The “Oh Crap” Moment

Remembered how bad my Pad Volleyball parquet looked yesterday after our weekly game night. Seriously, it had dull patches, some scratches near the serving line, and a weird sticky spot near the net – probably from someone’s spilled sports drink ages ago. Knew I needed to stop ignoring it and actually clean this stuff.

Getting Stuff Together

Poked around my garage first. Found some leftover wood floor cleaner I bought ages ago (some generic brand), an old microfiber cloth that wasn’t too grubby, and my vacuum. Was tempted to just use water, but last time I tried that on a small spot, it left a weird haze.

Step-by-Step Scrub Down

• First Sweep/Vacuum: Kicked everyone out and vacuumed the whole area. Like, really got into it – corners, under where the net pegs go, edges. So much dust and grit came up, it was nasty. Learned the hard way: grit scratches. Always vacuum first!
• Mixed the Cleaner: Poured some of the cleaner into a bucket. Read the stupid tiny instructions on the bottle – way weaker than I thought! Like, a tiny splash of cleaner per gallon of warm water. Measured it properly this time. Used barely warm water.
• Mopped Lite: Dunked my microfiber rag in the bucket, squeezed it until it was just damp, not dripping wet. Wiped down a small section first near the entrance as a test spot. Rubbed gently following the wood grain. Looked okay after drying! Didn’t mess up!
• Whole Floor Time: Worked my way across the whole Pad Volleyball area doing the same damn thing: damp rag, gentle wipe, follow the wood. Changed the water twice ’cause it got dirty fast. Careful around seams and edges – didn’t wanna soak ’em.
• Dried It Off: Grabbed a clean, dry towel right after wiping each section. Basically buffed it dry immediately. Didn’t wanna leave any sitting water. That sticky spot near the net needed a bit more gentle elbow grease, but the cleaner loosened it up.

The Oops & Win

Accidentally dripped too much cleaning mix near the sideline. My heart sank! But instantly grabbed the dry towel and rubbed it like crazy. Dried it fast. No water ring! Felt like a mini victory. Finished the whole thing in about 90 minutes, mostly ’cause I took it slow.

Looking Back

After everything dried completely, the floor looked way better. Less dull, scratches were still there but cleaner, sticky spot gone. Shines nice in the window light now. Still got a few stubborn scuffs? Yeah, but that’s normal wear. Not aiming for brand new, just clean and protected.

My Lazy Person’s Routine Now

• After Every Game: Just vacuum or sweep like mad. Get the grit off. Takes 10 minutes max.
• Every Few Weeks: Do the whole damp mop thing like I did today. Stick to the weak cleaner mix!
• Scuffs/Small Spills: Attack ’em fast with a barely damp cloth and wipe dry instantly.
• NEVER: Soak it. Use straight cleaner. Use wax or polish unless I wanna slip on my face.

Experts say do fancy stuff? Nah. For normal Pad Volleyball use, this works. Clean it gently, dry it fast. Simple. Still looks good for a court that takes this much beating. Worth the small effort.