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.