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If you've ever looked at fabric care instructions and felt like you were reading another language, you are not alone! W, WS, DC, S ... what in the world do all those codes mean anyway? And are you going to damage your gorgeous designer pillow cover fabric if you don’t follow the care instructions perfectly? Have no fear, we are here to interpret for you!
When purchasing fabric from reputable dealers, you will see a cleaning code for that fabric. If you’re not able to find this information, either you’re not dealing with a reputable source that knows the origins of their fabric, or maybe it’s vintage or deadstock, in which case you won’t be able to trace the origins. In these situations, and when in doubt, DRY CLEAN. It’s kind of the safe answer for everything. But aside from dry cleaning, we’re going to decipher the common cleaning codes you will encounter for your designer fabric pillow covers.
Decorator and upholstery fabrics, which is typically what we’re using for soft goods like pillows, are different from fashion and garment fabrics. Often there are treatments applied to these fabrics for fire safety and durability that you would not find in garments that you wear. Just mentioning this here because if you’re like me and usually decide to cold wash and hang dry most of your delicate clothing articles – that approach will NOT likely work for home good fabrics.
Always remember to pre-test the cleaning method on an inconspicuous part of your fabric if you can. I know that can be tough to accomplish on a pillow cover. You can always reach out to support@christybhome and we can send you a swatch of your fabric to pre-test on, if we have it. We may not have swatches for your particular fabric available, but we will always help if we can!
CLEANING CODE:
DC – Dry Clean Only
No real explanation here, just take it to a pro.
S – Solvents
Blot immediately to remove spilled material. Spot clean only with a WATER-FREE, dry cleaning solvent. Do not saturate or use water. Use solvent cleaners in a well-ventilated room and keep away from open flames.
WS – Water & Solvent
A combination of dry cleaning solvents and water-based cleaners may be used. Spot clean with upholstery shampoo, foam from a mild detergent, or mild dry cleaning solvent. Do not saturate. This is a case where the pre-test is especially important.
W – Water Based Cleaner
Although the easiest to clean, this is NOT the same as being machine washable. Blot immediately to remove any spilled material. Spot clean only with a water-based shampoo or foam upholstery cleaner. Do not use water and be careful to avoid over-wetting the stain.
These cleaning codes are the result of test methods conducted by fabric manufacturers in accordance with the Joint Industry Fabric Standards Committee, but do not imply and/or guarantee the cleanability of any fabric or method (so annoying right?). Anyway, take a look at their full recommendations below – you’ll notice right away that for almost every type, they recommend professional cleaning – when in doubt, DRY CLEAN!
Next time, we’ll talk about Performance Fabrics, Outdoor Fabrics, and CRYPTON Fabrics. Does that last one sound like a superhero? It should, because it basically has superpowers and we are totally obsessed!
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