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After being dissed for decades, there are signs that housekeeping is getting a little respect, maybe even cachet. We now have a First Lady who admits that she likes to unwind by cleaning out the cupboards. Martha Stewart has built a commercial empire on the elevation of the household arts to a master craft. New products are making it faster and easier all the time.

• Taylor's Guide to Perennials is available on borders.com

This week, Home talks about the trend of house cleaning, and Eye on Design takes a typical grungy basement with all the typical grungy problems--low ceiling, bad light, tiny windows,concrete floors, ugly walls--and offers a step by step guide to ideas and products to spruce it up.

Talk to the Home staff about the newest and latest Home design magazines, how to keep your kitchen countertops forever, and getting a start on your garden. Ask the Washington Post Home staff -- about these and anything and everything related to home and garden.

The transcript follows.

Georgia: Oh how I despise housecleaning -- but I love living in a clean house. I would love to learn how to love to clean my house, but I just don't feel excited about it. Do you have any books on how to get started. I've read some of Martha Stewart's books before, and all they tend to do is get me feeling overwhelmed again.

I guess if it were easy, everyone would be doing it -- please help.

Post Home Staff: Dear Georgia, We know exactly how you feel and sympathize about feeling overwhelmed by Martha but we do have a book to recommend - one that Lucinda wrote about today: Home Comforts: "The Art & Science of Keeping House" by Cheryl Mendelson and published by Scribner. For a lighter touch, try "No Time to Clean" by Don Aslett, Marsh Creek Press. It's broken up into chunks dealing with every cleaning problem in the house from refrigerators to grills. Happy mopping.

Chantilly, Va.: Is the book "Housecleaning Jane Lawson's Way" currently available/in print; can you provide more information about it, such as date, publisher, and ISBN?

Post Home Staff: Dear Chantilly: We're trying to find the publisher, right now.(It's not on the flyleaf. Back to you as soon as we get it.

Maryland: I have a large, windowless wall in my living room that needs decoration. I've already wallpapered up to the chair railing and added a border. I would like to hang a framed picture of something to take up some space but don't want it to be too large because I'm afraid of overwhelming everything else in the room. I was thinking about hanging sconces(?) that would hold a vase and flowers on either side. Can you recommend anything else that I could use to take up some of this vast space?

Thanks!!

Post Home Staff: Hi Maryland: We think sconces are a neat idea but if there's that much room, what about a wide piece of furniture - a chest - with a large mirror over it (plus the sconces) or a tall piece, like an armoire flanked by a pair of chairs that could be pulled up into a conversation group, as needed. Furniture like this kills two birds with one stone. It adds extra storage and creates a focal point on that vast expanse.

Arlington, Va.: We found beautiful fabric to re-do two chairs, but we found it at a very pricey specialty store where it sells for more than $60 per yard. Any suggestions on where we might go or who to call to find a less expensive source?

Post Home Staff: Dear Arlington: We'll soon be publishing an article about a great sale you might be interested in. The organizers of the second annual National Symphony Orchestra Decorators' Inventory Sale tell us that they are planning this year's sale for May 4 and 5. Again, it will be at the old Hechingers' Building at 4500 Wisconsin Ave. NW. And, our sources tell us that there will be dozens of bolts of fabrics from a well known retailer.
Keep reading the Home section for details!

Washington, D.C.: We just had the hardwood floors sanded and treated with polyurethane before moving into our house. Now I want to have a rug painted on our hallway floor. Is it too late? The first person we asked about it said she'd only done it before the floor was polyurethaned. Do you know how I can find out more about this? Thank you very much!

Post Home Staff: Hi Washington. Have you checked with the people who just did your floor? They'll tell you whether you need to strip it or not. If that's the case, you might want to consider having an artisan paint a floor cloth (that you can pick up and take with you) instead.

Cleveland Park: What's the "right" way to take care of wood floors? We used to mop once a week with Murphy's soap but in our new house that seems to be dulling the floors. Are we mopping too often? It's an old house, but not sure what the finish is. Thank you!

Post Home Staff: Hi Cleveland Park: I'm afraid we've all been under the impression that lots of mopping is good. Our experts say that you should sweep, dust and dry mop frequently but damp mop not more than once a month.

Boston, Mass.: I am in need of a good solution for keeping my glass shower doors clean and clear, I have tried various spray solutions for soap scum etc. but, none seem to work or at least last a few days of crystal clear shower door. Hope you can help.

Post Home Staff: Hello Boston: Have you tried using a squeegee (like the ones at the gas station that they use on your windshield. The rubber blades are great for scum-busting? As for the cleaning solution, are you using a strong bar soap or shampoo that could be contributing to that film. THe old standbys are vinegar and water or ammonia and water. Good luck.

Arlington, Va.: Please help!
I need suggestions as to the best way to clean my ugly, annoying bathroom floor -it's from the 1940s and consists of teeny tiny (1 inch by 1 inch) white tiles separated by grout that is almost black!
It always looks dirty and I would love to find a low cost way to bleach the grout? Thank you for any ideas!

Post Home Staff: Hi Arlington: A solution of chlorine bleach and water (two parts water to one part bleach) and a good stiff scrub brush should be the perfet solution for the funk of 60 years that has accumulated on your grout! A couple of caveats- do open a window while you're scrubbing and fo those of you with newer tiles and grout, if your grout is any color other than white, test the bleach solution with a q-Tip in a hidden spot to make it doesn't remove the color.

