Memories of the past! – ‘Red wax flooring’

Who remembers the red wax flooring at our grandmothers’ homes? Who still recalls the smell of red wax to which Turpentine essence was added to help clear all spots on the floor once weekly?

Originally made of cement the flooring had to be polished using a “top cut-crosswise dried coconut shell’ in a swaying movement. Then felts, shaped like soles helped to give the final shining look and allowed us to move forward without dirtying the already polished surface !

The Mauritian children had fun ‘skating’ using the felts. What a game it was to be pulled by the hands along the endless corridors of the yesteryear mansions. Often the fall resulted in dirtying the panties and knickers which turned out red, a reason worth being scolded!

NadElle