Washable interior paint

[Rachel]

We are going to paint our 1st floor soon. I can find lots of reviews for paint application. What I can't find is how easily the walls can be washed once painted.

 

So if you have painted in the last year or two and have kids that constantly touch the walls with grubby hands, what brand and grade of paint do you recommend?

 

I'm leaning toward Sherwin Williams because I can buy it in our little town. Benjamin Moore and Behr Marquee are also on my list but I can't buy them locally. My husband is especially curious if we will be happiest with the highest grade of SW or if the next step down will wash nearly as well. If I can get away with less expensive paint, I can paint more of my house and the whole thing needs painting :).

[Pink and Green Mom]

We have used high quality paints (Sherwin Williams, Benjamin Moore) and lesser quality paints (Behr) and I have yet to find one that really, truly is washable.  I find that trying to gently wipe fingerprints or using magic eraser just makes it worse.  I know some people have luck with these things but I never have. 

[Kebo]

I have heard good things about Benjamin Moore Aura Bath & Spa paint and it's washability, but haven't used it yet myself.  You could head over to the Gardenweb paint forums for a look-see, if you have a week to spend : )

[OneStepAtATime]

Can you read the paint reviews through Consumer Reports?  That might help you decide.  Also, any sort of flat paint is not going to wash as well as a Satin finish.  Semi-Gloss is even better but it is pretty reflective.  Harder on the eyes.  

[Rachel]

Can you read the paint reviews through Consumer Reports? That might help you decide. Also, any sort of flat paint is not going to wash as well as a Satin finish. Semi-Gloss is even better but it is pretty reflective. Harder on the eyes.

Behr gets great reviews from Consumer Reports. The contractor websites I've looked at contradicts that, many say the Behr doesn't deserve the high CR reviews. They pretty much suggest Benjamin Moore or Sherwin Williams, but they are coming at it from an application angle. I would like to know the difference after the paint has been on the walls awhile. I can't get my kids to quit touching the walls despite my best efforts.

[Carol in Cal.]

I don't know if you can still get oil based paints or not, but glossy oil based paint is truly washable.  

[Happy]

I've had good luck with Behr paint in an eggshell finish. I don't 'scrub' my walls, but I do wipe away fingerprints/smudges...like by the light switches or corners where people grab the wall to help them corner...

 

Flat paint is impossible to wash.

 

I'm also a believer in painting often if needed....to me it's easier than scrubbing a wall, and looks SO fresh when I'm done. I figure every layer of paint is adding a thin layer of insulation, as well. :coolgleamA:

 

[Pawz4me]

After a year of working on it, we recently finished up painting our whole house with Behr Premium Plus.  We used the eggshell finish, since it's more washable than flat.  We've been very happy with it, but our boys are well beyond the age of running their hands all over the walls all the time.

[Corraleno]

I've been very happy with the performance of Benjamin Moore's high end paint (Regal Select). I can't stand any kind of shine on the walls, so I use BM Regal Matte, which is between dead flat and eggshell. And that's been pretty washable so far (I painted about a year and a half ago). I've had no trouble removing fingerprints and even footprints (DD practicing her handstands against the wall!) from off-white walls using magic erasers. There's no mark or smudge left. IME you want a paint that has a lot of pigment in it; the low-pigment paints don't stand up very well when you scrub them; the scrubbed spots look faded and/or you can see the color underneath. I painted my walls white and off-white over a dark orangey tan (think spray tan color! ew) and it covered really well in two coats and there's no show-through when I scrub it.

 

I assume that Sherwin Williams highest end paint would be as good as BM Regal, they are pretty comparable. And if you live in an area that sells Dunn Edwards paint, that is also very high quality and very scrubbable. But I think it's only available in the Southwest. 

 

I've also used Behr's Premium Plus Ultra, which is OK (the Ultra has much better coverage than the Premium Plus), but I don't like it nearly as well as Ben Moore or Dunn Edwards. I used the Behr paint in the kids rooms, because I figure they're likely to want to change the color every few years and Behr is cheaper than BM.

ETA: I've also used BM's Aura paint, which has a very different surface texture and is very scrubbable, but it was a total PITA to use. You have to be super careful not to overlap or go back over areas while they're wet or you will get a very noticeable bumpy roller texture in those areas. Maybe not so noticeable if you have heavily textured walls, but I really hated using it on smooth flat walls.  And I felt like the finish had a sort of plasticky look to it that I didn't like.

[prairiewindmomma]

I have painted the interior of my home in all of those paints. I have four kids who are really, really hard on walls.  I always paint in a Satin finish.  I always apply at least two coats of paint.  The particular issue I have is that when I go to scrub walls, if the mark is somewhat thick (crayon, sharpie, etc.), or if I've cleaned that spot a few times before, the magic eraser will rub through the layers of paint.  Just plan to have to repaint every 5 years or so in high traffic areas.  It will need to be done.

 

My favorite paint in Behr.  In scrubbing my walls, it does the best at not having color discoloration when I clean.  I had color discoloration with my Sherwin Williams paint on yellow and red walls back in the mid-2000s.  I have since switched to Behr.

