Does anyone who has more experience with the homemade type of laundry soap than I do please help

?
Started using 4 months ago -using Dugger recipe - I have a front loader- and things are not coming clean? have tried adding vinegar, I have hard water. I can work in vegetable garden and plain old dirt is not coming out.
Was so excited when I started- thoughts of all the money I could save?
Lizzy