Whirlpool(R) Brand and Levi's(R) Brand Join Forces to Shed Light on Green Denim Care

LAS VEGAS, Jan. 20 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- A recent joint survey by the Whirlpool® and Levi's® brands uncovered that despite advances in high efficiency (HE) laundry, the majority of consumers don't realize the environmental impact of their laundry habits. With nearly nine out of ten respondents doing two or more loads of laundry each week, both Whirlpool brand and Levi's are focused on reducing the environmental impact of the age-old chore.

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The two companies worked with Opinion Research Corporation to survey consumers about their knowledge of green laundry care. The survey demonstrated that a number of laundry myths continue to guide consumer behavior.

Myth #1: The water temperature of your laundry cycle doesn't impact the environment.

• Nearly 50 percent of consumers who do laundry don't realize that water temperature has an environmental impact.
• Forty-three percent use warm or hot water to wash their jeans.
• Among those who wash jeans, the majority of women use cold water (63%) while the majority of men use warm (50%).

Reality:  Washing fabrics in cold water can dramatically reduce the amount of energy used when doing laundry.

Myth #2:  Your washing machine needs to be full of water to clean your clothes.

• Thirty percent of those who do laundry believe their washing machine needs to be full of water to clean clothes completely.

Reality:  Whirlpool brand's ENERGY STAR® qualified Duet 9750 front-load washer can tackle up to 18 pairs of jeans and features a low water wash system. The HE washer uses up to 74 percent less water and 80 percent less energy, saving consumers more than $1,000 in lifetime water and energy costs when compared to a pre-2004 conventional washer, based on a 10-year life cycle. That's a lot of Levi's!

Myth #3:  You need to wash your jeans each time you wear them.

• Almost 20 percent of those who wash jeans still wash their denim after each wear.
• Only six percent of those who wash jeans are washing less to benefit the environment. Nearly half of consumers who wash jeans delay washing their jeans because they don't think they are dirty, while 20 percent are concerned about shrinking or color fading.  

Reality:  Jeans do not need to be washed after every wearing – and waiting for a full load can save 3,400 gallons of water annually, according to the Department of Energy.

"This survey clearly showed that consumers have definite opinions about what is best for their clothing," said Mary Zeitler, home economist for the Whirlpool Institute of Fabric Science.  "Together with Levi's we are giving them the right tools and tips to provide the best care for their jeans in the most efficient manner possible."

Whirlpool Corporation offers more HE and ENERGY STAR® qualified washers than any other manufacturer and is working across all areas to further the promise of more eco-friendly laundry.  

"We all do laundry but we don't all realize that small changes in our habits can add up to a big difference for the planet," Robert Hanson, President, Levi Strauss Americas. "Whirlpool brand and Levi's® are both working hard to create more sustainable products and spread the word with our consumers about what they can do to help."

Levi Strauss & Co. recently launched a partnership with Goodwill® to educate consumers that caring for their clothes can help care for the planet. The company was the first major retailer to change garment care labels to urge consumers to wash in cold and donate unwanted clothing to Goodwill® to keep it out of landfills. Learn more at levi.com/care.

Five Fast Laundry Facts and Tips:

1. Hands off: Forty-one percent of those surveyed do not allow anyone else to wash their jeans.
2. Lonely blues: 13 percent of people wash their jeans separately from the rest of their families' laundry.
3. Tumbling around: 48 percent of consumers continue to do an average of 4+ loads of laundry each week.
4. Fight fading: Wash your jeans inside out to prevent fading.
5. Go ENERGY STAR: An ENERGY STAR qualified washing machine can save more than 7,000 gallons of water a year, cut energy consumption by more than 40 percent and save up to $110 per year compared to conventional washers manufactured before 1994.

For more tips, visit www.instituteoffabricscience.org.

About Whirlpool Brand

Whirlpool Corporation is the world's leading manufacturer and marketer of major home appliances, with annual sales of more than $19 billion in 2008, more than 70,000 employees, and 67 manufacturing and technology research centers around the world. Whirlpool brand recognizes that consumers lead busy, active lives and continues to create solutions that help consumers optimize productivity and efficiency in the home. In addition to designing appliance solutions based on consumer insight, Whirlpool brand is dedicated to creating ENERGY STAR® qualified appliances like the new Duet® washer which uses 74 percent less water and 80 percent less energy than a traditional top load washer manufactured before 2004. When used with the washer, the new Duet® Resource Saver® dryer improves dryer energy usage by 40 percent as compared to traditional top-load laundry pairs, average size load. Whirlpool is one of Habitat for Humanity's largest corporate partners, donating a refrigerator and range to every new Habitat for Humanity home built in North America. For more information on Whirlpool brand, please visit www.whirlpool.com.  Additional information about the company can be found at www.whirlpoolcorp.com.

About Levi Strauss & Co.

Levi Strauss & Co. is one of the world's largest branded apparel companies and the global leader in jeanswear, marketing its products in more than 110 countries worldwide. The company designs and markets jeans, casual wear and related accessories for men, women and children under the Levi's®, Dockers® and Signature by Levi Strauss & Co.™ brands.

Levi Strauss & Co. has been an early industry leader on sustainability issues.  Almost two decades ago, through the Terms of Engagement (TOE), LS&Co. was the first company to state that it would only do business with suppliers who shared its commitment to environment, labor, health and safety standards. The company followed with industry-leading water quality standards and a global list of restricted substances.  The company is focused on reducing its corporate environmental footprint on energy, water, and materials.  Levi Strauss & Co. recently launched "A Care Tag for Our Planet" partnership with Goodwill®. LS&Co. is the first major retailer to use product care tags to encourage people to take simple steps to care for the planet by caring for their clothes, including donating used garments to keep them out of landfills.

Methodology

This report presents the findings of a telephone survey conducted among a national probability sample of 1,017 adults comprising 509 men and 508 women 18 years of age and older, living in private households in the continental United States.  Interviewing for this CARAVAN® Survey was completed during the period December 10-13, 2009.  The margin of error for results based on the total sample is plus or minus three percentage points.

SOURCE Whirlpool Corporation