Best washable paint

Washable paint is certainly useful if any aspiring child artists decide to draw on your walls, but it's not just a good choice for families, it's ideal for anyone who wants a longer-lasting finish to their walls. 

It's also a popular choice of paint in kitchens and hallways, where splash stains or scuff marks can be commonplace.

We tested paint in December 2021 and in February 2022. 

We've now tested nine different matt emulsion paints from Dulux, Farrow & Ball, Homebase, Johnstone and more, to see which can be washed and cleaned without damage.

The paints all claimed to be washable or easy to clean, and ranged in price from £18 to £57.

Find out which paint impressed in our tests, how to clean your walls without damaging the paint, and what you need to know about different types of paint finishes.

Pricing and availability last checked: 10 May 2022. All listed prices are for 2.5 litres of white paint.

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The best washable paint in our test

Only logged-in Which? members can view the full test results below. If you're not yet a member, you'll see a list of the matt emulsion paints we tested in alphabetical order. 

Join Which? now to get instant access to our test results and recommendations below.

Crown Easyclean, 200 Sail White Matt Paint

Cheapest price: £20.49 available at Amazon, also available at Homebase.

Date tested: December 2021

Crown claims its Easyclean range of paint is durable, scrub resistant and wipeable. 

We put it to the test to see if this matt paint is really is as stain repellent as the label says.

Log in or join Which? today to check out our full review and see our Best Buy recommendations.

Dulux Easycare Washable & Tough, Matt

Cheapest price: £24 available at Amazon, B&Q, Wickes, Wilko, also available at Homebase.

Date tested: December 2021

The Easycare range is claimed to be 20 times tougher than standard Dulux matt paint and no primer is required. 

Is it really as washable and tough as Dulux says, and how does it compare to the other brands we tested?

To find out, log in to your account now or join Which? today for instant access to all our reviews and Best Buy recommendations.

Farrow & Ball, Modern Emulsion Paint

Cheapest price: £56 available at B&Q, Farrow & Ball, Homebase.

Date tested: December 2021

Farrow & Ball says its Modern Emulsion paint has a tough finish that's washable and scuff-proof, as well as protects against mould. 

It's one of the most expensive paints in our selection, but if it's the most durable it could be worth the extra cost.

Log in to your account or join Which? today to gain instant access to our full review and all of our Best Buy recommendations.

Fired Earth, Matt Emulsion

Only available at Fired Earth: £49.50.

Date tested: December 2021

This pricey white paint from Fired Earth is claimed to be environmentally friendly.

According to the brand, it requires fewer coats than ordinary paint, it's practically odour-free during application and it contains minimal VOCs (volatile organic compounds).

Find out whether we'd recommend it – read our full review by logging in to your account or joining Which? today.

Homebase Tough & Durable, Matt Paint

Only available at Homebase: £18 (in store only).

Date tested: December 2021

This paint from Homebase's Tough & Durable range is the cheapest in our selection. 

Is it a bargain or do you need to pay more to get durable, washable paint?

Check out our full review by logging in to your account or joining Which? today to get instant access to our Best Buy recommendations.

Johnstone's Washable Matt

Cheapest price: £16.50 available at Argos, also available at Amazon.

Date tested: December 2021

Johnstone's claims its washable matt emulsion is stain and moisture resistant, low odour and highly durable.

Find out if we found it easy to remove marks and stains.

Read our full review by logging in to your account or by joining Which? today to find out. 

Lick, Matt

Only available at Lick: £42.

Date tested: February 2022

According to the Lick website, its water-based matt paint is durable, washable and wipeable, as well as low VOC. 

How did this paint fare in our tough durability tests?

Log into your account or join Which? today to get instant access to this review and all of our Best Buy recommendations.

Mylands Charterhouse, Marble Matt Emulsion

Only available at Mylands: £55.50.

Date tested: December 2021

Mylands is Britain's oldest family-owned paint company and it holds the royal warrant.

The Charterhouse No.4 paint is the most expensive in our tests, but if it lasts the longest it could be worth it.

Read our full review to see what we thought, by logging into your account or joining Which? today.

The Little Greene Paint Company, Intelligent Matt Emulsion

Cheapest price: £56.50 available at Little Greene Paint Company, John Lewis

Date tested: February 2022

The Little Greene Paint company say Intelligent Matt combines practicality with a beautiful depth of colour. 

It is designed to be a completely washable alternative to traditional emulsion paint.

With that in mind, how washable and durable was the Intelligent Matt Emulsion? To find out read log into your account or join Which? today to read our full review.

What's the safest way to clean a painted wall?

For these tests we washed our plasterboard walls with hot water, washing up liquid and a non-scratch sponge (see how we tested below). 

To clean your wall without damaging the paint, we'd recommend:

• First dust the wall to remove grime, dust and loose dirt. 
• Use a soft sponge or cloth and warm soapy water to gently clean the wall.
• Do not oversoak your sponge. 
• For stubborn marks, leave the soapy solution for five to 10 minutes before rinsing off with clean water.

Different types of paint finishes compared

Many brands have their own versions and names for their paint finishes, but for the most part the different types are widely-known as matt, eggshell, satin, semi-gloss and high-gloss. 

Below you can compare the different paint finishes and what makes each unique. 

How we tested washable paint

We put our eight selected emulsion paints through the following test to discover how washable they were.

Preparing the test

First, we painted sheets of plasterboard with two coats of yellow matt emulsion paint. This yellow paint served as the undercoat. 

Once this had thoroughly dried, we painted labelled squares with the various white paints. We painted two coats of each white emulsion paint, allowing each coat to dry before applying the next.

The test

For the test, we dirtied and then cleaned each paint square with warm soapy water and a non-scratch sponge. 

Each paint square was washed five times. The first time was with nothing on it. The second was with a smiley face drawn with red crayon, then a smiley face sketched with red pencil for the third. 

We used a different section of the paint squares for the fourth and fifth stains – a fingerprint of melted chocolate and a question mark drawn with a permanent marker pen.

After each clean, we examined the square to see if there was any colour fading, flaking, breakages or peeling.

The best paint never lost its colour, flaked or peeled. However, the worst paints peeled away from the wall like clingfilm or faded so much we could see the yellow beneath.

How we chose the paint we test

To be included in our selection, the paint needed to be a white matt emulsion, available in a 2.5-litre size and sold in the UK. 

If a brand offered a durable and washable version of the paint, we picked that option.

We purchased all the paint we tested, to bring you unbiased recommendations.

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