Question 1

Can they be used to test the PH of bodily fluids such as the PH in the vagina?

Accepted Answer

To test that, I've read that the pH needs to have more resolution at the low/acidic end than is available here. Healthy vaginal pH is 4.5. If you vaginal pH is under 4 or over 4 on these strips, then you'll have an answer, but if it's exactly at 4, you won't know on which side of 4.5 you fall. There are vagina-specific pH strips that give more resolution on Amazon (ie, they go from 1 to 7 by 0.5 increments), but the number of strips they provide is measly for the same price - it's the pink tax.

Question 2

Is there any reason why I couldn't use these to test the pH in cheese I'm making?

Accepted Answer

I don't know for sure but I would think you could use them to test cheese in the liquid form.  They are designed to test liquids -- I would think.  You might be able to test solid cheese be soaking the cheese in water for a long time and testing the water -- just a thought.  Even then, you'll have to be careful what water you use because some have slight PH variations.  Last thought is that it is possible you could rub the cheese against the litmus tester and see if that works but I don't have a good feel for that either.  Sorry I couldn't be of more help.

Question 3

Want to test rain water used for house plants, is this the right strip to use?

Accepted Answer

It depends on the pH range you are most interested in.  My formulations require acidification from neutral (pH7 down to pH4.5) for which these strips are perfect (note where the colors transition in rows 1 and 2). Check the color range in the illustration:  where there is a transition from one color to another in any of the 4 rows is where the strips are most useful.

Question 4

I want to test shampoos, conditioners, and hair oils.  Will this read accurately by just dipping into product?

Accepted Answer

For water based shampoos and conditioners: YES. For oils NO (see last paragraph for more info on oils).

I would use the following procedure: first wet the strip with tap water, shake off excess water, then drop the product onto all four pads. 
If the product is highly colored or opaque blot it off before reading. Note: these test strips are not fragile! You don't have to be super careful as another answerer
suggested (although her advice is good for cheaper strips). Also these strips NO NOT BLEED. That is one of their prime advantages -- you could actually just dip the
wet strip into the product with little worry about contamination.

Chemically, if a substance is really an oil you can't measure it's pH at all by any means. It doesn't have a pH. The paper will
just read 7 (no effect). However some products are sold as "oils" but are really thick water based syrups or emulsions (Murphy's
Oil Soap comes to mind). For these products you can measure pH as above.

You can test whether t is an oil or not  by adding a tablespoon of the product to an inch of water in a glass, 
then stir. If a separate oil layer appears on top, and the water remains clear then it is an oil. If there 
is a separate liquid layer but the water is colored or cloudy then it is a mixture of an oil and other
perhaps water-based substances. If two layers don't form at all then it is not an oil or it is an emulsion.

Manufacturer	Macherey-Nagel
Country of Origin	USA
Model number	FBA_92110
Item Weight	8.49 g
Product Dimensions	6.5 x 1.19 x 8.99 cm; 8.5 g
Item model number	FBA_92110
Item Height	3.54 Inches
Item Width	0.47 Inches
Are batteries included?	No

Macherey-Nagel 92110 0-14 pH Indicator Strips 100/Box

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