Okay, so yesterday I finally tackled that pad volleyball soft maple floor in my basement game room. Been putting it off for months. Figured I should actually maintain it properly since we use the space every weekend. Here’s exactly how it went down.

Getting Started

First, I grabbed all my junk. I’m talking:

• A regular broom
• That cheap spray mop I bought at the discount store
• White vinegar & distilled water (read about this online)
• Microfiber rags from my old car cleaning kit

The Grunt Work

Started with dry sweeping. Went section by section – slow and heavy like shoveling snow. You wouldn’t believe the crap that came up. Dust bunnies big enough to wear sweaters, sand from who-knows-where, even popcorn kernels from game night. Felt stupid for waiting so long.

Next was mixing my cleaning juice. Half white vinegar, half water in the mop bottle. Smelled like Easter eggs but whatever. Lightly misted a 3×3 foot area – never soaking the wood – then mopped in slow circles following the grain pattern. Saw the finish actually looking alive again when the rag caught dirt.

After each section dried (took maybe 10 minutes), I went hunting for damage. Found three planks near the door where the locking mechanisms looked loose. Grabbed my rubber mallet – bam bam bam – gently tapped along the seams until everything clicked tight. Didn’t even need the repair kit I’d bought.

Finishing Touches

Wiped the whole floor with a dry microfiber rag to buff out any streaks. Checked under the couch – found this weird sticky spot that needed extra vinegar scrubbing. Almost missed it. Final walk-through in socks: floor felt smooth like butter, no more gritty nonsense underfoot.

Took maybe 90 minutes total? Less time than watching a football game. My knees hated me but the floor looks brand new again. Lesson learned: Don’t wait until your floors look like a sandbox. Quick monthly wipe-downs save so much headache later. Floor feels solid now – like it’ll actually survive our next volleyball party.