Perma-White by Sheen and Size, the Primer That Goes Under It, and Why the Fan Matters More
4 picks compared · prices, ratings and stock checked October 13, 2026
Our Top Pick
For one bathroom ceiling or a half bath, the Zinsser Perma-White Mold & Mildew-Proof Interior Paint, Eggshell Quart: self-priming, scrubbable, with a stated 5-year mildew-proof film. For every wall in a bathroom, laundry room or basement, the Rust-Oleum 02711 Mold and Mildew Proof Interior Paint, 1 Gallon, Satin covers the room from one can and takes a tint.
4.4 on Amazon · 1,772 ratings
Quick answer
If a bathroom or laundry room keeps growing mildew on the paint, buy a self-priming paint with a mildewcide in the film, and for most rooms that is the Zinsser Perma-White Mold & Mildew-Proof Interior Paint, Eggshell Quart, rated 4.4 stars across 1,772 Amazon ratings. Its listing puts a 5-year claim on the mold- and mildew-proof film and says the mildewcide protects the paint film only. Read that last line as the rule: the paint keeps growth off itself, and it does nothing for a damp wall. Scrub the mold off, dry the surface, fix the fan, then paint; EPA says not to paint over moldy surfaces.
Every pick below is currently stocked — ratings and stock read from Amazon on 13 October 2026.
Best for: A bathroom ceiling or a small half bath that has grown mildew before, after the growth has been scrubbed off and the fan checked
Listing verified 13 Oct 2026
Best for: Painting every wall in a bathroom, laundry room or finished basement in one go, in a color
Listing verified 13 Oct 2026
Best for: The walls around a tub or shower and the trim, where spray lands and a wipeable sheen pays off
Listing verified 13 Oct 2026
Best for: The step before the topcoat on a ceiling or wall that had mold, after cleaning, where a stain remains
Listing verified 13 Oct 2026
How this page was made: we compare the current Amazon listings, the makers' published specs and what verified buyers report, then rank by fit for the job. Ratings, review counts and stock are read from Amazon and dated. We earn a commission on purchases through our links; it does not change the order. Reviewed by Marcus Reed, IICRC-certified Water Restoration Technician.
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Each pick in detail: what the listing states, what buyers report, and where it falls short.
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Listing verified 13 Oct 2026
See it on Amazon ↗Best Overall
Quick Verdict
Zinsser Perma-White Mold & Mildew-Proof Interior Paint, Eggshell Quart: self-priming and scrubbable, with a stated 5-year mildew-proof film, sized for one ceiling or a half bath.
Key Specs
Sheen
Eggshell
Size
Quart; the semi-gloss gallon of the same line is listed separately
Primer
Self-priming, no sanding, per the listing
Mold claim (stated)
Mold- and mildew-proof paint film, with a 5-year claim
Where the mildewcide works
On the paint film only, per the listing
Finish (stated)
Washable and scrubbable with soap and water; resists dirt and moisture
Pros
Cons
Suited to
A bathroom ceiling or a small half bath that has grown mildew before, after the growth has been scrubbed off and the fan checked
Our take
The line that makes this the pick is the one most listings leave out: the mildewcide prevents mold and mildew on the paint film only. Zinsser says it, and it tells you exactly when the paint helps. A bathroom ceiling that fogs after every shower and dries within the hour is the ideal case; the film stays clean while the room does the drying. The stated 5-year span covers that film, not the drywall under it, so the prep decides the result. Scrub the old spots off with detergent and water, let the ceiling dry fully, and look for a grey shadow; if one remains, the primer at rank 4 goes on first. Self-priming means a sound painted ceiling needs no sanding, which matters when you are working overhead.
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Listing verified 13 Oct 2026
See it on Amazon ↗Best for Whole Rooms and Basements
Quick Verdict
Rust-Oleum 02711 Mold and Mildew Proof Interior Paint, 1 Gallon, Satin: the whole-room can, tintable to light and medium colors, for walls that get wiped.
