This takes 2 steps; no one said this would be easy! Do the mixing before you get in the shower!
Step 1: Mix a couple of tablespoons baking soda into about a cup of warm water. Put in empty shampoo bottle and shake well. You have to mix right before using or it will turn into a big lump. Wet hair in shower, and apply, scrubbing well with fingertips. Rinse well.
Step 2: Take a mixture of equal parts of vodka, lemon or lime juice (bottled will do) and water. Put in another old shampoo bottle. Apply to scalp after baking soda solution is rinsed out. Run through hair with fingertips, then rinse thouroughly.
For a conditioner I use olive oil after the shower, a tiny bit smoothed through.
This will work in hard water; if it works here, it will work anywhere I'm sure. Your hair might need a couple of weeks to adjust to it. My hair is not processed in any way, so I don't know how it would react on hair that is dyed or permed. If your hair is very dirty or oily you could apply the first solution to a dry scalp.

Some folks here use baking soda as a clarifier, but I never thought of using it a regular cleanser.

Baking soda and lemon juice can indeed strip colour from dyed hair, and dry it out as well.

bunniee

Hi TwelveDreams,

I've used brandy mixed with egg yolks to wash my hair. Grain alcohols seem to work really well for cleaning hair and skin without making them feel dry.

I'll have to try your recipe, thanks.

Anne

I'd heard vodka is good for hair...but never really believed it since it's alcohol...now I finally have a use for that bottle I bought to make perfume and never used....

Grain alcohol for cleaning skin???? Isn't it too irritating??? What kind do you use??

Well, I'm not sure whether grain alcohols are irritating or drying to clean skin with, but vodka is a typical choice, since it doesn't have anything syrupy or sticky in it, and is generally reasonably high proof. I use it for making perfume, since it evaporates relatively quickly.

Cheers,
Jonobie