We guess it works, so it’s not dumb. Your car feels the heat of the scorching sun just like you do. It’s very unpleasant to enter a car that’s been exposed to the sun for hours in extreme heat.
That’s the situation for both people and cars in India. Some parts of the country are experiencing temperatures of around 115 degrees Fahrenheit, and they’re not expected to drop anytime soon.
How great would it be to have a method to cool your car in the scorching heat? Well, one man has discovered one — but it might make you cringe.
His solution is cow dung.
Homeopathic doctor Sushil Sagar, from Madhya Pradesh state in central India, has used a very unconventional method to cool his car. He’s smeared his whole vehicle with dried cow dung.
Whether or not it wards off the heat, we’re sure he doesn’t have to worry about anyone coming and trying to steal his car.
Escaping the Heat
The layer of cow dung does the job, though — at least that’s what Sagar says. It tackles the main problem of the vehicle, which is its metal surfaces.
If you don’t remember your elementary school science class, metal is excellent at transferring heat. The car’s metal frame takes in heat from the sun and, as a result, makes the inside of the car very hot.
“The sheet on top of the car attracts heat and makes the temperature inside the car go up in summer,” Sagar told The Indian Express, quite accurately.
The layer of cow dung on the car serves as an insulator. It prevents the metal frame from getting hot, so the temperature inside doesn’t increase as much.
“The inside temperature of the car does not go up with the cow dung coating. This avoids the heat that is felt while sitting inside the car during summer,” Sagar said.
The cow dung also helps Sagar take care of his vehicle. Because of the cooling effect, his car’s air conditioner performs better, further improving his comfort.
It’s a fairly long-lasting solution, too. Sagar says the cow dung coating will stay for two months as long as he avoids the rain.
That makes sense. We’d shudder to see the vehicle if it got wet.
Sagar’s invention drew Indian internet users’ interest and a video of his car became viral. However, not many people seemed keen on copying his solution to the heat wave.
“He seems like a nice man with good intentions. But I think his brain is influenced by being near gobar,” one Instagram user joked, using a Hindi word for cow dung.
Fighting Global Warming with Dung
Sagar’s cow dung coating is unusual, no doubt about that. But he’s not the first one to use it.
In 2019, Sejal Shah attracted attention with her vehicle in Ahmedabad, western India. Like Sagar, she had smeared her Toyota with dung.
Shah, too, said that the dung layer was effective. She said that she could drive around comfortably without using her air conditioner in +110-degree weather.
“I drive my car without the AC as the cow dung makes it cool,” Shah said.
“It not only cools my car but also helps in reducing pollution. The harmful gases that are emitted when we use car AC raise the temperatures and contribute to global warming.”
So, she’s not only cooling her own car. Shah’s also doing her bit for keeping everyone else’s vehicles cool as well.
Or at least so she claims.
A Remarkably Neat Solution
Sagar’s cow dung coating is unusual, that’s for sure. But he’s not the pioneer of it.
In 2019, Sejal Shah made heads turn with her vehicle in Ahmedabad, western India. Like Sagar, she had coated her Toyota with dung.
Shah, too, vouched for the dung layer’s effectiveness. She said that she was able to drive around comfortably without using her air conditioner in +110-degree weather.
Now, we know what you’re wondering. Don’t the cars — and houses — smell awful?
Not really. Once it’s dried, cow dung is mostly scentless, and it may even have sanitizing properties.
So, Sagar’s and Shah’s cars don’t make the whole town smell. Even so, though, we think we’ll stick to trying to park in the shade.