Key Specs
Sheen
Satin
Size
1 gallon
Primer
Self-priming; sticks to the surface without sanding, per the listing
Finish (stated)
Washable, scrubbable, stain and moisture resistant; fade resistant
Base
Water-based, low odor
Tinting (stated)
Off-white, pastel and medium colors only
Pros
Cons
Suited to
Painting every wall in a bathroom, laundry room or finished basement in one go, in a color
Our take
This is the can for a whole room. Everything the listing states, self-priming, washable, scrubbable, stain and moisture resistant, low odor, applies to walls that get touched, splashed and wiped, and satin is the sheen that takes that use. The tint note is the detail to read before you pick a color: off-white, pastel and medium only, so a deep navy bathroom wall needs a different plan. Low odor earns its place in a basement with one small window, where a solvent paint would linger for days. One warning for basements: if the wall is damp from the outside, with white crust or a tide line where water wicks up from the floor, this paint will lift. That wall needs a waterproofing paint first, and the water outside needs attention before either.
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Listing verified 13 Oct 2026
See it on Amazon ↗Best Higher Sheen for Tub Surrounds and Trim
Quick Verdict
Zinsser 02704 Perma-White Mildew-Proof Bathroom Paint, Satin Gloss Quart: the wipeable sheen for the wall above a tub and the trim, with a thin listing.
Key Specs
Sheen
Satin gloss, per the listing title
Size
Quart
Line
Perma-White, labeled as bathroom paint on the listing
Mold claim (stated)
Mildew-proof, per the title; no time span given
Coverage
Not stated on this listing
Primer, base and dry time
Not stated on this listing
Pros
Cons
Suited to
The walls around a tub or shower and the trim, where spray lands and a wipeable sheen pays off
Our take
Buy this for the sheen, and know that the listing tells you almost nothing else. Its title gives satin gloss, a quart, the Perma-White name and the word bathroom; coverage, dry time, tint limits and base are not stated. A glossier film is where a mold claim does its best work in practice, because water beads and runs off it rather than soaking in, and soap film wipes away with a cloth. That makes it the right can for the wall above a tub surround, a window reveal that collects condensation, and the trim. The cost of the sheen is that it shows every ridge, so patch and sand before you start. Treat the quart as a trim-and-surround amount, not a whole-room one.
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Listing verified 13 Oct 2026
See it on Amazon ↗Best Primer Under the Topcoat
Quick Verdict
Zinsser Mold Killing Primer, Quart: the EPA-registered fungicidal layer that covers stains under Perma-White, after the surface is clean and dry.
Key Specs
Type
Water-based fungicidal protective coating
EPA registration (stated)
EPA Reg. No. 87469-1-69587
Size
Quart; a 3-pack of the same quart is listed separately
Works under
Any coating, per the listing; named as ideal with Perma-White
Coverage
Not stated on this listing; the 3-pack listing of the same primer states up to 160 sq ft per quart
Dry time
Not stated on this listing; the 3-pack listing states dry to the touch in 30 minutes, recoat within one hour
Pros
Cons
Suited to
The step before the topcoat on a ceiling or wall that had mold, after cleaning, where a stain remains
Our take
This is on a paint page because the topcoats above only protect themselves. The primer's listing calls it an EPA-registered fungicidal coating that works under any coating and names Perma-White as its partner, so the two make a system from one maker. Where it earns its spot is the ceiling that scrubs clean but keeps a grey shadow: the primer covers fungal stains so the eggshell above stays white. Read two lines carefully. The listing says it can go over existing mold without extensive pre-cleaning once all moisture issues are fixed; EPA's advice to homeowners is to clean and dry the surface before any paint, and that is the order this page recommends. The listing also sends structurally unsound surfaces to its label; soft drywall gets cut out, not primed.
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What to know before you buy.
Mold-resistant paint is ordinary interior paint with a mildewcide mixed into it. Once the paint dries, that additive sits in the film and keeps mildew from growing on the painted surface. Zinsser's eggshell quart listing states the limit in its own words: the mildewcide prevents mold and mildew on the paint film only. Nothing in the can reaches the drywall, the joint tape or the framing behind it. So the paint earns its keep in one situation: a room where the surface stays damp long enough for spores to settle and grow, such as a bathroom ceiling that fogs after every shower. Dry that ceiling faster and plain paint would mostly cope; leave it wet for hours and even a mildewcide film eventually loses. Treat the paint as the last layer of a fix, not the fix.