Springfield, Va.: Hi Home Staff, I need help with my home office. A couple weeks ago, you answered my question between wallpaper and paint, that I should pick paint. Now my question is what color would make y home office more formal? I have golden colored hardwood floor, with chair rail and crown molding. Thanks.

Post Home Staff: Dear Springfield: If you're going for a formal look stay away from colors like pink, yellow, baby blue or pale green. There are terrific off-whites bordering on taupe or mocha color, or how about a dove gray?

Arlington, Va.: What's the best way to deal with asbestos floor tiles? Many tiles in our basement floor are cracked. Can the floor just be covered with carpeting or must it be sealed to prevent asbestos dust? Should we just hire someone to remove the tiles? Thanks.

Post Home Staff: Dear Arlington: If they're cracked, asbestos particles could be leaching into the air so we think you should get rid of it. But be prepared! Asbestos abatement is not a do-it-yourself job. You need a professional to do this.

Rockville, Md.: Hi all! I'm moving into a new townhouse and am trying to pick colors for my bedroom.

The starting point is a quilt given to me as a gift....sage green, muted yellow, oatmeal, and purple.

I was thinking a green/yellow or green/oatmeal - but looking at paint chips together they seem kind of masculine. I'd like to play up the purple (various shades of a grape-juice hue) without making it look like a 10 year-old girl's room. Any ideas?

Post Home Staff: Dear Rockville: The quilt that you have sounds lovely but obviously one that makes a strong statement. Maybe a neutral .i.e. oatmeal colored walls with sage green for a feminine accent chair. Purple is pretty bright for a room that should be your refuge. We love green! Check out the Garnet Hill catalogue or website for rag rugs with pretty colors including sage and lavender.

Washington, D.C.: My wife is an animal lover who is willing to suffer through an occasional allergy attack in order to keep our cat. A friend recently told me about an ionizer or air purifier that breaks down the animal particles that cause allergies. Do you know about this or similar home products?

Post Home Staff: Dear Washington: We have to pass on this because we don't know any brand products. Can any of you out there fill us in?

Arlington, Va.: Every time I vacuum I get the impression that all I'm doing is redistributing all the dust. I have an old vacuum cleaner that seems to spit out as much debris as it sucks up. Do these new closed system vacuums really work, like the Hoover wind tunnel and the Miele? Which would you recommend?

Post Home Staff: Arlington! If your vacuum is THAT old, it's trying to tel lyou something. It's time to replace it. Yes, lots of the new ones do work well. For brand information, check Consumer Reports.

Post Home Staff: By the way, to order Housecleaning Jane Lawson's Way, send $15.99 plus $3 for shipping to Jane Lawson at P.O.Box 4424, Peabody, Mass. 01961. or email .The phone number is 978-535-7091.

Washington, D.C.: Regarding the Swiffer in today's article...

How quickly do the disposable sheets fill up with stuff? I have a lot of hardwood floors and a dog, and you wouldn't believe the amount of sweeping I do. I sweep every three or four days, and I get huge balls of dog fur. I'm concerned that I would go through a zillion Swiffer sheets each time I sweep, which would get expensive fast.

Post Home Staff: Dear Washington:: You may go through them fairly fast but if you're really frugal as are certain members of the Home staff, then you can turn the sheets over and stretch your investment.

Alexandria, Va.: Can a "tin" ceiling be put directly on drywall? The article on re-doing a basement rec room mentioned using metal on a suspended ceiling, but my basement ceiling is low (about 7 1/2 feet).

Post Home Staff: Dear Alexandria: The metal tiles we mentioned come in panel form for suspended ceilings as well as individual metallic tiles..but both can be nailed directly into drywall according to the specs from the manufacturer. Good luck.

Springfield, Va.: Re: vacuum: Get a Kirby. Once you see the demonstration you'll never go back to "store" vacuum cleaners.

Post Home Staff: We'll pass this along to our readers.

Washington, D.C.: Hi Folks,
This maybe a bit off topic but, what is the chance that the Home staff will be writing a story on how to properly prep and store winter clothes during the summer?

Post Home Staff: Great idea. We;ve been talking about it for years. Maybe this time, it will happen!

Washington, D.C.: I just searched amazon and bn.com for Housecleaning Jane Lawson's Way, and I got no hits at all--nothing even close. Are you sure that this is the correct title?

Post Home Staff: We searched Amazon etc. too...we provided the ordering info a few answers back .

Rockville, Md.: I have a chicken and the egg type problem. I don't do mail order very often, so I don't often get good mail order catalogues. Which ones do you all like for home decorating? Looking for ones not associated with a major retailer like Pottery Barn or Crate and Barrell. Thanks!

Post Home Staff: Dear Rockville...We like Ballard Designs, Horchow Home, Neiman Marcus Linens, Martha By Mail, Garnet Hill...but if you're looking for home furnishings, one of the best on line is www.homeportfolio.com. Annie swears by Lillian Vernon!

Springfield, Va.: Hi. Can you give me any suggestions on window treatments or decor for basement well windows. I don't want to do too much because they are the only source of natural light, but they definitely need something. Thanks for your help.

Post Home Staff: Dear Springfield: Marilyn Poling, the designer we consulted for the basement piece suggested shutters for a tidy look. You can open them for light...but when they're closed, they sort of make those oddball configurations go away.

Chevy Chase, Md.: Just a point---I've found that the less stuff I have, the easier it is to keep the house clean. Here's to simplicity!

Post Home Staff: Hooray! Absolutely on target. We will be addressing this topic in the near future when we write about Real Simple magazine. Thanks for tuning in, everyone. The Home Team

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