Cow Dung Paint as a Natural Insect Repellent

Introduction
Cow dung paint is a natural insect repellent that has been used for centuries in many parts of the world. It is an eco-friendly and non-toxic alternative to chemical insecticides that are harmful to the environment and human health. In this blog, we will discuss the benefits of cow dung paint as a natural insect repellent, its properties, and how it is made.
Cow dung painting is a long-standing custom that has been practiced for millennia in various regions of the world. It is a natural insect repellent that works well to ward off insects like cockroaches, flies, and mosquitoes. Cow dung paint is an eco-friendly and non-toxic substitute for chemical insecticides that are harmful to the environment and animal welfare.
To create cow dung paint, cow dung, water, and other organic materials such as lime, neem leaves, and turmeric powder are combined. The cow dung used in the paint comes from cows that are provided a natural diet and are not given antibiotics or human growth hormone. To deter insects, the paint is applied to the walls and floors of homes and other buildings.
Cow dung paint has many characteristics that make it an efficient insect deterrent. First, it has a potent scent that keeps mosquitoes away. Second, it contains naturally occurring substances that are poisonous to insects. Third, it is non-toxic and environmentally friendly, making it safe for both people and animals. Fourth, it can increase soil fertility because it is a natural fertilizer.
It’s essential to take precautions when using cow dung paint to protect yourself from bacteria and other microorganisms in the cow dung. It’s recommended to wear gloves and a mask when making and applying the paint. The paint should also be stored in a cool, dry place to prevent it from spoiling.
In conclusion, cow dung paint is a natural insect repellent with several benefits over chemical insecticides. It is eco-friendly, non-toxic, cost-effective, and has cultural significance in many parts of the world. Cow dung paint is a simple and effective solution for repelling insects and improving soil fertility. However, it’s essential to follow proper safety measures while making and using the paint.

Properties of Cow Dung Paint
Cow dung paint has several properties that make it an effective insect repellent. First, it has a strong smell that repels insects. Second, it contains natural compounds that are toxic to insects. Third, it is eco-friendly and non-toxic, making it safe for humans and animals. Fourth, it is a natural fertilizer that can improve soil fertility.

Benefits of Cow Dung Paint
1.Eco-friendly and non-toxic: Cow dung paint is made from natural ingredients and is free from harmful chemicals. It is therefore safe for humans and animals.
2.Cost-effective: Cow dung paint is a cost-effective alternative to chemical insecticides that can be expensive and harmful to the environment.
3.Long-lasting: Cow dung paint can last for several months, providing long-lasting protection against insects.
4.Fertilizes soil: Cow dung paint is a natural fertilizer that can improve soil fertility. When the paint is washed off the walls, it can be collected and used as a fertilizer for plants.
5.Cultural significance: Cow dung paint has cultural significance in many parts of the world. It is used in traditional ceremonies and is believed to have spiritual properties that can ward off evil spirits.
Making of Cow Dung Paint
Making cow dung paint is a simple process that can be done at home. Here are the steps involved:
1.Collect cow dung: Collect fresh cow dung from cows that are fed a natural diet and not treated with antibiotics or growth hormones.
2.Mix cow dung with water: Mix cow dung with water in a large container. The ratio of cow dung to water should be 1:3.
3.Add natural ingredients: Add natural ingredients such as lime, neem leaves, and turmeric powder to the mixture. These ingredients will help repel insects and improve the quality of the paint.
4.Mix thoroughly: Mix the ingredients thoroughly until the mixture has a smooth consistency.
5.Apply the paint: Apply the paint to walls and floors using a brush or roller. The paint should be applied in thin layers and allowed to dry completely before applying another layer.
6.Repeat the process: Repeat the process until the desired thickness is achieved.
Precautions when using Cow Dung Paint
Cow dung paint is a natural and safe alternative to chemical insecticides, but it is important to take the necessary precautions when making and using it to avoid potential health hazards. Here are some key precautions to keep in mind:
Wear protective gear: When working with cow dung paint, it is essential to wear protective gear like gloves and a mask to prevent the ingestion of harmful bacteria and microorganisms in the cow dung. This will help to protect you from any potential health hazards associated with working with the paint.
Keep it away from children and pets: Cow dung paint should be stored in a safe place where children and pets cannot reach it. This will help to prevent any accidental ingestion or exposure to the paint, which could be harmful to their health.
Ensure proper ventilation: Cow dung paint has a strong odor that can be unpleasant and irritating to the eyes, nose, and throat. Therefore, it is essential to ensure adequate ventilation while making and applying the paint. This will help to prevent any respiratory issues or discomfort.
Keep it away from food: Cow dung paint should be made and stored away from food, and it should not be used in areas where food is prepared or consumed. This will help to prevent any contamination of food and reduce the risk of potential health hazards.
Use fresh cow dung: Fresh cow dung should be used to make the paint. Avoid using cow dung that has been exposed to the sun or has been lying around for a long time as it may have deteriorated and can cause health hazards. Using fresh cow dung will ensure the paint is free from harmful bacteria and microorganisms.
Check for allergies: Before using cow dung paint, it is recommended to check for any allergic reactions by applying a small amount of the paint on a small patch of skin and waiting for a few hours to see if any adverse reactions occur. This will help to identify any potential allergic reactions and prevent any serious health issues.
By following these precautions, you can safely and effectively use cow dung paint as a natural insect repellent, without any potential health risks. It is essential to ensure that you take all necessary precautions to protect yourself and others from any potential hazards

