Shovel all the snow off your ice rink.
When the kids skate around, their blades create small ice chips and shavings. You will want to shovel these off your rink before flooding.
I use an aluminum shovel with a nice flat bottom.
Careful you don't cut the plastic liner along the boards. This is why I sweep away from the edge first.
If you want really smooth ice, you should do a quick sweep with a corn broom.
You will be amazed how dirty the last bits of snow and ice are.
Sweeping will pull the grime out of the grooves in the ice. Your ice will last longer in the spring as you won't have as many contaminants imbedded within.
Time to flood!
I use a home made "zamboni" attached to an expandable garden hose. A valve allows just enough water to keep the ice wet but not so much you start to pool water on the ice.
Thin layers will freeze quickly, allowing you multiple passes within 30min.
BUY THE EXPANDABLE HOSE! Makes life so much easier.
Flood again!
Go in the opposite direction you went last time to smooth out the fine ridges from the "zamboni".
Last Flood!
Honestly, you can flood once and the ice will be much better.
Flood twice, and the ice will be amazing!
But.......if you want to get that "arena" smooth ice, flood three times and you will be blown away by how silky smooth you can get your backyard ice.
And that's how you can have Perfect Ice.......every time!
Perfect Ice: Final Comments
Pro Tip #1: Buy the expandable hose! This will make set up and take down so much easier.
Pro Tip #2: If you don't have hot water to your outside tap, fill a 5 gallon bucket with your hottest tap water and coil the hose near the tap into the bucket. This will warm the water slightly so it doesn't freeze while you flood.
Pro Tip #3: Get those leaves, sticks, and needles off your ice. If you leave them on your ice, they will melt down into the ice when it's sunny out and you won't be able to shovel them off.