How to Use a pH Tester

The pH number of a solution -- whether pool water, your blood or your urine -- refers to the acidity or alkalinity of the solution. Keeping the pH number balanced will help keep you and the water you use healthy. Water that is too acidic becomes corrosive. If your body is too alkaline it could get too much of certain minerals, such as potassium. Using pH test strips can help you find the pH of your water or your body so that you can take actions to keep each at the appropriate level.

Things You'll Need

• pH testing strips
• pH color guide

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Instructions

• 1

  Buy pH test strips from a pool and hot tub product store or a health store. Buy from the pool and hot tub store to test water acidity. Buy from the health store to test body acidity through saliva or urine. Don't buy litmus paper.

• 2

  Ask the vendor for a pH test strip color guide. This guide displays a number of colors, much like you might see when picking out a paint color, only the colored squares are much smaller. Each color corresponds to a level of acidity or baseness.

• 3

  Place the testing end of one pH test strip in the water, saliva or urine for 30 seconds. Compare the color on the test strip to the color guide. The color on the strip that matches the color on the guide the closest is the pH level of the liquid.