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Sunday, September 24, 2017

Just Color My World

'Oh no', I silently wept as the maid who was cleaning the house put her wet hand on my shining surface. The hands were unwashed and had germs besides the dust and grime from the cloth she had used to wipe the kitchen.The story is repeated every day and by the evening as all the members of the house settle down. I can barely relax as the mosquitos and the cockroaches slowly crawl out from the hiding and are running all over me. You must have guessed by now, that I am a poor wall of a middle-class flat in Delhi.

Twenty years ago I was constructed and was painted with a coat of whitewash of lime over a surface prepared by the laborer after applying putty. There was a lot of dust all around but after two coats I was shining white in the broad sunlight. In a matter of few days, the contaminated air from cooking oil, dust from the atmosphere and the gases from the foul smell emanating from a nearby drain, took the sheen away. The erosion due to changes in weather and naughty Bunty's love for painting my surface with lead pencil and color crayons, I aged faster than ever. Mr. Sharma the owner of the house decided to give me a fresh coat.  He was advised to use distemper with an added coat of waterproofing. The fresh coat of paint was a very painful process as the laborers once again scaled my surface with a sharp-edged flat iron sheet and a hard rub of sandpaper. Everone in the house coughed severely from the dust that was raised for many days. After a fresh coat of the paint, I looked neat after three days and was shining once again. This went on for a few more years, but the torture I had to undergo was enormous with no significant change in the situation.

Mr. Sharma this year in March, came across the Asian Paints Royale Atmos advertisement 

highlighting the benefits of the new product. He was terrified to learn that the Odd-Even Formula to curb the pollution on streets of Delhi may have resulted in better quality of air but the air indoor could be five times more polluting than the air outside.  The main reasons were the presence of formaldehyde emanating from the wooden doors, metallic handles, the garbage bin in the house, decomposing plants in the garden, egg shells, cooking gas, carpets, vehicle exhaust from the neighborhood and even the boxes stored in the house.When inhaled over a period of time this could lead to allergies, skin rashes, and even respiratory disease. The new age paint developed by Asian Paints using Activated Carbon Technology for the first time in Royale Atmos brand was capable of neutralizing 60-70% of formaldehyde within 24 hours when tested in international laboratory conditions.The revolutionary paint not only makes the surfaces look better and brighter in the Matt finish but also fights against pollution and makes air cleaner to breathe.

Mr. Sharma has also come across an App called Colour Visualizer by which he can see how the walls will look like by choosing the combination of colors even before painting the walls. Both Mrs. and Mr, Sharma have decided the choice of colors that I will be adorned with just before Diwali! Is it not a great idea :) Imagine the hard time both had in choosing from a range of over 1750 colors! Also, due to the Teflon surface protector, in the color, the durability and strength of the film will increase manyfold.

Mr. Sharma is also following the international trends where nanotechnology will be used in making new paints using titanium dioxide nanoparticles, that will help create self-cleaning and waterproof surfaces.

As of now, around Diwali, I will have a reason to smile from end to end with a new coat of gloss making me shine in the sparkle of the lights

Acknowledgements:

1,  Asian Paints  for the following:
a) YouTube advertisement from Asian Paints Srilanka
b) IndToday link http://indtoday.com/brand-ambassador-shruti-hassan-launches-royale-atmos-a-revolutionary-air-purifying-paint-by-asian-paints/
c) Color Visualizer Link
2. Latest trends in Nanotechnology using carbon nanotubes

PS: This is my submission for the blog contest organized by Asian Paints(https://www.asianpaints.com/atmos.) and Indiblogger

15 comments:

  1. Story from the perspective of a wall !! Interesting! All the best with the contest Sir

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  2. Rahul Ji
    As always very well written. Wishing you all the best in the contest !Rama

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    Replies
    1. So good to see you again Rama! Many thanks for reading and your kind appreciation.

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  3. Interesting take Rahul. We just got repainting done, it's a humoungus task.

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    1. Thanks a lot Alka for finding time to read despite having just accomplished a feat of painting the house:)

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  4. Loved the beginning of this post. Very creative, Sir. Entertaining and informative.

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  5. Ah! if our walls could talk! The things they would have to say!!
    :)

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    Replies
    1. Generally the walls can only hear but some times they say too:)

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  6. I am extraordinarily affected beside your writing talents, Thanks for this nice share.

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  7. Wishing your walls a happily ever after with Asian paints

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    Replies
    1. Ha ha not everyone wishes the walls, Purba! Thanks😃

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