Make your own laundry soap at home.  Combine a half a bar of grated Fels-Naptha soap with two pints water.  Heat on low until melted.  Stir in ½ cup Borax and ½ cup Washing Soda (found in the laundry aisle) and remove from heat.  Pour the mixture into a large bucket and add enough water to make two gallons.  Let the mixture stand overnight to thicken.  Use one cup per load.

For your toughest stains, make a mixture using 1 cup laundry detergent, ½ cup bleach, ½ cup dishwasher detergent, and warm water.  Soak heavily soiled items overnight, then machine wash.  Test garments for color-fastness, as this may bleach some fabrics
 

Only put your child’s clothing in the dryer for five minutes.  That’s all the time you’ll need to fluff the fabric and get the wrinkles out.  Then, hang them to dry.
 

Air-drying not only saves electricity, it extends the life of your clothing.  Driers can set in stains and cause fabric to shrink.  Hang a clothesline in your basement, invest in a drying rack, or hang clothes on hangers to dry.
 

Wash items containing polyester inside out to reduce pilling and fuzzing.
 

Laundry detergents formulated just for babies are not necessary.  Most babies are not bothered by the detergents used by the rest of the family.  If your baby does react to stronger detergent, it may be a sign the clothes weren’t rinsed well enough.  Try running the rinse cycle twice to remove all traces of detergent, or try regular detergents that are fragrance free.
 

Use white vinegar instead of fabric softener when washing clothes.  It is much less expensive than commercial fabric softeners.