EPA's homeowner guidance comes down to three short sentences: do not paint or caulk moldy surfaces; clean up the mold and dry the surfaces before painting; paint applied over moldy surfaces is likely to peel. For a bathroom ceiling, that means scrubbing the spots off with detergent and water, letting the surface dry fully, and finding out why it was wet. EPA treats growth under about 10 square feet as a job most people can handle themselves; a patch larger than that, or mold that comes back through fresh paint, is the point to bring in a mold professional. Where cleaning leaves a grey shadow, the Zinsser Mold Killing Primer at rank 4 covers the stain so the topcoat stays white. Its listing allows painting over existing mold once moisture is fixed, but EPA's order is cleaner and safer, and it is the one to follow.
Sheen decides two things in a bathroom: how well the surface wipes and how much it shows. A glossier film is smoother, so condensation beads and runs instead of soaking in, and soap film comes off with a damp cloth. It also shows every ridge, patch and roller lap. The usual split is eggshell on the ceiling, where flaws show under a window and nobody touches the surface, and satin on the walls, where hands and towels land. The satin-gloss Perma-White quart suits the strip of wall above a tub surround and the window trim, the two spots that get hit by spray. Color is the other limit: the Rust-Oleum satin gallon's listing says it tints to off-white, pastel and medium colors only, so a dark bathroom wall needs a different paint that makes its own mildewcide claim.
Zinsser's Perma-White semi-gloss gallon listing states 300 to 400 square feet per gallon; the quart and satin gallon listings here give no figure, so use that one and plan for two coats. A quart is a quarter gallon, so roughly 75 to 100 square feet per coat. A 5 by 8 foot bathroom ceiling is 40 square feet, and two coats come to 80, so one quart covers it with a little left over. The walls of that same room with an 8 foot ceiling run about 26 feet around, or 208 square feet before you subtract the door and the tiled tub surround, which leaves roughly 150 square feet. Two coats come to about 300 square feet, which is one gallon. A laundry room or a finished basement wall follows the same arithmetic. Buy a quart for a ceiling and a gallon for the walls, and keep the leftover for touch-ups after the first winter.
Skip this paint when the wall is wet from behind rather than from the room. A basement block wall that weeps after rain needs a waterproofing paint rated for water pressure, not an interior topcoat, and a ceiling with a brown ring needs the leak found before anything goes on it. Drywall that is soft, crumbling or stained through both faces is a replacement job; the primer's own listing sends structurally unsound surfaces to its remediation guidelines. Mold that covers more than about 10 square feet is past EPA's homeowner cleanup threshold. A tub, tile or sink is a different surface again: those take a refinishing coating, not wall paint. Renters should report recurring ceiling mold to the landlord before painting, since the cause may be a fan or a roof the owner has to fix. Exterior walls and floors are outside what any listing on this page covers.
EPA's advice for every bathroom is to run the fan or open the window when showering, and to keep indoor humidity below 60 percent, ideally between 30 and 50 percent. A mildewcide film buys time on a ceiling that gets damp; it cannot keep up with a room that sits at 80 percent for an hour after each shower. Before repainting, check that the fan runs, that it moves air (a square of toilet paper should hold against the grille), and that its duct ends outdoors and not in the attic. Leave it on for about 20 minutes after each shower. A windowless bathroom with a weak fan is the one case where a small dehumidifier earns its space. Do this first and a mold-resistant paint has a quiet job to do; skip it and you will be scrubbing the new paint by spring.
NoEPA's guidance says do not paint or caulk moldy surfaces, and that paint applied over mold is likely to peel. Clean the growth off with detergent and water, let the surface dry fully, and fix whatever kept it wet.
Then paint. If a grey stain is left after cleaning, a fungicidal primer such as the Zinsser Mold Killing Primer covers it before the topcoat. Growth larger than about 10 square feet is the point to call a mold professional rather than reach for a roller.
YesOn the paint film, and only there. The mildewcide in a paint like Zinsser Perma-White keeps mildew from growing on the dried surface, and the eggshell quart's listing puts a 5-year claim on that film.