Cow Dung Paint — An Eco-friendly Paint

In January 2021, India launched its first eco-friendly paint, named “Khadi Prakritik Paint” and it is made with cow dung or cow poo.
The cow dung paint is developed by Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC), a statutory body formed to promote, support & establish Khadi & village industries.
Cow dung paint is a traditional form of paint that has been used in India for centuries. It is an eco-friendly and sustainable alternative to chemical paints, and has many benefits that make it a popular choice among homeowners and businesses alike. In this article, we will explore the importance of cow dung paint in India and how it has become a vital part of the country’s cultural heritage.
India has a rich history of using natural materials for various purposes, and cow dung paint is no exception. Cow dung has been used in India for thousands of years as a source of fuel, fertilizer, and even as a disinfectant. It is considered sacred in Hindu culture, and is used in many religious ceremonies and rituals. The use of cow dung paint in India is also closely tied to the country’s agricultural traditions, as cow dung is a by product of the country’s large dairy industry.
Cow dung paint is important in India for a number of reasons. Firstly, it is an affordable and easily accessible alternative to chemical paints. Many rural communities in India cannot afford expensive chemical paints, and rely on cow dung paint to decorate their homes and businesses. Cow dung paint is also sustainable and eco-friendly, as it is made from natural ingredients that are readily available. This makes it a popular choice for those who are concerned about the impact of chemicals on the environment and their health.
In addition to its practical uses, cow dung paint is also an important part of India’s cultural heritage. Many traditional Indian homes are decorated with intricate patterns and designs made from cow dung paint. These designs are often passed down from generation to generation, and are a testament to India’s rich cultural history. Cow dung paint is also used in many religious ceremonies and festivals, and is an important symbol of the country’s spiritual traditions.
Despite its many benefits, cow dung paint is not without its challenges. One of the main challenges is its lack of popularity among younger generations, who often prefer more modern and contemporary styles of decoration. Additionally, there are concerns about the durability of cow dung paint, as it may not be as long-lasting as chemical paints. However, many traditional artisans and craftsmen continue to use cow dung paint in their work, and are working to keep this ancient art form alive.
In conclusion, cow dung paint is an important part of India’s cultural heritage, and has many practical and sustainable benefits. Its affordability, accessibility, and eco-friendliness make it a popular choice among rural communities and those who are concerned about the impact of chemicals on the environment. While it may face some challenges in terms of popularity and durability, cow dung paint remains an important symbol of India’s rich cultural history and traditions.

