What do the letters P, F, A, W mean in dry clean symbols?

Letters inside the dry clean circle specify the cleaning process: P = perchloroethylene or hydrocarbon solvents (most common); F = hydrocarbon/petroleum solvents only; A = any solvent is safe; W = professional wet cleaning (water-based). Show the care label to your dry cleaner so they use the correct process.

Can I wash something that says dry clean only?

It is not recommended. Dry clean only items are labelled that way because water-based cleaning causes damage specific to that garment's construction or fibre content. For structured garments (suits, jackets), never attempt home washing. For simple knits or some silk items, an experienced user may carefully hand wash at cold temperature, but this is done at their own risk.

What does a line under the dry clean circle mean?

A single line under the dry clean circle means use a gentle or reduced process; two lines mean very gentle. Tell your dry cleaner about the bar requirement so they adjust the solvent concentration, tumbling action, and process duration accordingly.

What is professional wet cleaning (W)?

Professional wet cleaning (W) uses controlled water-based processes with specialist equipment, detergents, and blocking tools — not home washing. It is an eco-friendly alternative to solvent dry cleaning for some garments and is available from specialist "green" dry cleaning services.

What does Do Not Wet Clean mean?

Dry Cleanhigh risk

Quick Answer

Do not use professional wet cleaning - solvents will damage the fabric

Important Warning

Professional wet cleaning will permanently damage this item

Detailed explanation

The do not wet clean symbol (a circle with a W and an X through it) prohibits professional wet cleaning. Although wet cleaning is generally a gentler, more eco-friendly process than solvent dry cleaning, some fabrics and constructions are specifically incompatible with water-based professional cleaning — often because the fibres, dyes, or structural elements are sensitive to moisture even under controlled professional conditions. Take this item to a conventional solvent dry cleaner instead.

How to follow the Do Not Wet Clean symbol:

1
Do not use professional wet cleaning
2
Wet cleaning chemicals will damage fabric
3
Use dry cleaning instead
4
Show this symbol to cleaner

Tips and Best Practices

Take to a conventional dry cleaner using chemical solvents
Show the care label and confirm they do not use a wet cleaning process

What happens if this symbol is ignored

Professional wet cleaning on a do-not-wet-clean item causes the same damage as any prohibited water-based cleaning: shrinkage, colour change, and loss of structure.

Common mistakes to avoid

Assuming all professional cleaning is acceptable — dry cleaning and wet cleaning are separate processes; this symbol prohibits wet cleaning specifically

Common Materials

Certain printsWater-sensitive fabricsSpecial materials

Not sure which symbol you have?

Use our free AI image search to identify laundry symbols from a photo. Snap or upload a picture of a care label and our AI will match it against 79+ symbols — including this one.

Frequently Asked Questions

Related Dry Clean Symbols

Dry Clean - Any Solvent

Dry clean using any solvent

Dry Clean - Petroleum Solvent

Dry clean with petroleum solvent only

Dry Clean - Gentle/Petroleum

Dry clean with petroleum solvent only - gentle process

Do Not Dry Clean

Do not dry clean - solvents will damage the fabric

Professional Wet Clean

Professional wet cleaning recommended

Dry Clean - Any Solvent (A)

Dry clean with any solvent - standard process

Often used together

Build the full care sequence:

Washing symbols →Bleaching symbols →

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