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Grey bathroom paint for a room that steams

Updated: October 2026

You have a small UK bathroom that fogs the mirror after a shower, and you want the walls grey. The useful question is which grey bathroom paint in this amazon.co.uk set belongs in that steam. Only Johnstone's bathroom mid sheen in Manhattan Grey sets waterproof to true. Several matt listings mention bathrooms and still set waterproof to false. Shelf prices for the wider set sit on the [grey wall paint comparison](/hub/paints-and-varnishes/wall-paint-grey). These figures are the loaded extracts from October 2026, not a lab test by the Products Compared editorial team, and a qualifying purchase can earn us a commission at no extra cost to you.

You have a small UK bathroom that fogs the mirror after a shower, and you want the walls grey. The useful question is which grey bathroom paint in this amazon.co.uk set belongs in that steam.

Our top picks

Johnstone's Johnstone's soft sheen Manhattan Grey, 5 L

Best overall

Johnstone's Johnstone's soft sheen Manhattan Grey, 5 L
9.4/10about £29.08
View offer
Johnstone's Johnstone's bathroom Manhattan Grey, 2.5 L

Alternative

Johnstone's Johnstone's bathroom Manhattan Grey, 2.5 L
9.2/10about £21.84
View offer
Johnstone's Johnstone's silk Manhattan Grey, 5 L

Best value

Johnstone's Johnstone's silk Manhattan Grey, 5 L
9.2/10about £28.65
View offer
On this page
  1. 1.Why a bathroom bullet is not a bathroom paint
  2. 2.What the Manhattan Grey bathroom tin actually claims
  3. 3.Paint does not replace a fan
  4. 4.Do not read the star line as this grey

Why a bathroom bullet is not a bathroom paint

A line of copy that names bathrooms is a weak guide to moisture. In this amazon.co.uk set, Steel Smoke matt is listed as not water resistant, and other matt tins set waterproof to false even when a bullet mentions bathrooms. Homebuilding says standard emulsion is a poor swap for a moisture-resistant formula. Wickes adds that standard matt can absorb water and flake. If waterproof is false, treat the bathroom mention as marketing and choose on the flag. Silk does not close the gap either. How silk wipes in a dry room is the subject of the matt or silk emulsion guide. For a shower room, the matching listing is Johnstone's bathroom mid sheen, ASIN B07NZXFZW1.

What the Manhattan Grey bathroom tin actually claims

Johnstone's bathroom mid sheen Manhattan Grey is that 2.5 litre tin at £21.84. The loaded page states mid sheen, about 12 square metres per litre, and waterproof true, beside 4.6 from 8,252 reviews. Read waterproof as the listing's water-resistance flag, not as a tanking membrane that holds standing water. Coverage is a planning figure. A rule of thumb for 2.5 litres at 12 square metres per litre is about 30 square metres on one coat, and about 15 square metres once you need two. For dry rooms, use the grey emulsion buying guide.
Johnstone's Johnstone's soft sheen Manhattan Grey, 5 L

Testsieger

Johnstone's Johnstone's soft sheen Manhattan Grey, 5 L
9.4/10about £29.08
View offer

Paint does not replace a fan

Ideal Home is plain about anti-condensation coatings. The paint does not fix the cause, ventilation still matters, and no paint stops mould outright. One review in the loaded file describes mould in a steamy bathroom with a weak extractor. Wipe surface mould that is safe for you to clean, get the fan working, and paint only a sound, dry wall. Prep, stirring, and two coats are in the guide to painting walls grey. Do not dry-sand old paint whose age you do not know: the Health and Safety Executive warns that it can contain lead.

Do not read the star line as this grey

The 4.6 from 8,252 reviews is the amazon.co.uk aggregate on that listing. Other reviews in the same file discuss Pure Brilliant White, so a white-paint comment is not evidence for how Manhattan Grey behaves in steam. Call a professional when flaking paint may contain lead, when mould returns after cleaning, or when plaster has blown. If the wall is sound, the fan works, and you can live with mid sheen, this bathroom Manhattan Grey is the tin in the set whose listing matches the moisture claim.

Common questions

Can I use Steel Smoke matt in a shower room because the bullet mentions bathrooms?
No. Steel Smoke matt in this set is listed as not water resistant, and other matt tins set waterproof to false even when the copy names bathrooms. Homebuilding and Wickes both treat standard matt as a poor fit in lasting moisture. Keep Steel Smoke for a dry room, and use the bathroom mid sheen where the mirror fogs.
What does waterproof true mean on the Manhattan Grey bathroom tin?
On the loaded page for Johnstone's bathroom mid sheen Manhattan Grey, ASIN B07NZXFZW1, waterproof is set to true and the bullets refer to moisture and stains. That is the water-resistance claim for this 2.5 litre tin at £21.84. It is not a tanking system. Read the tin for any limit the product page leaves unstated.
Will this grey bathroom paint stop black mould?
No. Ideal Home says no paint fully prevents mould, because the coating does not remove the moisture that feeds it. One review in this file mentions mould in a steamy bathroom with a weak extractor. Clean what you can safely, sort the fan or the damp, and paint a dry, sound surface.
Are the 8,252 reviews about this grey?
The 4.6 from 8,252 is the aggregate on the listing, and reviews in the same file discuss Pure Brilliant White as well as this colour. A white-paint comment is not a verdict on Manhattan Grey. Judge this grey from a dried patch in your own bathroom light.
Is silk enough instead of a bathroom tin?
Silk in this set is often called water repellent, and the waterproof flag is still false. That can suit a hallway where you want a wipeable sheen. A bathroom that clouds after every wash puts more moisture on the film. Only the bathroom mid-sheen Manhattan Grey here sets waterproof to true.
How soon can I shower after painting?
The bathroom listing states one to two hours, a dry-time field rather than a wait before steam. Dulux's bathroom soft sheen, a different product, asks for 24 hours before condensation. Treat that as a prompt to read your own tin, not as Johnstone's instruction. If the label is silent, wait well past touch-dry.
The grey looks colder in a small wet room. Is that the paint failing?
Often it is the room. A cool grey in a small north-facing bathroom, beside white sanitaryware, looks colder than the same paint on a living-room wall. Paint a patch, let it dry, and check it in daylight and at night. A comment in the loaded file also found the colour darker than the tin.

Related pages

Best grey wall paint

Wall paint grey

Grey emulsion buying guide: sheen, undertone, litres

How to paint walls grey without a patchy second coat

Matt or silk emulsion for grey walls in your UK home

Sources

Public UK sources used for VOC limits, lead in old paint, and paint reuse. Prices, stars and review counts are from the amazon.co.uk listings in this set. No EN 13300 class is claimed for these tins.

  1. VOC Regulations 2012, Schedule 2 (retrieved 17 October 2026)
  2. British Coatings Federation — VOC Globe (retrieved 17 October 2026)
  3. Brillux — EN 13300 (classes, not a result for these tins) (retrieved 17 October 2026)
  4. HSE — Lead in old paint (retrieved 17 October 2026)
  5. GOV.UK — Lead information for the public (retrieved 17 October 2026)
  6. Community RePaint — paint types for reuse (retrieved 17 October 2026)
  7. Dulux UK — how to find the right shade of grey (retrieved 17 October 2026)
  8. Johnstone's — finishes (retrieved 17 October 2026)