A coated article includes a substrate having on its surface a coating that includes a polymer selected from the group consisting of hydroxypropylcellulose, poly(2-ethyl-2- oxazoline) and mixtures of these, a surfactant, colloidal silica, and a crosslinker selected from the group consisting of water-soluble titanium salts and water-soluble or water-dispersible organic crosslinkers. The coating may be formed by applying a dispersion of the coating composition in a diluent to the substrate and subsequently drying the coated substrate to evaporate the diluent.