Which wallpapers are washable and wipeable?

Washability is one of the most important spec checks when buying wallpaper for any room beyond a pristine adult bedroom. Walls get touched, splashed, scribbled on, oil-splattered, and dust-coated - and the wallpaper has to handle cleaning.

Washable wallpaper falls into 4 categories of increasing durability:

1. SPONGEABLE (lowest washability).
- Light wipe with a damp (not wet) sponge only.
- Removes dust and light fingerprints.
- Doesn't handle stains, oil, or scrubbing.
- Most paper-based wallpapers fall here.
- Inadequate for kids' rooms, kitchens, bathrooms.

2. WASHABLE.
- Damp cloth + mild detergent.
- Handles most everyday marks - fingerprints, light food splash, dust accumulation.
- Doesn't handle vigorous scrubbing.
- Most non-woven matte wallpapers fall here.
- Suitable for bedrooms, living rooms, dining, light-use kids' rooms.

3. SUPER-WASHABLE / SCRUBBABLE.
- Vigorous cleaning with detergent and soft brush.
- Handles food, oil, soap residue, kid scribbles, marker (with prompt cleaning).
- Most vinyl wallpapers fall here.
- Suitable for kitchens, bathrooms (not in direct shower spray), kids' rooms, mudrooms.

4. STAIN-RESISTANT (premium vinyl).
- Scrubbable + protective topcoat against permanent staining.
- Wine, marker, food colour all wipe off cleanly.
- Suitable for: restaurant feature walls, café walls, commercial kitchens, heavy-use kids' rooms, daycare/childcare facilities.

For specific applications:

BATHROOMS:
- Super-washable vinyl required.
- Even feature walls away from direct shower spray need to handle steam, water marks, and soap residue.
- Skip non-vinyl wallpapers in bathrooms.

KITCHENS:
- Super-washable or stain-resistant.
- Oil splatter, food splash, steam, cleaning chemical residue all hit kitchen walls.
- Behind cooktop: use tile or glass, NOT wallpaper.

KIDS' ROOMS:
- At minimum WASHABLE.
- Super-washable preferred for young children.
- Light marker, paint and food spill need to come off cleanly.

CORRIDORS AND HALLWAYS:
- Washable sufficient for adult corridors.
- Super-washable preferred for high-traffic corridors with kids and pets.

BEDROOMS:
- Washable adequate.
- Master bedrooms: even spongeable can work if you're careful.
- Kids' bedrooms: super-washable.

LIVING ROOMS AND DINING:
- Washable usually adequate.
- Family living rooms with kids: super-washable.

FINDING WASHABLE WALLPAPERS:

1. Spec sheets: every premium wallpaper lists its washability rating.
2. Brand websites: usually filterable by 'washable' / 'kid-friendly' / 'bathroom-suitable'.
3. Material Depot's online catalogue: filter by 'washable' or 'kid-friendly' attribute - narrows the 19,000-SKU range to suitable options.
4. Ask at Experience Centre: bring your room's use-case and our team filters to appropriate ranges.

Cleaning best practices for washable wallpapers:

1. Wipe SPILLS PROMPTLY - staining is easier to prevent than remove.
2. Use the SOFTEST CLOTH or sponge that gets the job done.
3. MILD DETERGENT (dish soap diluted in water) for most cleaning.
4. TEST in an inconspicuous area first - some wallpapers are more sensitive than the spec suggests.
5. WIPE DRY immediately after cleaning to prevent water marks at the cleaning edge.
6. AVOID strong solvents, bleach, abrasive scrubbers - even on super-washable wallpapers, these can dull or damage the finish.
7. ANNUAL DEEP CLEAN - vacuum with brush attachment to remove accumulated dust from textured wallpapers.