Have you tried a Mr. Clean Magic Eraser for cleaning? You have to be careful because it will take off paint, but especially on a semi or glossy surface, you don't have to rub hard at all to get scuffs off.

Boys with shoes! My sons are now in graduate school, but I feel your pain! In one house, I used Liquid Nails to glue some of the those little carved wood appliques on my risers, painted the same white, semi-gloss.

In another house, I actually painted the risers Duron Domino which is a black that reflects the colors around it. My railings were painted the same way....but that style worked with the craftsman-style house. There, they banged up the sheetrock wall going up the stairs carrying bags, guitars and laundry in from college.

In my current house, I have white risers again and miraculously, they don't seem to have any scuff marks in spite of all the traffic. The white paint is Sherwin-Williams Glass of Milk trim paint in a semi-gloss. It's a Martha Stewart color. I had the entire stair wall paneled with beadboard and it's in pristine condition without any dings like the sheetrock encountered.

Can someone recommend the best type of paint finish (flat vs eggshell vs matte) for hallways? Ideally I'ld like something that allows me to wash off any marks easily. I was told by my contractor that a flat finish is best since it won't show every imperfection in our 1890 plaster walls and can easily be touched up without having to repaint the entire wall. Whereas I was told with the eggshell and matte finishes every imperfection in our walls would be revealed and if an area needs to be retouched the entire wall must be repainted. I would appreciate any additional information and/or advice regarding this matter.

-Thanks,
DG