT the peel and stick types for your situation. You can even buy paintable type wallpaper. Lowes sells it, and I am assuming probably many other places. It is textured and there are several textures, which will completely hide all the wall imperfections. Once the wallpaper is nice and dry, you can paint it the color of your choice.

Paintable wallpaper is a good idea. My wife already has a color picked out.

decided against wallpaper because of how easily the seams start to show in a moist area like a bathroom. I found this purple cleaner takes the adhesive off, with a LOT of elbow grease. It's coming off, with some of the paint, but it's such a long process I wonder if it's even worth it. I painted over a section with the adhesive to see if the paint stuck, but I can peel it off with a fingernail even after a few weeks.

The mostly cleaned walls

Compared with the area over the window which is still covered with adhesive

I know it’s been mentioned at least twice. Goo-Gone is an adhesive remover and it doesn’t require scrubbing. Seriously, you spray it on, walk away for 10 mins and then it wipes right off.

I did try that without much success, but maybe I didn't let it sit long enough. I can give it another go. The adhesive isn't sticky or tacky even. It's old and dry and comes apart in little balls when scraped.

Also, use a good quality primer, before you put paint on. If you could pick it off, it wasnt adhered properly, so am guessing you did not primer.

Nah, I was just checking with a random paint I had around. I did get the Gardz primer so I'm hoping that sticks better

What about trying a steamer?

That works well for wallpaper paste, but this stuff doesn't really break down with water so I don't know.

I painted over a tacky residue from wallpaper that just wouldn’t come off once. I used a matte paint but did first coat light and didn’t over roll it just quickly cover it with thin coat. 2nd coat was fine.

methyl alcohol, aka wood alcohol, methanol, or methyl hydrate, will take that residue right off with minimal effort. You will find it in the paint section of hardware or big box stores.

You might also try acetone. If your wife has any acetone nail polish remover, you might experiment with it. It won't be as strong as acetone you buy at a paint store, but it should give an idea.

Hey! Just following up to say that after priming (2 coats), the walls I spent hours scrubbing and sanding looked no different than the ones with the adhesive left on them. Too bad I wasted all that time scrubbing and buying products. I only have the first coat of paint on but everything looks great and no peeling or roughness or anything. Now I wish I hadn't bought flat paint.

Isnt this in a bathroom??? If so, you really need to go buy a gallon of at least a satin finish. Flat paint for bathrooms, is definitely not a good idea.

I think I'm going to do that. I think the color looks better with some shine also. I was just afraid the walls would be rougher than they turned out.