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