In today’s guide, I’ll show how to test your pH level without strips. As you probably already know, pH test strips aren’t very accurate, they can be a pain to use, and they’re messier than the methods you’ll learn today.
By the way, good afternoon, I’m the host of Alkaline Water Machine Source, Pete. I’m glad to have you here today because pH is a big part of my site.
I know how important testing your body pH is. It’s a great way to know for sure if your alkaline diet or water ionizer are doing the trick to get your pH in check.
Acidic urine and alkaline urine can both cause kidney stones, and nobody wants to deal with the intense pain that comes with those.
Without further ado, let’s jump into how to test your pH level without strips.
Then, I’ll share some bonus information that’ll help you better understand the importance of your pH and how alkaline ionized water can help optimize your pH.
How to Test Your pH Level Without Strips: The Most Accurate Method
Have you ever heard of a digital pH meter? A lot of people use them, including gardeners and aquarium owners who want to test the pH of their water.
These meters also happen to be great for testing your urine pH. They give you a more accurate reading than an unreliable pH test strip.
A decent digital pH meter can measure your pH down to the hundredth or .01. This is a much more accurate reading than any paper pH strip will give you.
Click Here #ad or the image below for a reliable pH meter that’ll get the job done:
There are even better meters than the one above, but this one by Dr. Meter is sufficient for measuring urine pH.
You get everything you need with this meter by Dr. Meter including a carrying case, pH buffer powder for calibration, and lifetime customer service.
Now, let’s go over the steps to test your pH level with a digital pH meter.
How to Prepare the Meter
Supplies you need:
- The meter
- Distilled water
- The included pH buffer powder
- Clean soft cloth
- 3 glasses
- Measuring cup
First, you need to calibrate the meter to make sure it’s accurate for when you start to test your urine pH.
How to Calibrate the meter:
- Prepare 3 glasses, each with 250 mL of distilled water that is 77°F
- Pour one pack of the included pH buffer powder into each glass (the kit includes 1 – pH 4.00 powder, 1- pH 6.86 powder, and 1 – pH 9.18 powder)
- Allow the powder to fully dissolve in the water
- Turn on the meter by pressing the on/off button
- Remove the cap and submerge the blue electrode in the pH 6.86 solution
- Allow it to sit until it stabilizes
- Press and hold the “CAL” button for 5 seconds
- Allow the meter to stay submerged until you get a reading of 6.86
- Remove the meter
- Rinse the meter and use a clean cloth to gently pat dry the electrode
- Repeat steps 5 – 10 for the pH 4.00 and pH 9.18 solutions
- Once you finish, put the cap back on and turn off the meter
How to Test Your pH Level with the Meter
Once the meter has been properly calibrated, you’re ready to test the pH of your urine.
Here are the steps:
- Designate a hard plastic cup that you’ll use only to test your urine (be extra careful if you use glass not to break it)
- To get an accurate idea of your urine pH, it’s best to test your urine first thing in the morning
- Urinate directly into the glass with your very first bit of urine
- Make sure to get enough in the cup so you can completely submerge the meter’s electrode (if not, you won’t get an accurate reading)
- Put the cup aside while you finish urinating (this takes some skill)
- Turn on your pH meter and remove the cap
- Submerge the electrode in your urine cup until you get a steady reading
- Record the pH, date, and time to make it easier to track your progress later
- Rinse the electrode and around the electrode with distilled water to ensure there’s no urine remaining on the meter
- Replace the cap, put the meter back in its case, and store it in a cool, dry, dark place
If you want to avoid touching your urine, pick up a pack of nitrile gloves to use during the process.
I prefer nitrile gloves because latex can sometimes irritate my skin.
A Second Alternative to pH Test Strips
There’s a second alternative to strips that’s not as accurate as a digital meter for testing urine, but you may still prefer it over the strips.
In the past, I’ve used pH tester drops. If you prefer to measure the pH of your saliva, these drops may be perfect for you.
Click Here #ad or the image below to check out a popular brand at Amazon that people are using to test urine and saliva pH levels:
This 3-pack is affordable and will last you a long time.
How to Use pH Drops to Test Urine and Salvia pH
Testing urine and/or saliva with these drops is mostly straightforward:
- Use a small cup or glass to collect your urine or saliva (just not both at the same time you rascal)
- Since it’s hard to collect as much saliva as urine, you can tip the cup or glass to collect the saliva in the corner of the cup
- Squeeze 2-3 tester drops into your saliva or urine
- Allow the drops to mix
- Within a few seconds, your saliva or urine will change color
- Match the color with the included pH test chart to get your pH reading
Alkaline pH leans toward a bluish color while acidic pH is more orange.
Here are the disadvantages of the drops compared to the meter:
- Less accurate
- Since slightly acidic readings are similar to the color of yellowish urine, it can be tough to tell exactly what the reading is
- The process is a bit messier, which is part of the reason I like to avoid using strips
The main advantage is you can test your salvia with drops while it’s difficult to test or get an accurate reading when testing saliva with a digital meter.
Now you know how to test your pH level without strips.
Before I finish, here’s some beneficial information you may be interested in.
Ideal Urine pH and Saliva pH
Normal urine pH ranges from slightly acidic to very slightly alkaline: 6.0 to 7.5.
However, it can range from 4.5 to 8.0 in healthy individuals.
Your urine pH can also change throughout the day. That’s why it’s recommended to test your urine several times a day in the beginning to get an accurate understanding of how your urine pH fluctuates over a 24-hr period.
You can also get a better understanding of how the water you drink and the food you eat affect your urine pH.
Urine pH and Kidney Stones
Urine pH is a great indicator of kidney health as it relates to renal stone disease or kidney stones.
A urine pH that is too alkaline or too acidic can cause kidney stones.
People with acidic urine more often form uric acid stones. Urine with a higher pH (within the ideal range) can transport uric acid out of the body at a faster rate.
For this reason, many gout sufferers have started finding relief by drinking alkaline ionized water to help rid the body of excess uric acid.
Why You Should Test Your pH
By testing your pH, you can get a better idea of your overall health.
The Western diet is full of acidic foods and a lot of tap water is slightly acidic.
Plus, a lot of popular bottled water brands are slightly acidic.
In reality, the primary reason a lot of us benefit from alkaline water is due to bombarding our bodies with acidity for so long.
If you decide to invest in a water ionizer or other alkaline water filter, it’s a good idea to test your pH along the way.
This way, you can confirm whether alkaline water is helping you get your pH in check.
People who are suffering from kidney stones will benefit the most since urine pH directly relates to the formation of kidney stones.
Final Thoughts
I’m confident that if you made it this far you know how to test your pH level without strips.
Personally, I prefer a meter over the drops for testing urine because it’s more accurate, faster, and less messy.
The meter I included above is a good choice for testing your pH at home for many years to come.
Plus, now you know why it’s important to test your pH and how it affects your health.
The best way to reverse harmful acidity is with the help of alkaline ionized water and more fruits & veggies in your diet.
Less soda and more purified water with a pH of 7 or above doesn’t hurt either.
