After creating a video on What Interior Paint Covers The Best, we continued our video series. This time, we tested what interior paint resists stains the best.
In this video we examined Behr Marquee, Benjamin Moore Aura, and PPG Manor Hall in the eggshell sheen. We also tested Benjamin Moore Scuff-X in both the eggshell and the semi-gloss sheens, and Sherwin Williams Emerald in the satin sheen. The Sherwin Williams sample was mixed in the satin sheen because they don’t make their Emerald line in the eggshell sheen. The color was color matched across all brands to Sherwin Williams 7005 Pure White. All samples were allowed to cure and harden for over 30 days.
The Behr Marquee One-Coat Guarantee color “Cameo White” was also analyzed in our video testing what interior paint resists stains the best. We wanted to see if there was a difference in performance between the two-coat paints vs the Behr Marquee One-Coat paint.
We scuffed all the samples of paint using the same objects and tried to use the exact same pressure. The objects we used to mark up the paint with were: Crayola washable black marker, Crayola blue non-washable marker, generic black marker, purple Crayola crayon, keys, and a hard plastic disc.
After looking at how the different paints scuffed using our objects, we came to a couple of conclusions. All the paints resisted scuffs about the same, with the exception of the Behr Marquee One-Coat Guarantee in “Cameo White”. When we tested the scuffing marks using the hard plastic disc, there was no scuffing with this One-Coat paint!
Next, in our quest to discover what interior paint resists stains the best, we tested how well these paints resisted stains. The substances we used to test were; ketchup, maple syrup, chocolate syrup, chocolate candies, balsamic vinegar, and sesame seed oil. These were applied to all the paints and then left to dry for 24 hours. Once dry, we attempted to clean the paints.
After the initial cleaning with a wet microfiber towel, all paints performed similarly. We then moved to an all purpose cleaner to test the stain resistance further. Again, the paints performed very close to the same. However, the scuff marks made with the key cleaned better in both the Benjamin Moore Scuff-X eggshell and semi-gloss paints. Additionally, the scuff marks made with the hard plastic disc cleaned off well in both Scuff-X samples and the Behr Marquee, and was non-existent in the Behr Marquee “Cameo White” One-Coat sample.
While testing what interior paint resists stains the best, we learned the crayon and marker stains were much more difficult to clean. We decided to use a different cleaning solution of dishwashing liquid and water, and scrubbed harder on the next experiment. In this test, when rubbing hard, the paint started coming off in the Sherwin Williams Emerald and the Scuff-X semi-gloss samples before the marks were gone. In the other paint samples we were able to remove the crayon without removing the paint, but the marker stains remained.
We then looked at the Behr Marquee “Cameo White” One-Coat color and the results were very impressive. All the stains came clean without removing paint. The only exception of the marker which didn’t come off any of the samples.
Following our testing of what interior paint resists stains the best, we have 3 major takeaways:
- Benjamin Moore Scuff-X was the all around best for washability and resistance to stains by a very narrow margin and only because it resisted the liquids a little better at the beginning. Behr Marquee came in a close second across all testing categories.
- For Most DIY homeowners the Behr Marquee One-Coat would be our recommended paint. It did just as well as the others in our testing; it’s a cheaper paint; and it applies in one coat which saves you money in product, labor, and time.
- The Semi-gloss sample didn’t perform as well as the eggshell, which is really puzzling. Typically, the glossier the paint, the easier it cleans. That will be something we test in the future.
Hopefully you’ve discovered something new in our testing of what interior paint resists stains the best. Please join us for our next video where we test what exterior paint covers the best! As always, if you have further questions contact a professional painting company for guidance. A good professional painter will be able to help guide you to the best painting solutions for your situation.
