Professional wet clean (W)
The item can be cleaned in water by a professional wet-cleaning process, normal level. Wet cleaning uses equipment, additives and finishing that a home washing machine does not have — the W does not mean 'washable'.
What to do
Ask a cleaner who offers wet cleaning. Whether you can wash it at home is decided by the tub symbol, not by the W.
- Maximum temperature
- None stated by this symbol
- Family
- Professional care (circle)
- ISO 3758 name
- Professional wet cleaning, normal process
- Distinguishing mark
- W
On US and Canadian labels
The North American guide lists wet-clean as a supplementary symbol.
Often confused with
The item can be professionally dry cleaned in perchloroethylene or hydrocarbon solvents on a normal process. It is an instruction for the cleaner, not a home-care step.
Other professional care symbols
Sources
- GINETEX — Care symbols (existing care symbols under ISO 3758:2023) — checked 2026-09-22
- Government of Canada, Office of Consumer Affairs — Guide to Apparel and Textile Care Symbols (North American system) — checked 2026-09-22
Meanings are paraphrased from these sources, not quoted, and checked on the date shown.