 

The only time I will consider Sherwin Williams paints is when there are certain pigments that are hard to color match into Behr.  Notably, Sea Salt should be done in Sherwin Williams and not in Behr.  

 

Benjamin Moore has the best pigment range, but it is so much more expensive, and the scrubbability is no better than Behr.

 

ETA: I painted 17 rooms in my old house last year before selling it, and I've painted 4 in my new house so far.  The application is much the same between all of the paints, but I find Sherwin Williams to be drippier and Behr to be more likely to leave lines behind if you are an uneven painter. It all evens out on the second coat. For huge color changes, I sometimes have needed to do a third coat (going dark to light) to hit the true color of the paint.

Edited December 30, 2015 by kbeal

[Journey]

good timing for this as I am painting my bedroom as we speak! I'm using Behr Marquee (I probably spelled that wrong) and I love it. I have a huge bedroom and I'm almost done painting and I have used less than 1/4 of the can. It goes on very well and very far with having to "reload". I have always loved Behr paint, Sherwin Williams paint is so out of this world crazy high priced. My vote is Behr!

[MBM]

I follow Jack Pauhl's advice when it comes to painting. Here's one recommendation and the pros/cons:

 

http://www.jackpauhl.com/behr-premium-plus-ultra-eggshell/

 

FWIW, I'm going to use the above Behr Plus Ultra Eggshell when I repaint our living room in the next few months. The deciding factor for me was this from the above link, the ability to touch up without any indication it was touched up.

 

What puts ULTRA over the top was the ability to touchup a bold color without any indication as to where it was touched up. We had a 4’x8’ test board 15 people rolled randomly on with a 6†roller. You can imagine what that might have looked like. When you look at the board from a side angle into the light, not one single indication was present that the test board wasn’t factory sprayed. The sheen looked as if it were as consistent as looking at the sheen reflection off a piece of Formica and I NEVER witnessed that with any paint in all my 30 years painting.

 

Also, I switched to using Zinsser Gardz as a primer in rooms that get more moisture or on surfaces with large areas of patching. What a difference especially over joint compound and DuraBond which have always been buggers for me no matter what I did. After patching, priming with Gardz and painting, the entire surface looked smooth as butter. No flashing, no slight ridges popping out where patching meets drywall. I wish I had known about Gardz when I first painted our kitchen and bathroom. It it not a layer of pigment, just a liquidy, slightly white gel. But the results -- wow. It's my go-to primer now. A little goes a long way, too.

Edited December 30, 2015 by MBM

[aggie96]

I have painted the interior of my home in all of those paints. I have four kids who are really, really hard on walls.  I always paint in a Satin finish.  I always apply at least two coats of paint.  The particular issue I have is that when I go to scrub walls, if the mark is somewhat thick (crayon, sharpie, etc.), or if I've cleaned that spot a few times before, the magic eraser will rub through the layers of paint.  Just plan to have to repaint every 5 years or so in high traffic areas.  It will need to be done.

 

My favorite paint in Behr.  In scrubbing my walls, it does the best at not having color discoloration when I clean.  I had color discoloration with my Sherwin Williams paint on yellow and red walls back in the mid-2000s.  I have since switched to Behr.

 

The only time I will consider Sherwin Williams paints is when there are certain pigments that are hard to color match into Behr.  Notably, Sea Salt should be done in Sherwin Williams and not in Behr.  

 

Benjamin Moore has the best pigment range, but it is so much more expensive, and the scrubbability is no better than Behr.

 

ETA: I painted 17 rooms in my old house last year before selling it, and I've painted 4 in my new house so far.  The application is much the same between all of the paints, but I find Sherwin Williams to be drippier and Behr to be more likely to leave lines behind if you are an uneven painter. It all evens out on the second coat. For huge color changes, I sometimes have needed to do a third coat (going dark to light) to hit the true color of the paint.

 

 

Background: We have painted two 3000+sqft homes from top to bottom, including ceilings and multiple color changes (light to dark and dark to light) over the past 12 years.  Our walls are always textured.

 

The above is my exact assessment of paint.  I have used Sherwin Williams quite a bit because of color choice.  I've used Benjamin Moore twice because of color choice.  My go-to, favorite paint is Behr Premium (the kind without primer-Ultra).  I have NEVER had a room that didn't require 2 coats for even coverage (even when we primed first).

 

I almost always choose a Satin for the walls and ceiling.  The one time I used a flat for the main living area, I hated it.  It was easy to paint over scuffs from kids and pets which was great though, but the light was just too flat for me.  Satin has been easy to wipe down without damage to paint.  I have even been able to feather in fresh paint over dirty walls with Satin because we had the double coat on first (at least that's my theory, maybe I just got lucky or have some mad painting skills :coolgleamA:).  I use semi-gloss on all trim and eggshell or satin on interior doors.  I use semi-gloss on exterior doors.

 

Good luck!!!

[Suzanne in ABQ]

We put Sherwin Williams satin finish paint throughout our house when we built it 11 years ago.  I regularly need to clean it, especially around doorways and at the top of the stairs.  It cleans easily with just a spray and wipe of a gentle all-purpose cleaner (I use LOC, from Amway).  I will use Sherwin Williams again when we re-paint, but we don't need it yet.

