Pyyhittävä

Pyyhittävä is a Finnish adjective derived from the verb pyyhittää (to wipe). It denotes a property of a surface or material that can be wiped clean, typically with a cloth or wipe, without requiring heavy scrubbing. In practice, the term is used in technical and consumer contexts to indicate ease of cleaning, and it is often translated into English as “wipeable” or “wipe-clean.”

Grammatically, the suffix -vä forms an adjective indicating capability or suitability. Thus pyyhittävä describes something that is suitable for wiping. It can be used attributively before a noun, for example “pyyhittävä pinta” (a wipeable surface), and it agrees with the noun in number and case in ordinary Finnish grammar. The concept is closely related to, but distinct from, pestävä (washable) or puhdistettava (cleanable), in that pyyhittävä emphasizes removal of marks or residues by wiping rather than by washing or deep cleaning.

Usage and context: The term appears mainly in product descriptions, material specifications, cleaning guides, and design documents. It helps communicate intended maintenance and ease of upkeep for surfaces such as coatings, glass, plastics, or textiles. Because wipeability can depend on factors like surface finish, coatings, and allowable cleaning agents, the label pyyhittävä is often complemented by testing data or cleaning instructions rather than relied upon as a sole guarantee.

See also: pestävä (washable), puhdistettava (cleanable), pinta (surface), coatings and finishes.