Upholstery Cleaning Codes Explained: W, S, WS, and X

Every upholstered piece carries a small tag with a letter on it, and that letter is one of the most useful things to know about your furniture. It tells you exactly what a fabric can and cannot handle when a spill happens, and reading it correctly is the difference between a clean cushion and a permanent ring.

Seville Home carries more than thirty furniture lines with deep custom upholstery and a large fabric library, so the care team fields this question often. Here is how to decode the codes, treat a spill the right way, and know when a piece belongs in professional hands.

What do the letters on an upholstery tag mean?

The cleaning code is a single letter, or pair of letters, that tells you which type of cleaner a fabric can safely take.

Manufacturers print it on the tag sewn under a seat cushion or along the frame deck. Four codes cover nearly everything on the market, and knowing which one your piece carries takes the guesswork out of a spill:

• W means clean with a water-based cleaner. Water and gentle, water-based upholstery products are safe.
• S means clean with a solvent or dry-clean product only. No water, because water can stain or damage these fibers.
• WS (sometimes written SW) means both are safe. A water-based cleaner or a solvent will work.
• X means vacuum or light brushing only. No water and no solvent, since either can harm the fabric.

How do I clean a W-coded fabric?

A W code is the most forgiving, so a mild water-based cleaner or a little distilled water and gentle soap will handle most spills.

Blot the area, let it dry fully, and the fabric usually comes back looking like new. Reach for distilled water rather than tap. The minerals in tap water can dry into faint rings that are harder to remove than the original spill.

Even on a forgiving fabric, restraint matters. Work slowly, keep the fabric barely damp rather than soaked, and give it time to air dry before you decide whether a second pass is needed.

What about S and X codes?

An S code means no water at all, and an X code means no liquid cleaner of any kind.

Both call for more caution than a homeowner usually expects, and both are easy to damage with the wrong product. S-coded fabrics need a solvent or dry-clean product, and the fumes can be strong, so ventilate the room and test carefully. Many people find the safest route for an S-coded piece is simply to call a professional rather than keep solvents on hand.

X-coded fabrics take no cleaner at all. Regular vacuuming and a light brush are the only maintenance the fabric wants, and any spill beyond a quick dry blot is best left to a professional who can treat it without introducing moisture.

What are the universal rules for treating a spill?

Whatever the code, a few habits protect almost any fabric: test first, blot gently, work from the outside in, and never over-wet.

• Check the code before you clean, so you never use a product the fabric cannot take.
• Test any cleaner on a hidden spot first, such as the back corner or underside, and wait to see how the fabric reacts.
• Blot, do not rub. Rubbing pushes the spill deeper into the weave and can distort the fabric.
• Work a spill from the outside in, which keeps it from spreading into clean fabric.
• Use distilled water and do not over-wet. Let the fabric air dry completely before judging the result.
• Vacuum regularly, since grit worked into a cushion wears fibers faster than any spill.

One habit surprises people: leave the zippered cushion covers alone. They unzip, but the zipper is there so the cover can be fitted during upholstery, not so it can go in the wash. Laundering shrinks the fabric and ruins the fit, and the cover will no longer sit right on the cushion.

When should a professional take over?

Call a professional for any S-coded fabric, a delicate or antique piece, or a stain that careful blotting will not lift.

A trained upholstery cleaner has the solvents and equipment to treat the fabric without setting the stain or leaving a ring. Fabric choice also shapes how much of this you ever have to think about. Performance fabrics are far more forgiving in daily life. Many are water-cleanable, and some tolerate a diluted bleach solution, which makes them a practical choice for households with children or pets. Seville Home's custom upholstery program pairs those fabrics with frames built to last.

For a deeper walk-through, our guides on how to clean a fabric sofa and the best sofa fabric for kids and pets go further, and what double rubs mean explains how fabric durability is measured before you buy.

Bring your questions to Seville Home

The care team at Seville Home helps owners keep their furniture looking its best, from decoding a puzzling tag to arranging a professional cleaning.

Family-owned since 2000, the studio backs every piece with its own care team and white-glove delivery. Stop by the showroom at 5205 W 135th Street in Leawood, open Monday through Saturday, 10 to 5, or book a complimentary consultation to talk through fabrics that fit the way you live. The first consultation is always on us.