(Marketwire) - Seventh Generation, the nation's leading brand of non-toxic and environmentally friendly household and personal care products, is challenging Americans to change the way they do their laundry.

About 35 billion loads of laundry are washed each year in the United States, with 90% of the energy used going toward heating the water, according to Project Laundry List, a nonprofit organization committed to educating people about cold water washing and line drying. Close to six in 10 Americans admit that they would consider washing their clothes in cold water to save energy (56%) or money (55%), according to a new survey commissioned by Seventh Generation and conducted by Kelton Research.

Seventh Generation is asking consumers to take a seven day challenge where they wash their clothes in cold water with Seventh Generation liquid laundry detergent and line dry them on a clothesline or drying rack. According to Seventh Generation's survey, currently one third (27%) of people never line dry and only 22% currently wash all of their clothes in cold water.

The Seventh Generation Seven Day Challenge kicks off on July 1, 2010 and runs for the month of July on www.seventhgeneration.com/laundry-revolution. People who make a pledge will be entered into weekly drawings that will randomly award Seventh Generation products and other prizes (up to seven people per week will be named winners.)

"Simple changes can be made in any laundry room to help save money, energy and environmental resources," said Alexandra Zissu, green lifestyle expert and co-author of the forthcoming Planet Home: The Guide to Consciously Cleaning and Greening the World You Care About Most (Random House, December 2010). "The Seventh Generation Laundry Challenge is an easy and fun way to inspire behavioral change."

Visit www.seventhgeneration.com/laundry-revolution for a savings calculator to calculate energy and money savings. In fact, switching from hot water washing to cold water can save as much as $70 a year on the average energy bill; line drying saves an additional $25 a month off the average household electricity bill (Project Laundry List.)

These savings are important to consumers, 70% of whom already made changes to their laundry habits because of the recession. The Seventh Generation laundry survey also found that consumers are letting their wallets do the talking in the laundry room.

Specifically:

• Six in 10 people (60%) are wearing their clothes more than once to save money on laundry in this economy, while almost four in 10 (39%) have cut back on what they send to the dry cleaner for this same reason


• 57% of people have changed to washing their clothes in cold water to save money in response to the economy


• Almost three in 10 (28%) people line dry wet laundry items to save money


• 76% of people who purchase laundry detergent do so based on price


• More women than men (74% vs. 65%) have changed at least one thing about the way they wash their clothes because of the economy


• More parents than non-parents (80% vs. 64%) have made some type of change in the way they do their laundry because of the economy

The Seventh Generation Seven Day Laundry Challenge follows on the heels of a recently completed blogger challenge where 20 bloggers were invited to wash their laundry in cold water with Seventh Generation laundry detergent and line dry for 30 days. To watch videos of their experience, please visit http://www.youtube.com/user/SeventhGeneration.

Seventh Generation's plant-based liquid laundry products are formulated for use in HE machines, effective in cold water, chlorine-free, dye-free, hypoallergenic, non-toxic, biodegradable, free of optic brighteners, scented with essential oils not synthetic fragrances and are safe for use in septic and greywater systems. Seventh Generation offers a full line of laundry products including powder, fabric softener, fabric softener sheets and chlorine free bleach. Finally, Seventh Generation's products are not tested on animals and are Kosher certified.

To learn more about Seventh Generation's line of laundry products, or to take the pledge, please visit www.seventhgeneration.com/laundry-revolution.

ABOUT SEVENTH GENERATION
Seventh Generation is committed to being the most trusted brand of household and personal-care products for your living home. Our products are healthy and safe for the air, the surfaces, the fabrics, the pets, and the people within your home -- and for the community and environment outside of it. Seventh Generation also offers products for baby that are safe for your children and the planet.

For information on Seventh Generation cleaning, paper, baby and feminine personal care products, to find store locations, and explore the company's website visit www.seventhgeneration.com. To read more about Seventh Generation's corporate responsibility, visit the Corporate Consciousness Report at: www.seventhgeneration.com/corporate-responsibility/2008.

SURVEY METHODOLOGY:
The Seventh Generation Laundry Survey was conducted by Kelton Research between May 31st and June 4th, 2010 via email invitation and an online survey. Quotas were set to ensure reliable and accurate representation of the entire U.S. population ages 18 and over.

Results of any sample are subject to sampling variation. The magnitude of the variation is measurable and is affected by the number of interviews and the level of the percentages expressing the results.

In this particular study, the chances are 95 in 100 that a survey result does not vary, plus or minus, by more than 3.1 percentage points from the result that would be obtained if interviews had been conducted with all persons in the universe represented by the sample.

Seventh Generation

Seventh Generation

Seventh Generation is committed to becoming the world's most trusted brand of authentic, safe, and environmentally-responsible products for a healthy home. For 20 years, the Burlington, Vermont-based company has been at the forefront of a cultural change in consumer behavior and business ethics.

The company derives its name from the Great Law of the Iroquois that states, "In our every deliberation, we must consider the impact of our decisions on the next seven generations." Every time you use a Seventh Generation product you are making a difference by saving natural resources, reducing pollution, keeping toxic chemicals out of the environment and making the world a safer place for this and the next seven generations.

Seventh Generation products can be found by visiting: www.seventhgeneration.com.

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