Reducing energy and eliminating water use during the textile dyeing and decorating process is our life’s work. Unfortunately, that’s only small portion of what makes up your clothes carbon footprint. In fact, once you take that new pair of jeans home, that garment is going to keep on using lots of water and electricity.

How’s that possible? Easy, our washing machines and clothes dryers are to blame. If your an average family, six percent of your electric bill is due to your dryer use. In fact, half of the carbon footprint each garment leaves behind happens at the consumer level.

What choice do you have though? Remember back thirty or forty years ago when many families, even middle class families, didn’t have a dryer? Instead they hung their clothes out to dry. My family did the same, and we lived on a third floor flat in San Francisco. Now, most of us want the convenience of a dryer, the warmth of a sweater right out of the machine. Perhaps the whole “clothesline look” just doesn’t appeal to you. But, what about the fresh smell of clothes dried outside? Not to mention the savings on your utility bill? And then there’s climate change to consider too.

Levi Strauss & Co is out to change your mind about backyard clotheslines. They’ve launched the Clean Air Design Challenge. Starting June 1, you’re encouraged to submit an innovative design for a better clothesline. The goal is to find a sustainable and stylish way for us to air dry our clothes. The winner will snag $10,000.

If you’re not the inventor type, there’s still a part you can play. You can vote for your favorite designs and help choose the winner and take the pledge to:

• wash your jeans in cold
• line dry them
• donate old jeans to Goodwill when you’re done with them.

This isn’t the first time Levi’s has been out front on sustainability. They’ve been ahead of their peers in the clothing industry on issues such as child labor, water quality standards at the factories, and sustainable cotton production.

Are you ready to take the pledge? If not, what’s holding you back?

photo credit: Professor Bob/Flickr

Levi’s and Whirlpool did a bit of research and found that most American’s hold fast to a number of “laundry myths.” In their joint announcement yesterday, the companies found that most people believe:

1. The temperature of the water in the washing machine doesn’t impact the environment.
2. For best results, the washing machine must be full of water to really get the clothes clean.
3. You must wash your jeans after you’ve worn them even once.

As you can probably guess, none of these are actually true.

You should wash in cold as often as possible, take a look at the “Ido30″ movement to see what an impact this simple change can have.

New high-efficiency (HE) washing machines use up to 74 percent less water than conventional washers and do a great job of cleaning all types of fabric.

Jeans fade with each wash, so not only is it better for the environment for you to wear them a few times before tossing them into the laundry, your jeans will last longer–which is better for your wallet and the planet. Levi’s does suggest you turn them inside-out to fight fading.

But we did wonder, how often do you wash your jeans? Take our quick poll.

photo credit: mimk / flickr