It does not kill mold already under the paint, dry a damp wall or stop growth on grout, caulk or a shower curtain next to it. On a clean ceiling in a room with a working fan it does its job; on a ceiling that stays wet for hours it slows the return rather than stopping it.
A self-priming mildewcide paint in a low sheen, after the mold is gone: the Zinsser Perma-White Mold & Mildew-Proof Interior Paint, Eggshell Quart, is the pick here.
Eggshell hides the roller marks and drywall seams that a window lights up on a ceiling, and one quart covers a small bathroom ceiling twice by the arithmetic above. Scrub the spots off first, let the ceiling dry, and prime any stain that remains. If the spots return within weeks, the fan or its duct is the problem, not the paint.
Usually notThe Perma-White listings here describe the paint as self-priming with no sanding, so a cleaned, sound, previously painted surface takes it directly.
Use the Zinsser Mold Killing Primer first in three cases: a stain still shows after cleaning, you have patched with bare joint compound, or the surface is chalky or glossy enough that paint would not grip. The primer's listing names it as ideal with Perma-White and says it works under any coating, and the 3-pack listing of the same quart states a recoat time of one hour.
Zinsser's eggshell quart listing puts a 5-year claim on the mold- and mildew-proof film; the satin gallon's bullets give no time span. Read that as the life of the mildewcide under normal conditions, not a promise about the room.
A ceiling that a fan dries after every shower may go longer; one that stays wet, or sits under a leak, will grow mildew on any paint sooner. Wipe the surface with a mild cleaner every few weeks so soap film and dust never give spores a foothold.
On a paint can, yes: both describe a mildewcide in the film, and Zinsser's listing uses mold and mildew in one phrase. Mildew is the everyday name for the flat, powdery surface growth that shows up on a damp bathroom ceiling, which is what a paint additive can hold off.
Mold that has gone into drywall, wood or insulation is a different problem that no topcoat addresses. If you are choosing between two cans, compare the stated time span on the film claim and the sheen, not the word on the label.
Call (888) 840-6512. The line is answered 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and connects you with an IICRC-certified water damage restoration company that serves your area. A recorded menu picks up first: choose water damage or mold, key in your 5-digit ZIP code, and hold through the short silence while the call is passed to the company.
Describe what you can see — where the water is coming from, how long it has been there, and whether it smells — the more specific you are, the faster the right company is on the line. If the source is a pipe or an appliance, shut the main water valve first. Have four things ready and the call goes quickly: the address, when the water started, what is wet now, and whether you have filed an insurance claim.
Still not sure which of these is your situation? (888) 840-6512 · toll-free · answered 24/7
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A mold-killing primer kills the mold it coats and keeps new growth off its own film, but it cannot dry a wet wall or reach growth inside one. These picks are judged on that narrow job: sealing a bathroom, basement wall or window frame after the leak is fixed and the surface is clean and dry.
Read the comparisonIn a bathroom with mold, the exhaust fan is the thing to fix first, because it clears the steam before it condenses on the ceiling, the grout and the window. These picks are compared on the airflow and noise each listing states, humidity sensing and the duct each fan needs, alongside the sizing rule, the 20-minute habit and the attic-venting mistake that undoes any fan.
Read the comparisonAn exhaust fan ducted outdoors is the real fix for a steamy bathroom, and a plug-in dehumidifier is what you add when there is no fan or the one you have barely pulls. The units small enough for a bathroom remove ounces of water a day, so their job is drying the walls, ceiling and grout sooner after the steam clears, not clearing the steam.
Read the comparisonA mold remover can clear growth and staining from painted walls and bare masonry, but it cannot save drywall the mold has grown into, and it does nothing about the water that fed it. These picks are compared on what each listing states about bleach, surfaces and directions, set against EPA's cleanup steps and its 10 square foot line for doing the job yourself.
Read the comparisonBasement waterproofing paint can slow damp seepage through bare concrete and block, but it will not hold back a leaking crack, groundwater pressing up from a high water table, or rain the yard funnels toward the foundation. These picks are compared on what each listing states about water pressure, coverage, cure time and limits, alongside the prep that decides whether any coating stays on.
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