Let's start with a stain remover. I've made this one before, using a couple different dish detergents (ranging from some generic stuff to Seventh Generation). In place of ammonia, I used hydrogen peroxide. The reason being that I have asthma, and ammonia can be a bit harsh. You could use ammonia, of course. I can say that it gets out many stains (even the store bought stuff doesn't remove ALL stains).
Bleach can be very harsh, and should be used as a last resort. One recipe I've made many times is to take 1/2C (118ml) hydrogen peroxide and mix it with 5C (about 1183ml) water. Mix well and use as you would bleach. Here's a homemade liquid Oxiclean knockoff (I wouldn't mix this in advance, as it's liable to lose it's power fairly quickly). For those stubborn whites, here's a homemade laundry bluing (which I confess I have yet to try, but definitely plan to) to use INSTEAD of bleach.
Here's a powdered laundry detergent recipe (which is very similar to one for a liquid detergent I used to make). And here's the liquid laundry detergent that I used to make often (though in place of Fels Naptha, I usually used my homemade bar soap). Another thing I've sworn by is soap nuts....you can order a trial size for $1.99 here. Soap nuts can be used repeatedly (until they start to fall apart and lose their soapy feel), and you don't need fabric softener! When I had an HE washer/dryer, soap nuts or the liquid laundry soap above were my "go to".
I've never used color catchers, but apparently a lot of people do. So here's a homemade version that's reusable!
Here's a liquid fabric softener. I've done something similar, though on a smaller scale. Though it says Suave (to keep cost down), you could easily use any brand of hair conditioner. Here are some dryer sheets, which I have not tried (my old washer/dryer was an all-in-one, and I'm currently dryer-less and hanging laundry on lines in the attic). Again, though I haven't yet tried them, these dryer balls are a really nifty idea!
Here's a faux Febreeze (which I jokingly call "Fauxbreeze"). Please note, you cannot use the fabric softener recipe above! You'll need to buy some softener (if you're worried about chemicals [and we all should be], try Seventh Generation or Ecover).
Another I've personally never used is spray starch. That said, for those who DO use it, here's a homemade version without formaldehyde.
While this is not a homemade recipe, I'd like to mention Dryel home dry cleaning kits. I've used them on occasion, so I can say they DO work. And the kit is much cheaper than going to a professional dry cleaner.
And finally, one more that I do plan to try is this waterproofing spray. I've used commercial sprays on boots and jackets, and that stuff is hard on the lungs.
Until next time, happy washing!