Guide

Do Command strips damage walls?

Usually not, if the paint's cured and you pull straight down. Command strips are made to come off cleanly when they go on a smooth, clean, well-painted wall and the tab is stretched down along the wall. Most of the horror stories come from fresh paint, weak paint, textured walls or pulling the strip out toward you.

Why Command strips sometimes peel paint

The adhesive is meant to grip hard while it's holding and let go when you stretch it. Trouble starts when the strip grips the paint better than the paint grips your wall. Here's what usually causes that:

Paint that hasn't cured. Command's FAQ asks you to wait at least 7 days after painting. Fresh paint feels dry long before it's bonded, so if your landlord just repainted before you moved in, give it the full week.
Old or weak paint. Paint that's chalky, flaking or layered over a dusty surface can come away in a sheet. If a strip of tape pulls flecks off your wall, adhesive will too.
Pulling outward. Yanking the strip out toward you peels it like a sticker and takes the top layer with it. Stretching it straight down is what lets the adhesive release.
The wrong surface. Command doesn't recommend its strips on heavily textured walls, wallpaper or brick. On orange peel or knockdown, the strip only touches the high points, so it holds less and pulls harder at those spots coming off.

How to put them up so they come off cleanly

Removal starts on day one. Wipe the spot with rubbing alcohol, since household cleaners can leave a film the adhesive won't grip. Let it dry. Press the strip on firmly for about 30 seconds, as the package asks, then wait about an hour before you hang anything, per Command's FAQ. And stay under the rating: a Large Command hook is rated for 5 lb and a Medium for 3 lb. An overloaded strip creeps and stretches, and that's hard on the wall when it finally lets go.

How to remove a Command strip

Short version: slow, and straight down. Command's FAQ walks through it like this.

Take whatever's hanging off the hook.
Hold the hook or the base lightly so it doesn't snap back.
Grab the tab and pull it slowly straight down, keeping it flat against the wall. Keep stretching until the strip lets go.
Never pull the tab out toward you.

If it feels like it's fighting you, slow down rather than pulling harder. Honestly, patience is most of the technique here.

Removal steps paraphrased from Command's FAQ.

Signs your wall isn't a good match

A quick look before you buy saves a lot of worry later. If you can see brush marks, bubbles or hairline cracks in the paint, it may not be bonded well. If the wall feels bumpy, it's textured. If it's been painted in the last week, it isn't cured yet. And if there's a faint shine of grease near a stove or a film of soap in a bathroom, the strip won't grip properly until you've cleaned it with rubbing alcohol. Any one of these is a good reason to pick a spot that doesn't involve the wall.

If the tab breaks off

It happens, especially with older strips. Command's FAQ suggests two fixes. You can slide a piece of dental floss behind the strip and saw gently back and forth through the adhesive. Or you can warm the strip with a hair dryer on a low setting for a short while so it softens, then work it free. Any leftover residue can usually be rolled off with a finger. Skip scrapers and solvents on painted walls, since those are more likely to take paint than the strip is.

No guarantees, and that's okay

Here's the catch: nobody can promise a strip won't take paint with it, and that includes Command and us. Paint quality varies between apartments, and you can't see what's under it. Following the prep and removal steps tilts the odds well in your favor, but if your walls are textured, recently painted or already flaking, we'd skip adhesive entirely. An over-the-door rack or a tension rod doesn't touch the wall at all, and our guide to hanging things without drilling sorts the options by weight and wall.

If paint does lift, a small patch is often fixable with a dab of spackle and matching touch-up paint. Ask your landlord before you try, since some prefer to handle it themselves.

Source: Command FAQ, command.com

Common questions

Will Command strips peel paint?

Usually not, if the paint has cured for at least 7 days and you pull the tab straight down. Paint can lift when it's old, weak, freshly applied or when the strip is pulled out toward you.

How do I remove a Command strip without damaging the wall?

Hold the hook or base lightly, then pull the tab slowly straight down along the wall, stretching it as you go. Command's FAQ says not to pull it out toward you.

What if the tab breaks off a Command strip?

Command's FAQ suggests sliding dental floss behind the strip and sawing gently through the adhesive, or warming it with a hair dryer first. Go slowly so the paint stays put.

Do Command strips work on textured walls?

Command doesn't recommend them on heavily textured walls, wallpaper or brick. The strip can't sit flat, so it holds less and can pull at the high spots when it comes off.

Can Command strips cost me my security deposit?

They can if paint comes off with them, and no one can promise it won't. Following Command's prep and removal steps lowers the odds, and on a doubtful wall the door or a tension rod avoids the question.