Every child is different, but just about all of them know how to make a mess. If you have kids at home, this propensity for mess-making is something you must account for when interior painting. To avoid constant touch-ups, you want to invest in the type of paint that will hold up against grease, saliva, scuff marks, food, dirt, and anything else you can think of. The easier it is to prevent damage and clean up messes, the happier you’ll be. In other words, you want kid-friendly finishes. Here are three kid-friendly finishes for home painting.

1. The Higher the Gloss, the Better

Before we get into specific brands and paint types, let’s briefly go over how paint sheen makes a difference. Paint finishes range from matte to high-gloss, or non-reflective to very reflective. The more reflective the finish (i.e. high-gloss paint), the easier it is to clean.

Some professional painters might tell you that, today, sheen has less of an impact on cleanability. This is true. As paint technology has improved, even the flattest matte finishes are much easier to clean than ever before. Still, glossier finishes are more durable on the whole and do a better job keeping dust away from the surface. Keep sheen in mind when keeping your home’s paint job safe from kid-induced messes.

2. Try Adding Teflon

There are also ways to add a protective layer to your paint to make it more durable and easier to clean. Teflon, a synthetic compound patented by DuPont primarily used for coating non-stick frying pans, can be mixed into paint, essentially coating the surface with a stick-resistant layer. Best of all, infusing paint with Teflon doesn’t really alter the look of the paint after it’s dried. So, you can choose whichever sheen you like while also having the added protection Teflon provides.

The downside here is that this type of paint can be pretty costly, especially because it’s easier to find overseas. But, if you’re willing to go the extra mile (so to speak), Teflon-infused paint is a great kid-friendly option for residential painting.

3. To Get More Specific…

To get straight to the point, let’s detail a few specific kid-friendly paint brands house painters might use. First is BEHR’s Premium Plus Ultra Satin Enamel paint. This durable paint strikes a good balance between flat and glossy finishes while resisting moisture and stains. Sherwin-Williams ProClassic Interior Acrylic Enamel is another good choice for active spaces in your home. Valspar has its share of durable, kid-friendly paint options as well. Valspar’s Color Style Premium Interior Latex Paint resists fading and staining, holding up after plenty of cleaning and scrubbing.

All of these paints have a few things in common. They’re all high-quality, resistant to moisture and stains, and easy to clean and scrub. Quality is the key factor here. And yes, quality does come at a cost. However, when you consider how much time and effort you might otherwise spend touching up your surfaces from messy children, it’s probably worth it to just invest in the good stuff.

Ask Your Painting Provider

Your painting services can give you more details on kid-friendly finishes, including which paints are safe and non-toxic. All American painting Plus is happy to continue helping families in Northern Virginia choose the right paint finishes and colors for their homes. To learn more about all that we do, give us a call at (703)-620-5563!