What do fabric cleaning codes W, S, W/S, and X mean?

Fabric cleaning codes identify the cleaning methods the maker permits: W for water-based cleaning agents, S for water-free solvent agents, W/S for either, and X for dry maintenance such as vacuuming or light brushing. The full instruction for the exact fabric still governs the method and product used.

Picture a customer reaching for a damp cloth and dish soap on a code S sofa. A familiar household habit can create a ring instead of removing the mark. Give the customer the right care information while choosing the upholstery, then send it home with the piece.

What does each cleaning code allow?

The following table draws on a furniture maker's cleaning-code guide and a textile house's explicit vacuum-only instruction for X. It is a starting point for reading the fabric's instructions, not a universal cleaning recipe.

Keep cleaning products and procedures within the manufacturer's instructions. For code S or an uncertain stain, a qualified upholstery cleaner can assess the appropriate treatment. Code X needs particular care: “professional attention” is not permission to disregard the restriction on liquid cleaning.

Is performance fabric always code W?

No universal cleaning method follows from the word performance. Read the particular fabric's code and care sheet. A performance claim may concern a specific property, but it doesn't replace instructions about cleaning agents, removable covers, or treatments that could damage the material.

When comparing covers with a customer, put the actual care requirement beside the benefits being discussed. The performance-fabric guide helps distinguish the claims. “Easy to care for” should have an explanation the customer can use, rather than a reassuring label the team cannot support.

Does code X mean the fabric is fragile?

Code X describes cleaning restrictions, not a complete durability rating. It doesn't tell the customer everything about abrasion, fading, pilling, or suitability for a particular household. Discuss those matters using the fabric maker's information rather than converting one care letter into an overall quality score.

Keep the selection conversation practical. A customer who wants to handle ordinary spills at home needs to understand a restrictive care method before choosing the cloth. A sample can settle texture and color; it can't explain a cleaning instruction by looking particularly inviting.

What should a delivery care card say?

Give the customer a short card tied to the fabric on their order, with access to the maker's complete instructions. Use the following text as a structure, completing it with verified product information before sending:

• Your fabric: record the selected fabric name, color, and identifying code.
• Cleaning code: state the code exactly as supplied by the maker.
• Permitted care: summarize the maker's method without adding a homemade cleaning recipe.
• Before treatment: follow the fabric and cleaner instructions, including any required inconspicuous-area test.
• When unsure: stop and contact the store or a qualified upholstery cleaner before applying a product.
• Keep this record: retain the maker's care sheet with the furniture information.

The care-card guide covers how to make that handoff repeatable. A card should reduce uncertainty, not become another tiny-print sheet the customer cannot find when it matters.

Who is responsible when the instructions weren't followed?

The cleaning code alone doesn't decide a warranty claim. Record the fabric, supplied instructions, reported treatment, timing, and photographs, then review the maker's warranty terms and the store's obligations for the case. Don't tell the customer that one letter automatically settles responsibility.

Clear records help establish what was supplied and what happened. Keep the discussion factual and separate the care assessment from the decision about coverage or assistance. The original specification should identify the actual upholstery, including any later approved substitution.

Where does the code belong in OrderPilot?

Put verified care wording in each fabric value's description. The website's Image cards and Radio list looks can show that description beside the choice. For example, a code S value can say “Code S: solvent cleaners only,” with the complete maker instructions available for the customer.

Use the product spec sheet's notes for correctly identified care information, and category or template additional terms for appropriate shared care wording. Those terms are frozen when signed. Don't put one fabric's code into a category-wide rule that would misdescribe other covers.

The spec-sheet guide and custom-product checklist show where the information fits. Begin with the product template and its fabric choices, then keep the chosen cover's instructions with the customer's record.

Sources

1. Explaining fabric cleaning codes — American Leather. Manufacturer explanation of W, S, W/S, and X cleaning methods.
2. Cleaning and maintenance: fabric cleaning codes — Pollack. The general code table on page 1 restricts X to vacuuming and light brushing, without water or solvent agents.