Removing Wall Anchors

After deciding to relocate a set of floating shelves, I was left with plastic wall anchors in the drywall.

You may be able to pull the anchor out with needle nose pliers, but typically you can't.

This does not always work.

Using a razor blade, cut the flange off of the anchor. Make sure the lip does not protrude past the wall. If it does, re-cut.

Cut the flange.

Next, apply drywall compound to the hole.

Putty knife with compound.

Use a putty knife to apply the compound. Firmly press the compound into the hole.

Leave the hole smooth to reduce later sanding.

Use the putty knife to scrape away excess. You want a smooth finish to reduce sanding in the end. While applying more than needed won't hurt anything it adds extra sanding.

Once the drywall compound is dry, sand the area.

Once the compound is dry, attach sand paper to a sanding block, or even a piece of sandpaper on a block of wood to sand the area. It should not require much sanding. You want to knock edges down so that when you run your hand across the hole, the wall feels smooth. I use 100 grit paper, but a well-worn 60 or 80 grit will produce an acceptable finish.

Vacuum any dust you created and wipe down the wall with a dryer sheet (do NOT use water or liquid).  Dryer sheets are exceptional at picking up dust.

The last step is to paint the area. Depending on how the wall was finished previously, a roller may match the finish better, but chances are using a brush won't be noticeable.


The hole is patched and your wall is ready for any future holes.

Bonus Pic: A piece of foam makes a great guard for a razor blade.

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