[Lolly]

I have painted a lot. a whole, whole lot. For interior paint my favorite paint is Behr Premium Plus. I prefer it with primer, but it is a debatable point and depends on the wall. I strongly dislike their Marquee. It is difficult to use (have to use a certain pattern and certain rollers while painting in order for the guarantee to be honored). It takes twice the paint to cover the wall (super thick). It still took two coats, thus twice the paint. Also, I agree with pretty much everything prairiewindmomma said!

 

Most importantly, use egg shell or satin/Never flat. Wash the wall before you paint. Just wipe it down is fine. I like a vinegar/water combo. Benjamin Moore and Sherwin Williams are my second and third choices (SW second/BM third). I don't think you can really go wrong with any one of them as long as you don't use a flat paint. When using a shinier paint, you will see every imperfection in the wall. Make sure to do good prep before painting to help there. Plus, just be aware that it is going to happen. Walls are not perfect. But, you will be able to wash them down without taking the paint off of the walls.

Edited January 1, 2016 by Lolly

[StephanieZ]

I have painted the interior of my home in all of those paints. I have four kids who are really, really hard on walls.  I always paint in a Satin finish.  I always apply at least two coats of paint.  The particular issue I have is that when I go to scrub walls, if the mark is somewhat thick (crayon, sharpie, etc.), or if I've cleaned that spot a few times before, the magic eraser will rub through the layers of paint.  Just plan to have to repaint every 5 years or so in high traffic areas.  It will need to be done.

 

My favorite paint in Behr.  In scrubbing my walls, it does the best at not having color discoloration when I clean.  I had color discoloration with my Sherwin Williams paint on yellow and red walls back in the mid-2000s.  I have since switched to Behr.

 

The only time I will consider Sherwin Williams paints is when there are certain pigments that are hard to color match into Behr.  Notably, Sea Salt should be done in Sherwin Williams and not in Behr.  

 

Benjamin Moore has the best pigment range, but it is so much more expensive, and the scrubbability is no better than Behr.

 

ETA: I painted 17 rooms in my old house last year before selling it, and I've painted 4 in my new house so far.  The application is much the same between all of the paints, but I find Sherwin Williams to be drippier and Behr to be more likely to leave lines behind if you are an uneven painter. It all evens out on the second coat. For huge color changes, I sometimes have needed to do a third coat (going dark to light) to hit the true color of the paint.

 

This is SO TRUE about color matching!! It is really funny that you used Sea Salt as your example! Last winter, in the midst of our massive home renovations, I was in an urgent rush to paint a bathroom, so I bought Sea Salt color matched at Home Depot in the Behr paint. Around the same time, I bought Sea Salt from SW for a kid bedroom. The two colors are entirely different. The bathroom (home depot paint) is essentially green. The bedroom (SW) is the complex grey-green that we expected. I don't care about the bathroom, so I won't redo it until I need to . . . but really, the SW color is so much better.

 

Anyway, I only use SW paints if at all possible. I'll do a quick bathroom in Behr paint if I am in a huge rush and can't wait until business hours to get to the SW store, but, IME, SW paints are just much better. 

 

When at the SW store, I only buy the top of the line SW paints. They rock. I wash my walls all the time. The white semi-gloss trim paints get washed over and over. The MATTE (lowest shine) wall paints also wash up just fine. Of course, you have to let any paint cure for a couple weeks before washing. I prefer to wash with old washcloths. They have just enough texture to wash well and you can squeeze them dry to avoid drips. Magic erasers are reserved for resistant marks, mostly for cost reasons as I'd run through a lot of them if I used them for all wall washing. 

 

(Note, I've painted and repainted at least 6 houses over 25 years. I've used HD paints as well as SW paints. SW paints are really, truly much better in all regards, IME. SW has 40% off sales routinely, about every 3 months for 3-5 days. Buy your paints then, and the pricing is close to HD pricing on Behr paints.)

[Farrar]

I recently redid my living room with Benjamin Moore and was so surprised at how different the experience was painting from the last time I painted a room several years ago. Paint has come so far in the last few years. It goes on smoother, fewer coats needed. It's a whole different experience.

 

So far we haven't had to clean it up much but it seems to wash well. I mostly just bring it up because I realized the extent to which the paint you're buying now is radically different from the paint of a few years ago. Experiences from paint from a few years ago may be different now.

[Spryte]

BM Aura paint. Love it. Very washable. We did our entire house in it about 7 years ago, have loads of kids running through touching walls, making messes. It washes beautifully. We needed only minor retouching before selling this summer. It sold in 13 days. Excellent paint.

[BlsdMama]

We've repainted the entire house since we bought it eighteen months ago. Favorite paint? Behr (though I don't know if it is premium plus or ultra) in semi gloss. I'm pretty happy with it. We did try two other brands. I couldn't tell a difference between Behr and Benjamin More, and you can get any BM color in Behr, they'll mix it for you. We also tried Lowes Store brand and hated it, just as an fyi.