Bathrooms and kitchens need a washable, moisture-resistant paint: a premium acrylic like UltraLux on the walls, and a water-based High Sheen Enamel on high-splash surfaces and trim. These rooms get steam, splashes and constant wiping, so an ordinary matt PVA marks and can grow mould in the wettest spots. This guide covers which paint to use in a bathroom or kitchen, how to beat mould, and where paint stops and waterproofing starts.
What kind of paint do you use in a bathroom?
Use a washable, moisture-resistant wall paint in a bathroom — a premium acrylic like UltraLux — with a water-based enamel on the highest-splash surfaces. UltraLux gives a hard-wearing, wipeable finish that copes with steam and regular cleaning on bathroom walls, while High Sheen Enamel adds a tougher, fully washable coat around basins, splashbacks, window frames and trim. A flat matt PVA is the wrong choice for a wet room — it marks and holds moisture.
What is the best paint for a humid bathroom?
The best paint for a humid bathroom is a premium acrylic with a low sheen, which sheds moisture and wipes clean rather than absorbing steam. A slight sheen resists condensation better than a dead matt, so a low-sheen UltraLux or a High Sheen Enamel holds up where a matt would blister or mark. Good ventilation matters as much as the paint — an extractor fan or an open window that clears the steam keeps any paint finish looking good for longer.
How do you stop mould on bathroom paint?
Stop mould by fixing the moisture source, ventilating the room, and using a washable, moisture-resistant paint on a clean, dry surface. Mould grows where steam sits on a cool, damp wall, so clear existing mould with a suitable wash, let the wall dry, ventilate, and repaint with a wipeable premium acrylic. If damp is pushing through the wall from behind rather than condensing on the surface, that is a waterproofing problem, not a paint one — see our guide to damp walls.
What paint should you use in a kitchen?
Kitchens take the same washable approach: a premium acrylic on the walls and an enamel on cabinetry, trim and splash-prone surfaces. Cooking throws up grease and steam, and kitchen walls get wiped often, so UltraLux gives a durable, cleanable wall finish. For cupboards, trim and the wall behind a hob or sink, High Sheen Enamel gives the hardest, most wipeable finish. A water-based enamel keeps odour low for an occupied kitchen.
Can you paint bathroom or kitchen tiles?
You can refresh tiles and cabinets with enamel, but they must be cleaned, keyed and primed first, because enamel will not grip a glazed or laminated surface on its own. Scuff-sand the glaze, clean off grease, apply an etch or tile primer, then a High Sheen Enamel or gloss topcoat. Skipping the key is the usual reason painted tiles peel. For the full method, see the enamel paint guide.
Do bathroom and kitchen walls need a special primer?
You do not need a special "bathroom" primer, but you do need to prime bare plaster, repairs and stains — and to seal any water-stained patches so they do not bleed through. On new plaster, an alkali-resistant plaster primer stops the topcoat flashing; on old water stains or mould marks, a stain-blocking spot-prime keeps them from showing through the new paint. A sound, previously painted wall in good condition just needs a proper degrease and wash before the topcoat. The moisture resistance comes from the premium acrylic or enamel topcoat and good ventilation, not from a special primer, so get the surface clean, dry and sealed, then paint. See our plaster primer guide.
What about the shower and wet zone?
The inside of a shower and any surface holding water is a waterproofing job, not a painting one — use a cementitious waterproofer, not wall paint. Paint gives a washable, moisture-resistant finish on bathroom walls above the splash line, but it cannot hold back standing water in a shower or behind tiles. For those wet zones, Megaflex cementitious waterproofing seals the substrate before tiling. Keep paint for the walls and a waterproofer for the wet zone.
What finish works best in bathrooms and kitchens?
A low sheen or satin works best on the walls, and a higher sheen or gloss enamel on trim and splashbacks. Low sheen wipes clean and resists moisture better than matt while still looking soft on a wall; higher sheen on trim and cabinetry takes the most handling and cleaning. Matching a low-sheen UltraLux wall to High Sheen Enamel trim gives a cohesive, hard-wearing wet-room finish.
How do you prepare a bathroom or kitchen wall?
Clean off grease and mould, let the wall dry fully, fill and sand repairs, and prime bare or stained patches before painting. Grease and soap film stop paint gripping, so a proper wash is essential in these rooms. Treat and dry any mould, fill cracks, and prime new plaster or water-stained areas. Ventilate while painting and while the paint cures, so the film hardens before it meets the next hot shower.
Where to buy
Shop UltraLux and High Sheen Enamel for bathrooms and kitchens with national delivery, or visit our paint shops in Table View, Cape Town and Edenvale, Johannesburg. For advice, call +27 84 985 6141. See the full wall paint guide.
