Photo by I to Eye.
In one of my last posts, I talked about the wonders of using vinegar, which not only removes lingering odors, but also works great as a natural alternative to fabric softener. One of the other cheap and natural solutions I found is to use hydrogen peroxide as an alternative to bleach. If you want to whiten your whites, pour about a cup full of hydrogen peroxide in with your laundry along with your normal washing detergent. CAUTION: Do not use hydrogen peroxide on colors, as it can remove or fade the color.
repurposeful 
I have been using laundry balls, and it worked fine for about a year. But I stumbled upon this Wikipedia article (link) about laundry balls, and now I don’t know what to think anymore.
I use Charlie’s Soap instead of detergents. It’s awesome, completely biodegrades, and is much cheaper than other alternatives. Vinegar is m go-to softener, too!
http://www.charliesoap.com/
I make my own laundry detergent and use oxygen bleach. Oxygen bleach is a powdered form of hydrogen peroxide plus a few other things so you can use it on colors too. I toss a couple of tennis balls in the dryer instead of using fabric sheets too.
I use 1 cup of baking soda with my whites to make them whiter. Along with my laundry soap. It also helps to clean your washing machine of soap residue.