The invention relates to a coating material with self-cleaning properties. In order to produce a coating material with which self-cleaning surfaces can also be made for internal areas and even in darkness, according to the invention it is proposed that the coating material contains hydrophilic surface components which are present in nano- or micro-structured form, or in a combined micro-/nano-structured form. Surprisingly, it has been shown in the context of the invention that the principles of the Lotus-Effect ® apply not only to hydrophobic but also to hydrophilic surfaces.