---
title: "Upholstery cleaning code S — what it means"
description: "Clean with solvent-based cleaners only — no water. What the symbol looks like, what happens if you ignore it, and where its meaning differs by country."
url: https://atoneplace.net/symbol/care-upholstery-s/
site: "At One Place"
---

# Upholstery cleaning code S

**Upholstery cleaning code S: Clean with solvent-based cleaners only — no water.**

S

## What it looks like

A letter S on the care tag of a sofa or chair.

## What it means

S covers fabrics that shrink, stain or ring when they get wet: rayon, viscose, silk, linen blends and some velvets. Water leaves a permanent mark even where the fabric is otherwise fine, so blotting a spill with a damp cloth can do more visible harm than the spill. Solvent cleaners need real ventilation and must be kept away from open flames, and the safe route on a large area is a professional rather than a supermarket aerosol.

> Defined by US furniture industry cleaning code convention. Where a symbol differs between standards, the difference is described above rather than resolved — both versions are in circulation on real labels.

## Other product care symbols

| Symbol | Means |
| --- | --- |
| Upholstery cleaning code W | Clean with water-based cleaners only. |
| Upholstery cleaning code W-S | Either water-based or solvent-based cleaners may be used. |
| Upholstery cleaning code X | Vacuum or brush only — no liquid cleaner of any kind. |
| Period after opening (open jar with 12M) | How many months the product stays good after you first open it. |
| Cosmetics hourglass (minimum durability) | The best-before date of a cosmetic product — it is best used before the date shown. |
| Footwear: leather | That part of the shoe is leather. |
| Footwear: coated leather | That part is leather with a surface coating no thicker than a third of the total thickness. |
| Footwear: textile | That part of the shoe is a textile, natural or synthetic. |
| Footwear: other materials | That part is made of something that is neither leather nor textile. |

## Common questions

### What does the upholstery cleaning code s symbol mean?

Clean with solvent-based cleaners only — no water.

### What does it look like?

A letter S on the care tag of a sofa or chair.

## Related pages

- [Upholstery cleaning code W](https://atoneplace.net/symbol/care-upholstery-w/)
- [Upholstery cleaning code W-S](https://atoneplace.net/symbol/care-upholstery-ws/)
- [Dry clean with perchloroethylene — circle P](https://atoneplace.net/symbol/laundry-dryclean-p/)
- [Upholstery cleaning code W](https://atoneplace.net/symbol/care-upholstery-w/)
- [Upholstery cleaning code W-S](https://atoneplace.net/symbol/care-upholstery-ws/)
- [Upholstery cleaning code X](https://atoneplace.net/symbol/care-upholstery-x/)
- [Period after opening (open jar with 12M)](https://atoneplace.net/symbol/care-pao/)
- [Cosmetics hourglass (minimum durability)](https://atoneplace.net/symbol/care-cosmetic-hourglass/)
- [Footwear: leather](https://atoneplace.net/symbol/care-shoe-leather/)
- [Footwear: coated leather](https://atoneplace.net/symbol/care-shoe-coated-leather/)
- [Footwear: textile](https://atoneplace.net/symbol/care-shoe-textile/)
- [Footwear: other materials](https://atoneplace.net/symbol/care-shoe-other/)

## Sources

- Typical range compiled from manufacturer specifications — At One Place (/about/)