How to make cow dung paints:
The paint is made from cow dung and other natural ingredients, making it a non-toxic and environmentally friendly alternative to synthetic paints. Cow dung paint is also known for its ability to repel insects and pests, making it a popular choice for rural homes and buildings.
If you’re interested in making your own cow dung paint, here’s what you’ll need and how to do it:
Ingredients required:
Cow dung (fresh or dried)
Water
Natural pigments (optional)
Lime or chalk powder (optional)

Procedure for making cow dung paint:

  1. Collect fresh or dried cow dung in a container. Make sure to remove any debris or foreign matter.
  2. Add water to the cow dung and mix it well until it forms a smooth and consistent paste. The consistency of the paste should be similar to that of regular paint.
  3. If you want to add color to your cow dung paint, you can mix in natural pigments such as turmeric, indigo, or ochre. Be sure to mix the pigments well to ensure an even distribution.
  4. If you want to improve the adhesion and durability of the paint, you can add a small amount of lime or chalk powder to the mixture. This will also help to brighten the color of the paint.
  5. Once your cow dung paint is ready, strain it through a fine mesh to remove any lumps or impurities.

Preparation of the walls for painting:

  1. Clean the walls thoroughly to remove any dirt, dust, or debris. You can use a mixture of water and soap to do this.
  2. If there are any cracks or holes in the wall, fill them with a mixture of clay or mud and water. Allow the mixture to dry completely before proceeding.
  3. Apply a coat of primer to the walls to improve the adhesion of the cow dung paint. You can use a natural primer such as boiled linseed oil or a mixture of casein and lime.
  4. Once the primer has dried, you can start painting with the cow dung paint. Use a brush or roller to apply the paint in even strokes, working from the top of the wall down.

Benefits of Cow Dung Paints:

Cow dung paint is a traditional and eco-friendly form of paint that has been used in various parts of the world for centuries. Made by mixing cow dung with natural ingredients like mud, lime, and water, cow dung paint has many benefits that make it an attractive alternative to chemical paints. In this article, we will explore some of the key benefits of cow dung paint.
Health Benefits: Cow dung paint is a natural and non-toxic form of paint that is safe for use in homes, schools, and other public spaces. Unlike chemical paints, which can release harmful fumes and pollutants into the environment, cow dung paint is free of synthetic chemicals and does not pose any health risks to humans or animals. Moreover, cow dung paint has natural antiseptic properties that help kill germs and bacteria on walls and surfaces, making it a great choice for areas where hygiene is important.
Environmental Benefits: Cow dung paint is an eco-friendly and sustainable alternative to chemical paints. It is made from natural ingredients that are readily available and easily renewable. Moreover, cow dung paint is biodegradable and does not harm the environment or contribute to pollution. It is also a great way to reduce waste, as cow dung is a by product of the dairy industry and is usually discarded as waste.
Cost-effectiveness: Cow dung paint is an affordable and cost-effective option for those who want to decorate their homes or businesses. It is made from natural and inexpensive ingredients, and is much cheaper than chemical paints. Moreover, cow dung paint is easy to make and can be applied by anyone with basic painting skills, which means that you do not need to hire a professional painter to apply it.
Durability: Cow dung paint is known for its durability and long-lasting properties. Once applied, it dries to form a hard and durable coating that can last for many years without fading or peeling. Moreover, cow dung paint is resistant to weather and environmental factors, making it a great choice for use in areas with high humidity

Conclusion:
In conclusion, cow dung paint is a sustainable and eco-friendly option for homes and public spaces in India. By choosing cow dung paint, we can reduce our environmental impact and promote healthier living. It is important to choose the right paint based on your needs and budget, and to prepare the walls properly before painting. With the right preparation and choice of paint, cow dung paint can provide a long-lasting and beautiful finish that is also beneficial for the environment.

What are Natural Paints?

