Everyone gets new window dressing every now and again. So we decided to decorate our space with a new website, new logo and a new office in downtown Brewer. We think our look and location better fits our mission. Green Clean Bangor provides professional environmentally friendly cleaning and housekeeping in Central Maine.

I recently joined a housekeeping group on Facebook. I see this question a lot, "How do I clean wooden floors?". Wooden floors can be a stunning feature in your home. But not all wooden floors are created the same, so they shouldn't be cleaned the same way.

I know we're just getting started but to know how to clean your floors, you must look to the finish.

Is there a glossy varnish finish to your floors? Most true hardwood floors do have a finish of some kind. The higher gloss finishes protect the wood from water and dirt, so in fact you are not cleaning a wooden surface at all, but a varnish surface. Some older floors may have a worn finish and some floors exposed grain. I don't recommend washing exposed grain as water lifts the grain, so I usually recommend to the home owner that we apply an oil stain to retain the natural features and protect the floor. When it comes to hardwood floors, they usually fall into one of these categories:

• High gloss finish - wash with a gentle white vinegar with a drop of dish soap and water solution using a dry mop system and a misting squirt bottle.
• Thin varnish, not exposed grain but not a glassy hard finish either - I alternate between using a light Murphy's solution and using vinegar floor cleaner described above, always a dry mop system. This way the grains get a little love but the oils don't build up on the varnish either.
• Rustic exposed grain floors - are probably best just swept or vacuumed. Go with the grain our you'll just push dust in the cracks and features of the wood.

Of course, there are other materials that look like wood but aren't such as laminates and other engineered products. We've been mixing our own floor cleaner that works great on most floors. We make a hydrosol from pine and cedar, add some soapberry extract and Bam! clean with no streaks. It's our version of Pinesol but made in small batches in our kitchen in Maine. So far I love this; hydrosols have the same properties as their heavier cousin, essential oils, but are easier to work with. I've also make an almond oil/orange cleaner that I love on grainy wood. You can make this at home, but don't skip the emulsifying step or it comes out like a glob.

Water and oil don't mix and they certainly don't mix once they've hit your floor!

What is the dry mop system you ask? After sweeping or vacuuming, use a janitorial mop with a flat head and microfiber or cotton cloth mop; use a professional janitor's squirt bottle to apply cleaner, then mop using wide sweeps to avoid leaving streaks on the floor.

What is Thieves Oil?

We see it almost everywhere that sells or markets healthy living. Thieves oil appears to get its name from the 15th century when it is said that a band of thieves used a combination of herbs and spices to prevent infection from the Bubonic plague. The thieves went from infected house to infected house robbing the deceased. While they escaped illness, they did not escape capture. The judge, like the rest of the population, wanted to know the thieves secret so he promised them leniency if they would disclose their trick. Researching this article, I learned that doctors during that period wore long conical masks over their mouths and noses. The masks were filled with herbs and spices used to disinfect the air that doctors must breathe when tending to the sick. It doesn't seem likely our Dark Ages ancestors understood germs as we do today. It is clear however that through trial and error people did develop a sound knowledge of what works and what doesn't work. Thieves oils works. I'll explain how it works and how you can make your own.

How does Thieves Oil Work?

Plants are nature's little chemical factories but they rely on animals to spread their pollen and seed. This is how nature works - through mutually beneficial relationships. Essential oils are very concentrated extractions made from plants. Depending on how the oils are extracted, a variety of beneficial chemicals are rendered. Terpenes, esters, aldehydes and ketones are just a few. Different plants yield different combinations of chemicals so that different essential oils will have different properties. While most plant essential oils are proven to have antibacterial and grease cutting properties, we have learned to treat specific health issues with specific oils. There are also aromatherapeutic benefits including blends to calm or energize.

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What you'll need.

A glass jar works best
I like to use a pipette, but you can approximate quantities with the eyeball method
the following five essential oils, quantities noted below are the number of drops. You can change that to ounces or milliliters, just keep the proportions inline with the original recipe.

• 20 -Cinnamon bark
• 40 -Clove
• 10-Rosemary
• 35 -Lemon
• Eucalyptus

To use your theives oil

For health, be sure to use a carrier oil like almond or coconut oil. For cleaning your home, add a few drops to a diluted white vinegar mixture. Be sure to either emulsify the oils using something like alcohol or glycerin; or be prepared to shake before each use to assure the essential oils are evenly dispersed in the vinegar. This is also a safety concern since you don't want pure oils in direct contact with your eyes or mucus membranes.