Help my Hair

I have been having hair issues this week. My hair is a constant annoyance to me as it is fine and limp. I have worn it short for years and I want to grow it a bit longer. The back had reached my shoulders, the front my chin and the fringe just about reached my nose. It was layered but seemed to be all different lengths so I had it cut into a chin length bob. It lloked fabulous immediately after it was cut, but as soon as I tried to do anything with it it was a disaster. The ends stuck out in all the wrong directions and I hated it. I was advised that I should blow dry it upside down with hair mousse and then use a hair straightener to make sure the ends went the right way. I could have cried, I don't use mousse and although I own a hair drier I don't use it and I have never owned straighteners - my hair is straight!! So I faced the option of having it cut really short again or finding something different.
I soon realised that part of the problem was that my hair was too clean and that it why it was limp and unmanagable and that is why I had been told to add the mousse. But what is the point of washing hair and then putting stuff in it. I decided to experiment and started washing my hair with baking soda and cider vinegar rinse. I week later and it looks fabulous. It looks thicker, is behaving itself and no one has noticed that I am not using conventional shampoo.
So far so good. Has anyone else tried this? Are the results good long term? I have some other 'non-soap' alternatives for both skin and hair that I intend trying. I'll keep you posted about how I get on. I would also be really interested in any home made natural hair and skin care recipes that other people have used.