Natural paints, made from organic and non-toxic ingredients, are gaining popularity around the world as a healthier and eco-friendly alternative to conventional paints. In India too, natural paints are becoming more widely available, providing an opportunity for homeowners to create a healthier and more sustainable living environment.

Why has there been a shift to using natural paints?

Past few years have witnessed an increase in the level of awareness of people towards sustainable living. There has been a saying: Think globally, act locally and when it comes to painting our own homes why not take the first step. India has had the tradition of using cow dung in the most useful ways possible, to meet daily needs ranging from fuel to making a primer of cow dung mixture on village houses which served the purpose of maintaining a thermal balance both in summers and winters, also the antibacterial and antifungal properties of cow dung keep insects, bacteria and mosquitos at bay.

Launch of Khadi Prakritik Paints

Keeping these magical properties of cow dung in mind India launched “Khadi Prakritik Paints”, the first sustainable, eco-friendly paints in January 2021. What makes this product outstand the rest of the paints in the market is not just the unique method of production, but also its awesome properties such as being: odorless, ecological and natural, non-toxic, free from any kind of heavy metals such as chromium, mercury, lead, arsenic, cadmium etc, besides, it’s also antifungal and antibacterial!

Approved by Bureau of Indian Standards

The Bureau of Indian Standards certified the Khadi Prakritik Paints for being free from lead and any kind of heavy metals. This was an important step taken by the government since most of the paint brands present in the Indian market are nothing but a cocktail of harmful chemicals which not only affects the people applying it in their homes but also the people who are present at the site while its manufacturing takes place.

Application of paint, drying time, thinning properties, finishing and rest of the test parameters set for any kinds of paint have been passed by the Khadi paints. This all reciprocated in highlighting it as an “ecological paint” which takes less than four hours to dry and gives a smooth and uniform finish.
Additionally, it has also been successfully verified that both emulsion and distemper paints, which are available in the color white have the possibility of being translated into any color and can be applied on both internal and external walls.

Ashta Labh of Khadi Prakritik Paints

When History repeats itself the long lost traditions come back to place their foot back in the growing modern world to make them alive again! Our ancestors have been using the mixture of cow dung to coat the surfaces of their houses walls and ground floorings.

Cow – Dung claims to possess a lot of magical and anti-bacterial properties which keep infections and other diseases at bay, and they seem to have decoded this phenomenon way back and hence did the practice in wake of keeping their families and surroundings clean, fresh and healthy.

But with the passing time, this practice got eloped somewhere whose consequences are a number of new diseases in the air! It is important to grow but one should never leave his/her roots and the traditional practices which have been serving through ages.

Hence Khadi India has come with a twist to once again to alive and reinforce the practice of using cow – dung coat on the walls of houses, but in form of a paint, which seems to go in lines with the modern demands.

It claims to have a number of benefits which is coated under the “Ashta Labh” which are as follows:-

Anti – Bacterial

Prakritik Paints disinfects surfaces and eliminates potentially harmful bacterial growth.

Anti-Fungal

The Khadi Prakritik Paints is a natural resistant, as it prohibits the development of any kind of fungal infection. These paints are breathable, which means they allow moisture to escape from walls, reducing the risk of mould and mildew growth.

Eco-Friendly

The Prakritik Paints are free from any kind of harmful chemicals and do not release toxic fumes in the environment. Hence being an Organic product, they promote “Green Living” and help to conserve energy and prevent any sorts of air or water pollution, making them an eco-friendly option.

Cost – Effective

It possesses a lot of versatile qualities and attributes, still is a cost-effective option in the market, as is budget friendly!

Free from Heavy chemicals

Lead, Arsenic, Cadmium, Mercury, Selenium, Chromium and Antimony are some of the heavy metals which leads to serious diseases. Khadi Prakritik Paints are free from all sorts of heavy metals, thus making it a sustainably viable option!

Odour Less

Prakritik Paints are free from any type of unpleasant smell, instead it makes your surroundings pleasant with breathable custom smell.

