The Right Paint Finish Can Actually Help Your Home Look Cleaner—Here's How (2024)

Choosing the right paint colors for your DIY home painting projects can be challenging, but it's also important to consider the different types of paint finishes, which can affect the final look of a newly painted space. When working on home improvement and maintenance tasks, the key to choosing the right paint finish is more about balancing aesthetics, durability, and cleanability than anything else. Here's how to pick clean paint finishes (and which to avoid) for an easier-to-clean home, according to interior designers.

Why Paint Finishes Matter

Just as some paint colors can make your home look dirtier and different paint brands offer varying color quality and durability, certain paint finishes can ruin the spotless look of your home. If you have children and pets at home or host often, some paint finishes can be a magnet for dirt, debris, and scuff marks that are bound to happen.

On the other hand, there are paint finishes that can actually help your home look cleaner and are also easier to clean. Picking the right paint finish could mean the difference between daily cleaning stress and a cleaner-looking home with less effort. Kate Lester of Kate Lester Interiors says the general rule of thumb when selecting a paint finish is that the higher the gloss (or shine), the greater the durability and the easier it is to clean. However, the glossier the paint, the more likely it is to show dirt.

Types of Paint Finishes That Look Clean

Because paint can affect how clean a wall looks, different surfaces in the home and different rooms should have different paint finishes. Let's break down some of the most common paint finishes and which work best for various areas in your home.

Glossy Finish

A glossy paint finish looks great in rooms such as kitchens, especially for people who cook a lot. This is because food spills, oil splatters, etc. are wiped off glossy paint far more easily than other paint finishes. It just takes a sponge or rag, and everything should come off the wall without leaving a stain.

However, if that glossy wall you painted a year or two ago starts to chip or peel, it can put you in a precarious position. Lisa Rickert of Jolie Home, says, "Glossy finishes show any and all imperfections on a wall and [are] nearly impossible to touch up without repainting the entire surface."

High-Gloss Finish

A high-gloss finish is a type of glossy paint finish that can also keep a space looking clean. Maureen Stevens of Maureen Stevens Design recommends a high-gloss finish where you want a high-impact look, such as on doors. "Or perhaps even a hallway or a special room in your home," Stevens adds. The benefit of high-gloss paint is that it reflects light well, so it may be best to consider it for windowless or low-light spaces, such as bathrooms, powder rooms, or even home offices.

But, according to Alexis Rodgers of Home with Alexis, high-gloss paint is high-maintenance. "For paint finishes, a high-gloss finish will not be forgiving to things like nail pops (which can happen over time, especially if you have a lot of art or even shelving installed on the walls), cracks (which are inevitable when a home settles), or where a painter may have made a mistake (drips, spills, roller marks, etc.)."

Semi-Gloss Finish

Another type of glossy paint, semi-gloss paint is slightly glossy but doesn't reflect too much light. Lester likes using semi-gloss paint on any wall paneling or area with a good amount of wear and tear. "Our in-house standard when designing a home is to use a semi-gloss for baseboards, door casing, and doors," Lester explains. This paint finish is just glossy enough to make it easy to wipe clean, yet it won't look too shiny.

Satin Finish

Satin finish paint tends to have a velvety quality. This finish needs to be applied very carefully because it can reveal flaws and brushstrokes, making touchups a challenge. However, because it's easy to clean, a satin finish is popular for high-traffic areas, like children's rooms, foyers, and hallways. Much like glossy finishes, all you need is a rag and soapy water to clean a satin finish wall.

Eggshell Finish

Eggshell paint finishes have just a touch of gloss. Rodgers says, "An eggshell finish has a little bit of sheen to it (like an eggshell does), and while it's nice if you want a little more light reflection, it's harder to touch up."

Tammy Price of Fragments Identity adds that eggshell is her preferred finish for all walls. "It is the easiest paint to wipe clean and is great for all areas of the home, including bathrooms and kitchens," adding that "[She] only uses a gloss or semi-gloss paint on base, case, trim, and cabinetry."

Matte Finish

Rickert says that a matte finish product (think chalk paint) can hide imperfections of texture and brushstroke. It can even be used to create a suede effect with darker hues. If the wall gets dirty or needs a touchup, you can easily apply more paint.

The downside, according to Stevens, is that matte paint is harder to clean than glossy paint. So, for example, if you have matte finish walls in your dining room and accidentally drop a plate of food or spill a glass of wine, it's very important to take care of the mess right away. The longer you wait, the more difficult it will be to clean the walls; cleaning matte finish paint quickly and thoroughly can save you the trouble of painting the wall all over again.

Flat Finish

A flat finish is a type of matte-finish paint that does not have any gloss. "A matte finish is almost a flat finish, but more solid and forgiving," Lester says. The designer says the application is key. "When applied correctly, it is durable and it cleans up nicely."

Lester suggests that a flat (or matte) finish tends to be the best selection for drywall walls and ceilings. This is because those areas tend to get so much light reflection that there is no need to use a more reflective glossy paint finish. Stevens also likes to use flat-finish paint on ceilings because it can hide imperfections, adding that flat-finish paint rarely shows dirt, which is helpful for difficult-to-clean ceilings. (Cleaning a flat finish is similar to a matte finish in that you want to dab the spot right away to avoid staining.)

"To achieve a perfect matte finish on the walls and ceilings, I turn to a flat finish," Lester says. "Flat finishes provide a uniform matte look, so furniture, fabric, and accessories can pop. They also offer the most coverage because they have the most pigment—just remember that all matte finishes are not the same."