Laundry isn't everyone's favourite thing. It's tedious and time-consuming. Understandably, you hate laundry day - like me - if your detergent never seems to work, your whites never come out white, or you have to break the bank to get things starched at the dry cleaner.

In the green-cleaning movement, vinegar and baking soda are no longer just pantry staples. These simple products can deodorize your home and deep clean your bathroom; they're good cleaning agents. They're also all-natural and toxin-free. Are you aware that vinegar and baking soda should also be staples in your laundry room? Of course, - and it is not just these two ingredients.

You'll be amazed at how these kitchen ingredients can change how you wash clothes.

Baking soda can do everything from making your hair silky and shiny to cleaning your whole house. Your pantry probably has it. Baking soda removes stuck-on stains and smells and even cleans your washing machine.

How to: Make a solution of 4 litres of water and 1 cup of baking soda, soak your clothes for 20-30 minutes, and wash under normal water.

Despite vinegar's acidity, it's gentle enough for fabrics to keep them fresh without wearing them out. Like baking soda, it gets rid of residue left behind by laundry detergents.

How to: Put 1 cup of white vinegar in the rinse cycle of your washing machine.

Coffee stains can be removed from clothes, but how about adding them to the rinse cycle? Tea and coffee set black colours in your clothes; even though they smell good, your laundry won't smell like coffee. Instead, it'll be fresh and darker.

How to: To rinse black clothes, add 2 cups of brewed coffee or tea.

It might surprise you that salt can brighten your darks, let alone your whole house, but it sure does. You can use salt to stop your darks from bleeding into other clothes and to remove stains. It will also prevent yellowing in your whites.

How to: Add 1 cup table salt to dark colours like navy blue or plum.

Combining these two powerful ingredients can change how you do laundry.

How to: To keep denim from fading fast, soak jeans in salt water or water and white vinegar 50:50 before washing. Then, put the jeans in the machine and set the temperature to cold.