Fabric Care for Dummies

You went to great expense to have your home professionally designed, and it looks fantastic. You know it doesn’t end there, though, and that now that you have gorgeous furniture and fabrics in your home, you need to maintain them. So you look for tags under the seat cushions or for the care and maintenance information that came with the furniture and find the instructions that you need. You might see an S, a W, or an S-W or something that looks like this:

Wow, these Cleanability Codes and Care Symbols sure are helpful — if you’re symbologist Robert Langdon or Dan Brown himself!  You wonder if these were explained in a Home Economics course that you rebelliously elected not to take in high school.  For a little help deciphering these mysterious codes and symbols, I turned to Osborne & Little and Century Furniture.

Care Symbols (based on the symbols above):

The first symbol means “Do Not Wash”.

The second means “Do Not Bleach”.

The third symbol means “Do Not Iron”.

The fourth means “Dry Clean Only”.

The fifth symbol means “Do Not Tumble Dry”.

Cleanability Codes:

S: To prevent overall soil, frequent vacuuming or light brushing to remove dust and grime is recommended. Spot clean, using a mild water-free solvent or dry cleaning product. Clean only in a well ventilated room and avoid any product containing Carbon Tetrachloride or other toxic materials. Pretest a small area before proceeding. Cleaning by a professional furniture cleaning service only is recommended.

W: To prevent overall soil, frequent vacuuming or light brushing to remove dust and grime is recommended. Spot clean, using the foam only from a water-based cleaning agent such as a mild detergent or non-solvent upholstery shampoo product. Apply foam with a soft brush in a circular motion. Vacuum when dry. Pretest a small area before proceeding. Use a professional furniture cleaning service when an overall condition has been reached.

S-W: To prevent overall soil, frequent vacuuming or light brushing to remove dust and grime is recommended. Spot clean, with a mild solvent, an upholstery shampoo, or the foam from a mild detergent. When using a solvent or dry cleaning product, follow instructions carefully and clean only in a well ventilated room. Avoid any product that contains Carbon Tetrachloride or other toxic materials. With either method pretest a small area before proceeding. Use a professional furniture cleaning service when an overall soiled condition has been reached.

X: Clean this fabric only by vacuuming or light brushing to prevent accumulation of dust or grime. Water-based foam cleaners or solvent-based cleaning agents of any kind may cause excessive shrinking, staining, or distortion of the surface pile and, therefore, should not be used.

Caution: Never remove cushion covers for separate dry cleaning or washing, even though they do have zippers. Do not use bleach at any time. The use of steam or water-based cleaners may cause excessive shrinking or staining of this particular fabric. Do not use any tumble method cleaning service as this may destroy the backing of the fabric or shrink or otherwise damage the upholstery fabric.

Calling a professional cleaner is always a good option if the codes are not available, and you’re not sure what type of fabric is on the furniture. You can also purchase a Teflon, Scotchguard, or other stain resistant finish on many upholstered items to help prevent staining and make the furniture easier to maintain. For a quick fix, the good old fashioned way of beating the cushions and pillows of your upholstered pieces still works for getting dust out. You can also vacuum them gently to remove dust and dirt.

This beautiful silk, cotton, rayon blend fabric by LORCA (Osborne & Little) matches the care symbols at the top of the page. Good luck caring for your beautiful home, and when in doubt, call a professional!