- It’s not stupid if it works, we suppose.
If you get hot in the blazing sun, so does your car. There are few things as oppressive as getting into a car that’s been standing in the sun for hours in triple-digit heat.
On that note, both people and cars are roasting in India. Temperatures in parts of the country are currently sitting at a toasty 115 degrees Fahrenheit, and they’re not looking to let up anytime soon.
Wouldn’t it be nice if there was some way to keep your car cool in the blazing heat? Well, one man has found a way — although it might make you wrinkle your nose.
His solution is cow dung.
Homeopathic doctor Sushil Sagar, from the state of Madhya Pradesh in central India, has resorted to decidedly unorthodox methods to keep his car cool. He’s covered his entire vehicle in dried cow s***.
Whether or not it keeps the heat away, we’re sure he doesn’t worry about anybody coming and trying to break into his car.
Avoiding the Heat
Believe it or not, though, the layer of cow dung works — at least according to Sagar. It addresses the biggest pain point of the vehicle, namely its metal surfaces.
In case you fell asleep in elementary school science class, metal is great at conducting heat. The car’s metal frame absorbs heat from the sun and, consequently, turns the inside of the car into a sauna.
“It often happens in summer that the sheet on top of the car draws heat and increases the temperature inside the car,” Sagar told The Indian Express, quite correctly.
The layer of cow crap on the car acts as an insulator. It keeps the metal frame from heating up, so the temperature inside doesn’t rise as high.
“By applying the cow dung coating, the inside temperature of the car does not rise. The heat that is felt while sitting inside the car during summer is avoided with this,” explained Sagar.
Not only is the cow dung keeping Sagar cooler, but it’s also helping him maintain his vehicle. Thanks to the cooling effect, his car’s air conditioner works better, further enhancing his comfort.
It’s a fairly durable solution, too. According to Sagar, the cow dung coating will last for two months as long as he keeps the car out of the rain.
That is an excellent point. We’d hate to see the vehicle if it got caught in a sudden shower.
Sagar’s innovation caught Indian internet users’ attention and a video of his car went viral. However, not many people seemed enthusiastic about imitating his solution to the heat wave.
“Honestly, he seems like a nice man with his heart in the right place. But I think his mind is affected by being around gobar,” one Instagram user quipped, using a Hindi word for cow dung.
Combating Climate Change with Crap
Sagar’s cow dung coating is unusual, make no mistake about that. But he can’t claim to be its inventor.
In 2019, Sejal Shah turned heads with her vehicle in Ahmedabad, western India. Like Sagar, she had covered her Toyota in dung.
Shah, too, claimed that the dung layer worked like a charm. She said that she was able to drive around comfortably without using her air conditioner in +110-degree weather.
“I drive my car switching off the AC as the cow dung keeps it cool,” said Shah.
“It not only keeps my car cool but also helps in preventing pollution. The harmful gases that are released while we use car AC increase the temperatures and contribute to global warming.”
So, not only is she cooling her own car. Shah’s also doing her part for keeping everyone else’s vehicles cool as well.
Or at least so she claims.
A Surprisingly Clean Solution
Neither Sagar nor Shah decided to cover their cars in crap out of a moment’s whimsy. Or, well, maybe they did, but dried cow dung has been used as a building material in India for ages, particularly in the rural regions.
In rural India, it’s quite common for villagers to cover the floors and walls of their houses and huts with dung. The crap is a pretty good insulator, after all, and keeps the homes cool in summer and warm in winter.
Not only that, cow dung repels insects, like malaria-carrying mosquitoes. Suppose they don’t want to get too close to houses covered in crap.
Now, we know the biggest question on your mind. Don’t the cars — and houses — stink to high heaven?
Not really. Once it’s dried, cow dung is mostly odorless, and it may even have disinfecting properties.
So, Sagar’s and Shah’s cars don’t stink up the entire town. Be that as it may, though, we think we’ll stick to trying to park in the shade.
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