Natural Thermal Insulator

Just a single coat of this paint is sufficient to provide your residence achieving a -2 degree of the outside temperature, making it a natural thermal insulator.

Non – Toxic

Prakritik Paints are made from natural and non – toxic ingredients, making them safe for use in homes, schools, hospitals etc. Khadi Prakritik Paints are breathable and provides your walls with a toxin – free fresh feel with every coat.

This Paint is washable, waterproof, durable, and dries quickly in just four hours of time. It confirms to the BIS Standards. Khadi Prakritik Emulsion paints comes in white colour base with a matt finish. It can be developed into any colour by mixing suitable coloured pigments.
Khadi Prakritik paints are popularly known as Prakritik Paints, Cow Dung Paints, Natural Paints, Eco-friendly Paints and Vedic Paints. This is an amazing product by Khadi India. Its use should be maximised to not just support the farmers but in general the village economy and even the non-milking cows.

Vastu Benefits of Cow Dung Paints

Natural paints are the ones which are manufactured from naturally occurring ingredients such as Clay, Milk, Lime, Casein, Cow Dung etc. The Khadi Prakritik paints are the ones which are made from Cow Dung being the man ingredient.

When we talk about the benefits of Cow Dung, the list is never ending. Cow Dung is used as a natural fertilizer as it improves soil quality and increases crop yield. It is also used as a source of fuel, as a natural pesticide etc. It is even used as a building material and for biogas generation. It has a lot of medicinal properties as well and is believed to treat many ailments because of the anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial qualities.

Also, Cow Dung is considered to be very sacred in a country like India and even used in many festivals and rituals apart from it supplementing daily household needs! Since the Khadi Prakritik Paints are made using Cow Dung and other naturally occurring ingredients, hence it does not require high level of repeated processing and manufacturing.

This product was initially developed by the Gram Udyog and KVIC and is now supported by several registered manufacturers who have adopted the manufacturing process continuing the legacy of Khadi India. The paint is termed as “Organic” as it contains only organic products. This paint claims to have zero VOC’s which in itself is an embarking achievement in the field of manufacturing paints.

The paint also provides the user with “Ashta Labh”. Not only this since Cow Dung is considered to be sacred, it also helps in eliminating all the vastu related problems of the house and where ever it is used. It claims to reduce the inside temperature to 2 degrees of the outside temperature hence providing a cooling effect naturally in summers. Using Cow Dung brings “Sukh, Shanti and samridhi” which implies to calmness, happiness and prosperity in the house. Cow Dung’s use as a sacred ceremonial entity engulfs the whole India with Southern part also contributing immensely. “GruhPravesh” that is house welcoming ceremony, Havans, puja etc all witness the use of cow dung as a pious placement.

The Khadi Prakritik paints brings a lot more benefits to your doorsteps which chemical paints definitely miss a chance at! It is strongly recommended to use these paints to the maximum level possible to not only support an industrial material but also to save non-milking cows and promote the farmers.

So go ahead and buy the paints!

Motivation Behind the Opening Ceremony

It happened to be, that one day Mr Sudhesh was reading a Newspaper when he came across an advertisement of cow dung paints and that government of India has launched a totally new training centre which promotes the manufacturing of Prakritik paints.
Then he researched a bit more about where the training of manufacturing process was taking place and talked to like minded people who were interested in creating a Business which would just not be good from an industry perspective but will also help farmers to raise their income and save the cows as they will become a source of income even if they are not capable of milking!
Having this idea being woven and spun in the wheels of brain of like-minded people gave birth to Indian Ocean Paints in October 2021. Indian Ocean Paints is a company which supports the initiative of government of India of making paint from cow dung.
Khadi Prakritik Paints were initially launched in January 2021 by GOI, and got entangled with the line of thought of Mr Jai Prakash and Mr Sudhesh who are the founders of the company. This company has taken off a flight since then to reach heights and is planning of go even higher with time.