Thread: Question for the south africans

yes, Mythbusters agreed

You really CAN polish a turd

Google may find that episode for you

uummm ok, had a look.

i read years ago, that cow poo was mixed with dirt to make foundations. baked by the sun then polished.

They do the same in India,
in traditional village homes, especially the kitchen area, they would water and churn pure cow dung until it was a smooth consistency then smear it over the floor to seal the dirt away. Not sure of the exact technique though, but apparently a floor so clean you could eat off it

And the same technique for floors was used in Australia for earth floors. There was an earth floored house that I know of in a local town near here was still occupied up to the end of last century (burnt down, possibly by accident), and I would be surprised if there were not still a few around.

In 1960 there was still standing a bark roofed, earth floored, house that my mother's family had lived in in the 1920s, in what is now part of the Sydney metropolitan area. (Maraylya)

John

Up to the age of 6 I lived in a house with a dirt kitchen floor in Springvale, Melbourne. Which was at that stage an outer suburb with sheep grazing in paddocks.

I have heard of a similar thing using bullocks blood. Apparently worked well.
No help with the recipe though.

Originally Posted by wovenrovings

I have heard of a similar thing using bullocks blood. Apparently worked well.
No help with the recipe though.

My mum grew up in South Africa in the early 1930's and spoke of floors of mud and bullocks blood. Said it was a common thing and that it polished up to a beautiful mahogany colour.

Deano

Have a look at traditional mud and dung floor making from India here:

Terra Incognita Indica: Traditional Mud Floor Technology

Asre you planning to give something like this a go?

Cheers