Upholstery Cleaning Codes: What W, S, WS and X Mean

Every upholstered piece leaves the factory with a small tag that carries one of the most useful facts about it: a cleaning code. The code is a single letter, or a pair of letters, and it decides how a spill can safely be treated. Reading it first is the difference between a spot that lifts cleanly and a ring that never leaves.

Where to find the code

Look for the manufacturer’s tag under a seat cushion or stitched along the deck of the frame. The code sits on its own, usually as W, S, WS (sometimes printed SW) or X.

What each letter means

• W: water-based. A mild water-based upholstery cleaner, or distilled water with a little gentle soap, is safe.
• S: solvent only. Use a dry-cleaning solvent product and no water at all. Water can stain or damage these fibers.
• WS: either. A water-based cleaner or a solvent will both work.
• X: vacuum only. Vacuum or brush lightly. No water and no solvent, because either can harm the fabric.

Habits that protect any fabric

Whatever the code, the same handful of habits keeps a spill small:

• Test first on a hidden spot, such as the back corner or underside, and wait a few minutes before working on anything visible.
• Blot, never rub. Rubbing pushes the spill deeper into the weave and roughs up the surface fibers.
• Work from the outside in, so the spill shrinks instead of spreading into clean fabric.
• Keep it barely damp. Distilled water avoids the mineral rings tap water can leave, and the fabric should air dry completely.
• Vacuum regularly. Grit worked into a cushion wears fibers faster than most spills do.

Leave the cushion zippers closed

Zippered cushion covers are not meant for the washing machine. The zipper is there so the cover can be fitted when the piece is upholstered. Laundering shrinks the fabric, and a shrunken cover never sits on the cushion the same way again. Clean the cover in place instead.

When a professional should take over

S-coded and X-coded fabrics, delicate or antique pieces, and any stain that careful blotting will not lift belong with a professional upholstery cleaner, who has the products and equipment to treat the fabric without setting the stain. For a step-by-step on a fresh spill, see how to clean a spill on a fabric sofa.