We'd like to use analytics cookies to understand which symbols people look up, so we know what to research next. They are not used for advertising and we set none of them unless you say yes. What we store.
Letters in a circle naming opposite processes: one uses solvent, the other water.
Read the letter. P or F inside the circle permits professional dry cleaning with a named class of solvent. W permits professional wet cleaning, which is a controlled water-based process. They are opposites, and a garment may carry a crossed-out washtub — do not wash at home — while still permitting professional wet cleaning.
Both are letters in a circle. P and F are dry-cleaning solvents; W is professional wet cleaning, which uses water.
| Dry cleaning solvent letter | Professional wet cleaning symbol | |
|---|---|---|
| Letter | P or F | W |
| Process | Solvent-based | Water-based |
| Done by | A professional cleaner | A professional cleaner |
| Compatible with 'do not wash' | Yes | Yes — the prohibition is about domestic washing |
| Relationship (from Symbolwise's records) | Commonly confused with Professional wet cleaning symbol — Both are letters in a circle. P and F are dry-cleaning solvents; W is professional wet cleaning, which uses water. | Commonly confused with Dry cleaning solvent letter — Both are letters in a circle, and the processes they permit are opposites — one uses solvent, the other water. |
ISO 3758:2023, Textiles — Care labelling code using symbols
International Organization for Standardization · retrieved 2026-08-01
Paywalled and NOT READ. Registered so the standard can be named as existing and as defining the care-labelling system built on the five base symbols. It supports no individual record's specific meaning; those are carried by reference works that report them. See docs/paywalled-standards.md.
Wikipedia · retrieved 2026-08-01
Tertiary reference. Used for widely-agreed identity, origin and current use, not for contested detail or exact dates.
Wikipedia · retrieved 2026-08-01
Tertiary reference. Used for widely-agreed identity, origin and current use, not for contested detail or exact dates.