Material
Silk emulsion
A less porous sheen finish that genuinely wipes clean, where the visible fault is uneven sheen rather than lifted pigment.
- SurfaceSemi porous
- WashingSpot only
- Colour run riskHigh
- Reviewed7 September 2026
What silk emulsion can and cannot take
- Heat Avoid
- Water and soaking Use with care
- Acids, including vinegar Use with care
- Strong alkalis Use with care
- Solvents Avoid
- Chlorine bleach Avoid
- Abrasives Avoid
Always test on a hidden area first and let it dry before you treat the visible mark.
General rules for silk emulsion
Silk is the most forgiving wall paint here, and the fault it develops is the opposite of matt's.
Wiping a silk wall works. Wiping one patch of it harder than the rest leaves an area with a different sheen, and because the whole point of the finish is that it reflects light evenly, that shows.
So clean gently, feather outwards, and if a mark needs real effort, work along the whole wall between corners rather than treating the spot.
Check the label
Silk and soft sheen emulsions have more binder and a smoother, less porous surface than matt, so they genuinely wipe clean. The trade off is that the sheen shows every unevenness, including the slightly duller patch left where an area has been cleaned harder than the rest.
Stains on silk emulsion
- Baby sick Lift the solids and blot downwards, then wipe with a soft cloth wrung out in warm water with a drop of washin...
- Blood Blot first, then use cold water and a tiny amount of compatible detergent. Work from the edge, rinse or blot...
- Body oil Lift free oil from silk emulsion, then clean a small area with a maker-approved mild detergent solution and a...
- Breast milk Blot the spill, identify the finish and use a controlled cold clean only where permitted. Where the maker per...
- Bronzer Lift loose bronzer from silk emulsion before it is rubbed in. Blot cream bronzer, follow the material or care...
- Coffee Wipe coffee off silk emulsion promptly with a soft cloth. Use the damp route only on sound, cured paint expli...
- Concealer Lift thick concealer from Silk Emulsion, blot without rubbing, then use a very small amount of diluted washin...
- Cooking grease Lift and blot cooking grease from Silk Emulsion, then use a small amount of diluted washing-up liquid only if...
- Deodorant Lift loose deodorant from silk emulsion with a dry white cloth, then wipe the remaining film with cool water...
- Hair dye Blot hair dye from Silk Emulsion, test the mildest compatible cool detergent route, clean inwards, remove res...
- Lipstick Lift lipstick from Silk Emulsion with a blunt edge, blot without rubbing, then use a very small amount of dil...
- Motor oil Blot motor oil from Silk Emulsion, absorb as much as possible, then use a small amount of diluted washing-up...
- Nail polish Lift free polish gently if the face permits contact. A maker-approved mild damp wipe can clear loose residue,...
- Period blood Lift any tissue with a spoon edge, then blot. Use cold water and a tiny amount of compatible detergent for th...
- Pet urine Blot until nearly dry, then use only the cool-water quantity silk emulsion can tolerate. Use a labelled pet u...
- Sweat Blot sweat from Silk Emulsion, test a weak cool detergent wipe, remove residue with minimal moisture and dry...
- Tomato sauce Lift tomato sauce from Silk Emulsion, then wipe or blot inwards with a tested cool detergent solution. Remove...
Silk emulsion contains more binder and less pigment volume than matt, giving a smoother, tighter film.
It is genuinely washable
A damp cloth with a drop of washing up liquid removes surface marks without lifting colour. This is the wall finish that behaves the way people expect all wall paint to behave.
Sheen is the vulnerable property
The finish reflects light evenly, so any change to the surface texture shows as a patch. Over cleaning polishes some areas and dulls others.
It shows the wall behind it
Sheen finishes highlight every filler mark and undulation, which is why a repaired patch on silk is so hard to hide.
Solvents attack the film
White spirit and alcohol soften emulsion. On a sheen finish that leaves a dull mark exactly where the cleaner was used.
Sources
What we checked and when. Where a manufacturer instruction disagrees with anything here, follow the manufacturer.
-
Dulux Easycare frequently asked questions, Dulux
manufacturer
Paint manufacturer guidance that its washable matt uses a stain repellent technology which makes spills bead rather than absorb, that a mark is cleaned with a soft non abrasive damp cloth, that a stubborn stain is treated with a non bleach based cleaner such as washing up liquid on a soft damp cloth, that abrasive cloths and scrubbing are avoided, that spills are best dealt with quickly, and that the stain repellent property returns once the paint is fully dry again.
Checked 7 September 2026
-
How to clean wallpaper, William Morris Wallpaper
specialist
Wallpaper guidance that vinyl faced papers resist moisture, soap and gentle wiping while traditional paper, grasscloth, fabric and bamboo do not, that cloths must be wrung thoroughly because damp rather than wet is the rule, that wallpaper paste is activated by water so excess water at a seam breaks the bond and lifts the paper, that surfaces tolerate gentle wiping but not abrasive scrubbing, that cleaning is done downwards to avoid drip marks, and that the area is dried immediately.
Checked 7 September 2026
-
Concealing water stains on plaster surfaces, US General Services Administration
authority
Building conservation procedure establishing that stains in plaster bleed through finish layers of paint if they are not sealed, that the moisture source must be found and the surface allowed to dry completely first, that the area is cleaned with a stiff brush and a damp cloth, that a white pigmented shellac is used to seal, prime and block the stain, and that the whole wall is primed rather than only the stained patch when a standard paint is used, to avoid visible shiny patches.
Checked 7 September 2026