So I decided to clean our community basketball court today after yesterday’s tournament left it looking like a battlefield. Grabbed my gear from the storage closet – big push broom, two mop buckets, industrial floor cleaner concentrate, and microfiber mops. First step was kicking out stray balls rolling around near the benches.

The Sweeping Phase

Smashed the push broom down hard to dislodge gum wads and dried mud near the entrance. Swept in long arcs toward center court, chasing dust bunnies and broken laces that stuck under the bleachers. Piled all the gunk into a disgustingly gray mountain near the free-throw line. Scooped that nastiness into a dustpan – took three trips to the dumpster.

Mixing The Magic Juice

Sloshed a capful of cleaner into bucket #1 with hot water. Made it extra strong because someone spilled Gatorade all over the home bench area. Kept bucket #2 plain water for rinsing. Nearly slipped when water splashed onto the hardwood – rookie mistake.

The Mopping Tango

Dunked the mop until it was dripping wet, then pressed hard against the floor to squeeze out excess. Started from half-court zigzagging toward the baseline. Backed myself into corners like a scared cat wiping under the hoops. Swapped buckets when the rinse water turned brown after scrubbing that sticky bench zone. Refilled twice when the liquid got too nasty.

Finishing Touches

Spotted three stubborn scuff marks near the three-point line. Crouched down and attacked ’em with the coarse side of my sponge – left knuckles scraped but victory was mine. Wiped down the foul line decals with a dry rag so they wouldn’t peel. Propped open all doors to air out that chemical smell as I stacked gear.

Whole court’s shining like pennies on a dead man’s eyes now. Worth every ache in my shoulders – though next time I’ll wear gloves when tackling demon scuff marks.