Buying guides by country · 8 October 2026 · 3 min read

Wash at 30°C: which setting on a US washing machine?

30°C is 86°F, between the cold and warm settings on most US washers. How to wash suits labelled 30°C or 40°C on American and Canadian machines.

Inspiration

The short answer

A 30°C wash is 86°F, which sits between the Cold and Warm settings on a typical US or Canadian washing machine. For a lawn kameez or an embroidered suit labelled 30°C, choose Cold on a delicate or hand-wash cycle; for 40°C (104°F), Warm is the closest match. Most North American washers have no temperature dial in degrees, so the label has to be translated into words.

US care-label guidance treats cold water as up to about 85°F (29°C) and warm as roughly 90 to 110°F (32 to 43°C). By that measure a 30°C wash is a cool wash: warmer than cold, but well short of warm.

Celsius on the label, words on the dial

Care advice for suits made in Pakistan, the UK and Europe is written in Celsius, so these are the conversions that matter.

20°C = 68°F: a cold wash on any machine.
30°C = 86°F: choose Cold, or Cool if your machine has it.
40°C = 104°F: choose Warm.
60°C = 140°F: Hot. This is too hot for lawn, chiffon and embroidered pieces.
A hand in a tub of water: the hand-wash symbol means a hand-wash or delicate cycle on Cold.

Why Cold is not always the same temperature

On many North American machines, Cold is simply whatever comes out of the cold tap. In summer that can be close to 30°C; in a Canadian or Midwestern winter it can be far colder. Some newer machines warm their Cold setting slightly to help detergent work, and some add a separate Tap Cold. For our suits the difference rarely matters, since colder is gentler, but very cold water dissolves powder detergent poorly, so a liquid detergent for delicates is the better choice in winter.

Agitator top-loaders and the dryer

Two features of many American laundry rooms matter more than the temperature. The first is the agitator, the tall post in the middle of a traditional top-loader, which twists clothes around it and can pull at embroidery, lace and fine sleeves. The second is the tumble dryer on high heat, which shrinks cotton lawn, puckers thread work and sets creases into the fabric.

With an agitator: use the delicate or hand-wash cycle, turn the kameez inside out, put embroidered pieces in a mesh laundry bag and do not overfill the drum.
High-efficiency top-loaders and front-loaders: gentler, but still choose a delicate cycle for chiffon and embroidery.
Shared laundry rooms: use Cold and the gentlest cycle on offer, and take things out promptly.
Drying: hang or dry flat, out of strong sun. If you must use the dryer, choose air only or the lowest heat for a few minutes, then hang.

Lawn and embroidered suits in particular

Wash dark and bright colours on their own for the first few washes, skip bleach and stain removers with bleach in them, and press embroidery from the back. Our full guide on washing lawn and embroidered suits covers stains and storage, and washing machine settings for kurtas explains spin speeds and cycles on front-loaders. The lawn fabric guide explains why it shrinks in heat.

If you order a suit through Fabric + Stitching, ask for care advice for your fabric in your quote. The USA and Canada pages cover ordering from North America, and you can request a quote from either.

Common questions

Is 40°C a hot wash?

No. At 104°F it matches the Warm setting on most American machines. Hot is usually far higher and is meant for towels and sheets, not suits.

Can I use the quick wash for a lawn kameez?

Yes, on Cold, as long as the suit is only lightly worn. Quick cycles are short and fairly gentle, but they may spin hard, so check the spin setting and lower it if you can.

Is it safe to put a kameez in the dryer on low?

A plain cotton kameez on the lowest heat for a short time is usually fine, but it can still shrink a little over many washes. Embroidered pieces, chiffon and anything with lace are better hung to dry.

More guides