All I did was wash them down with murphy's soap. Can't stand the stuff but it works great on all woodwork. As for the paper, getting the tools is the least of my problem. I was told that if I didn't use sizing before putting paper up, it's not coming down any time soon. Well I didn't. So I think I'll get the kids in on this one. My son (15) loves to destroy and put things back together so he's a go! My daughter (20) said "MY FINGERNAILS" hahaha! She's my funny one! Will tackle this in a couple weeks. But will keep you posted. Need to quilt!