Paint for stairwells?

[Times10]

We bought a new build 2 years ago, and the walls of the stairwell are looking pretty shabby/filthy thanks to the DCs, and the cheap white paint. I’ve tried washing the walls, but it just removes the paint. I was thinking a stain/silk paint would be better for the stairwell, as it washes better? Or is matt paint still preferable, and in which case how do we stop it looks so grubby so quickly?

You can get washable paint. I think Dulux do one, but I don't know how good it is. I had my stairs and hall walls painted in a Johnstones washable paint. It doesn't seem to take marks nearly as easily as the ordinary emulsions that I used in other rooms, yet it looks no different. Every so often I take a damp microfibre cloth to it, and all the handprints etc come off easily.

Thanks! I’ll have a look at that paint.

We used kitchen paint on the stairs and they're perfect a year later (very messy/grubby DH and a toddler)

Dulux easy are is the one you want it's matt but washable

Thanks! It’ll be good if we could sort it out this summer, as the house is looking really tired because of the walls, and it’s basically new (in terms of a normal house’s lifespan!)