rainbowflower
July 17th, 2011, 01:33 PM
I bought two lots of sticks. First, by accident, the Chinese ones... and then some from a UK seller which were recommended to me.
The UK ones definitely respond better, but I still struggle to interpret the results. Where there is a lot of CM the paper seems to bleach white, and around that there is a blend of various different shades (slightly green, so no idea which is the correct one). If I wipe the CM off after a bit, it seems to take a lot of the dye off too.
The instructions say to check the pH on the back of the paper if not dipping it in liquid, yet my CM never seems to soak through to the back of the paper more than the tiniest dot.
I'm quite dry down there (sorry!), probably due to BF at the moment... so I struggle to get a sample, and when I do get one perhaps the sample is too small. I don't get enough of a sample to use an electronic pH reader despite trying the cotton-bud trick someone else suggested. I've also tried the cotton-bud trick on the pH paper to see if that will help to have less on there to remove some of the ambiguity but it doesn't help. I've tried smearing the sample over the paper but that again seems to drag colour around too.
I think my pH is just over 5, perhaps 5-5.5... but because all the pHs between 5-7 are greenish I guess it could be a lot higher and I'm reading it wrong. The paper is normally yellow, and turns a mottled light green when my sample is on it.
So, how do you do it? Is there a perfect technique? Do you read the result when the paper is still damp or let it dry? Anyone else have these problems?
ATM I'm not planning on using pH testing as part of my sway, unless I can find a way to make it easier to read as I don't plan on stressing over interpreting it when the time comes.
The UK ones definitely respond better, but I still struggle to interpret the results. Where there is a lot of CM the paper seems to bleach white, and around that there is a blend of various different shades (slightly green, so no idea which is the correct one). If I wipe the CM off after a bit, it seems to take a lot of the dye off too.
The instructions say to check the pH on the back of the paper if not dipping it in liquid, yet my CM never seems to soak through to the back of the paper more than the tiniest dot.
I'm quite dry down there (sorry!), probably due to BF at the moment... so I struggle to get a sample, and when I do get one perhaps the sample is too small. I don't get enough of a sample to use an electronic pH reader despite trying the cotton-bud trick someone else suggested. I've also tried the cotton-bud trick on the pH paper to see if that will help to have less on there to remove some of the ambiguity but it doesn't help. I've tried smearing the sample over the paper but that again seems to drag colour around too.
I think my pH is just over 5, perhaps 5-5.5... but because all the pHs between 5-7 are greenish I guess it could be a lot higher and I'm reading it wrong. The paper is normally yellow, and turns a mottled light green when my sample is on it.
So, how do you do it? Is there a perfect technique? Do you read the result when the paper is still damp or let it dry? Anyone else have these problems?
ATM I'm not planning on using pH testing as part of my sway, unless I can find a way to make it easier to read as I don't plan on stressing over interpreting it when the time comes.