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Washable paints are essential for households with muddy paws, small sticky hands, or high-traffic areas that require frequent wipe-downs (e.g. kitchens and bathrooms).
As their name suggests, washable paints clean effortlessly with water and soap. However, with so many options available, how do you find the best washable paint for your home?
In this guide, we’ve spent hours painting and testing the most popular washable paints. So read on to find your perfect washable paint.
What Makes Paint Washable?
With clever stain-resistant technology, washable paints are much more hardwearing than your standard emulsion.
Thanks to their durable formula, you can easily wipe away scuffs and marks without damaging your colour or finish. All you need is soap, water and a clean cloth!
Washable Paint Reviews — The UK’s Top 3 in 2024
When creating this shortlist of the best washable paints in the UK, we compared the following features:
- How easily the paint cleaned with soap and water (aka ‘scrub-ability’)
- Colour range
- Size range
- Durability
- General application and coverage
Starting with our overall top pick, below are the UK’s best three washable paints for 2024:
1. Dulux EasyCare Washable & Tough
- 20x tougher than standard Dulux Matt
- Diamond tough technology with unique stain repellent
- Perfect for living rooms, dining rooms, hallways, and kid's rooms
First up is Dulux’s EasyCare Washable & Tough Paint. Without a doubt, this is the best washable paint we tested. No other washable paint compares when it comes to ‘scrub-ability’.
Furthermore, Dulux boasts that their EasyCare range lasts up to four times longer than other washable paints on the UK market. During our tests, we found that no amount of scrubbing damages the colour or finish.
Dulux EasyCare Washable & Tough Paint comes in a wide range of colours and finishes, so you’ll be sure to find a colour that matches your room’s decor.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Highly scrubbable | Long drying time — it states 4 hours on the can, but we found it was more like 12 hours for the first coat |
| 65 colours available | |
| 20 times tougher than standard Dulux Matt Emulsion | |
| Stain repellent | |
| Good coverage |
2. Johnstone’s Washable
- Formulated for high-traffic areas
- Produces a smooth, rich and non-reflective finish
- Touch dry within 1–2 hours
- Coverage of up to 12 square metres per litre
In second place is Johnstone’s Washable Paint. This washable paint is a highly durable emulsion formulated to withstand stains and moisture — making it an excellent choice for kitchens and bathrooms.
Thanks to its water-based formula, this paint has low VOCs, making it perfect for homes with young children or poor ventilation.
We found this paint responded well to scrubbing with soap and water but was a little harder to clean when compared with the Dulux paint. Coverage is also lacking when compared with the Dulux product.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Its hardwearing formula resists stains and moisture | The application is a bit messy. Difficult to achieve a smooth finish, even with a roller |
| Low VOCs, thanks to its water-based formula | Not the best for cleaning |
| Quick-drying time — around 4 hours | Average coverage |
| 31 colours in the range |
3. Crown EasyClean
- 200 times tougher and more washable than Crown's standard emulsion
- Suitable for walls, ceilings, wood and metal
- Coverage of 14 square meters per litre
- 4 hours of drying time between coats
Crown EasyClean comes in third place in our best washable paints round-up.
Almost half the stains we applied left a mark, even when immediately washed away. Plus, there were obvious signs of dulling around scuff marks, and touch-ups were noticeable.
On the positive side, the colour range is stunning, and this paint looks fantastic in lower-traffic areas or rooms that don’t require as much wiping down.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| A stunning range of 32 colours | Not stain-resistant |
| Lasting durability after being wiped over | Dulls when scuffed |
| Patchy when touched-up |
Best Washable Paint — 2024 Comparison Table
| Paint | Dulux Easycare Washable & Tough | Johnstone’s Washable | Crown EasyClean |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sizes available | 2.5L | 2.5L | 2.5L |
| Colour Range | 65 colours | 31 colours | 32 colours |
| Price Range | ££ | £ | £££ |
| Durability | Excellent durability – Dulux claims 20x tougher than standard emulsion | Very durable | Scuffs & dulls quite quickly |
| How easy is it to clean? | Very — soap & water removed everything we threw at it | Great, removes most stains with soap & water | Not as stain-resistant as it claims |
| General coverage & application | It applies nicely but is slow to dry — around 12 hours for the first coat | It can be challenging to achieve a smooth finish – even with a roller | It goes on smoothly and dries quickly |
| Rating out of 10 | 9.5/10 | 8.5/10 | 7/10 |
Final Thoughts
Hands down, we think Dulux’s EasyCare Washable & Tough is the best washable paint on the UK market. With a wide range of 65 colours, there’s sure to be the perfect colour for you.
With Dulux’s unique formula, making it 4x more durable than other washable paints, you can be confident that your colour and finish will stand the test of time.