We have a toddler. Up until recently, he had no interest in coloring or pens. But yesterday, he discovered the joys of scribbling with pens… on the white walls of our rental house.

A search for easy ways to clean up the mess produced various suggestions, the easiest, and greenest, of which seemed to be hairspray.

I’m not talking about the aerosol hairspray cans of old, but the newer, greener hairspray options that many of us probably have sitting in our bathrooms.  There are several low- and high-end options these days.

Once I sprayed the offending area with a few squirts, it did really seem to “melt” right down the wall! I was very impressed and thrilled that I didn’t have to put that much elbow grease into the job.

Unfortunately, I was in such a hurry to just get rid of the marks that I didn’t take before and after pictures.

Have any other green suggestions for getting pen marks off the wall? (For some reason, my son hasn’t decided to try his hand at using crayons on the wall, yet.)

My next big cleaning project will be the numerous spots on our carpet. I’d love to try out any of your green suggestions!

I’m always on the lookout for new ways to use products I already have – especially if those products don’t have chemicals or toxins in them.

But when it comes to dusting, I don’t even bother with products. I just use an old sock. Sure, this gets rid of the dust, but our furniture never shines or gleams.

I decided to see if there was a natural alternative to all the dust-busting sprays out there. And I found something even better – more alternative uses for that product!!

An article at curbly.com reports that you can mix olive oil with lemon juice and use a soft rag (old sock, maybe?) to polish your furniture to a beautiful shine. This article also suggests polishing brass with olive oil.

I’m really surprised I hadn’t thought of, or heard of this before. I’m all for alternative uses for kitchen products.

But I only had one use for olive oil – butter knife de-gunker

Our butter knives never come out of the dishwasher looking clean. The little serrations always look gunky. Sometimes even hand-scouring won’t do the trick. I tried rubbing them with a little olive oil, and they looked so much better. They even stayed clean after 2 or 3 washes.

An interesting blog called The Olive Oil Sources reports that olive oil is great on squeaky hinges. This blogger suggests putting the olive oil in a spray bottle for this application.

All of these uses make sense, but there are some that I never would have come up with on my own.

An article on Associated Content claims that olive oil can treat ear infections. They recommend warming a teaspoon of olive oil (not too hot) and putting half a teaspoon in each ear and sealing with a cotton ball.

Have dandruff? The Dry Skin Care Guide recommends massaging a mixture of olive oil and almond paste into your scalp.

Olive oil can also help with another heady problem – lice. Head Lice Info suggests using it as part of a 5-step program. The olive oil can help suffocate lice.

Got a mole problem? Just put an olive oil-soaked rag down the mole hole. According to a different article on Associated Content , the moles will leave because they do not like the smell of olive oil.

While olive oil isn’t loved by moles, an article at Heart of Wisdom reports that it can help your cat avoid hairballs.

I had no idea this tasty cooking oil was so versatile away from the kitchen? Have you tried any of these uses for olive oil? Know of any that I didn’t find?

BeGreenMinded.com is all about incremental green changes in your life so what better time to start planning a few small changes than right before the New Year? Today I’m going to show you a great place for you to go when you are ready to make one of those small changes in your purchasing habits.

Make a resolution to purchase a greener alternative when you need to buy a new bottle of cleaners, cosmetics, or any other product.

As eco-friendly products have come to the marketplace in full force over the last few years, you may be wondering which ones work well and what ingredients to look for. Fear not, the Green Guide is here to help. Among a wealth of websites that certify, test, and advocate for products, the Green Guide’s Product Guide (operated by National Geographic) educates readers about materials, additives and chemicals in products to help consumers make educated decisions.

Thinking of purchasing more than just cleaners or cosmetics? Green Guide is also a great place to learn more about paper goods, food, bedding, and even clothing. For those seeking a place to start greening elements of their life, it’s a great resource. Use it as a starting guide to begin your transformation.

Image by Flickr user Uncleweed used under a Creative Commons License.