Today as I was showering in my local municipal pool after a swim, my nostrils caught the unmistakable whiff of vinegar. I'd smelt vinegar here before, and had always assumed that it was being used to clean the drains or something. Today though, when I looked around for the source of the smell, I noticed a tiny old lady pouring capfuls of a dark liquid from an old soft drink bottle onto her hair.

'Is that vinegar?' I asked her, to which she answered 'Yes, it's very good for your hair!'

After a little Google sleuthing I came across this article, which states that rinsing with vinegar leaves your hair 'shinier, smoother, and easier to manage'.

Seeing as I'm heading off to Langzhong, Sichuan's vinegar capital, tomorrow morning, maybe I should try it out for myself; unlike some other alternative uses for food that I've seen...

UPDATE: My very own mother has just emailed me saying that when she was 'a young lass' (her words not mine!), she frequently used vinegar in her hair to help it shine - so there you go.