Upholstery cleaning code W
What it looks like
A letter W on a fabric tag under a cushion or beneath a sofa frame.
What it means
The four upholstery codes are a US furniture industry convention rather than a standard, and they refer to the cleaning agent, not the method. W means the fabric will not shrink, watermark or lose colour when a water-based product is used — most synthetics and treated blends. Test on a hidden section first regardless, use as little moisture as the job allows, and dry the area quickly, because the commonest failure with a W fabric is a ring left where a damp patch dried slowly rather than damage from the cleaner itself.
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 S | Clean with solvent-based cleaners only — no water. |
| 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 w symbol mean?
- Clean with water-based cleaners only.
- What does it look like?
- A letter W on a fabric tag under a cushion or beneath a sofa frame.
Related pages
- Upholstery cleaning code S Clean with solvent-based cleaners only — no water.
- 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.
- Upholstery cleaning code S Clean with solvent-based cleaners only — no water.
- 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.
Sources
- Typical range compiled from manufacturer specifications — At One Place