pH Down storage after mixed

[Gingerbeard]

Crap! That pH down stuff in that orange bottle ain't no kind of joke to play on yourself.
Neighbor told me it only needed a half drop to take care of a gallon. The quick answer to adding a half drop was to dip my finger in the bottle and let one fall off. Well, crap. Like I said. I'm a guy. I don't read warnings or ingredients. Them's fer wimmin. Men's okay with scars and burns and such. Wimmin get pissed off.
Okay. First lesson learned. Anything that has -acid listed as it's ingredients is acidic.
Second has to do with using my finger for half a drop. I won't do it again. Running your fingers under the tap to wash it off is feckless. It requires soap and water.
Third is a kind of cross contamination. I didn't wash my fingers with soap. As I got curious about what was in the stuff I picked up the bottle to see what was in it. For some reason I thought to touch the tip of my tongue to my finger. It lit up my tongue with that fire-and-ice sensation at the same moment I read 'Phosphoric Acid' on the bottle. Now it's just sensitive.
Fourth. Blasting with butane in a small box, set on fire, naked, peaking on mushrooms, is safer than this stuff. If it does the trick, I'm in. But I'm buying a box of johnny hats for extra precaution. My personal pH is just fine.

How long will a gallon of water remain pH'd after using the orange pH down bottle?

[FunkyButtLovin]

If you only need 1/2 drop per gallon, your pH is perfect anyway. I use 45 drops to take a gallon of 7.5 down to 6.5

[Gingerbeard]

The pH starts at 7.5. The little drop lowered it to 5.8. Perhaps it was a bigger half drop than I thought?

[FunkyButtLovin]

Plain Vinegar neutralizes it and that's what you'd use to wash out a cup, barrel, etc. that has acid crystallized in it if you want to reuse it. I actually grow outdoors in old acid barrels.

As far as how long it will last I'm not real sure as I always use up my water within 2-3 days. It will crystallize when the water it is suspended in evaporates. I have cuttings that have fallen into the water several times and you can see the crystals on the leaves that have been dunked over and over when I have a hard time keeping them hanging on the lip of the cup.

[Gingerbeard]

I'm all about household solutions FunkyButtLovin. Thanks for that. I only have apple cider vinegar but will get some plain.
Storage of the pH'd would be for a week or more. I'm not at a stage to use more than a gallon in a week. Much less, really. As things grow I'll probably use two or more gallons at a time.
The GO Box nutrients I was using did not need to be pH'd so I never considered it. Even during flowering. I remember molasses or worm tea being downers. Time to recheck.

[Rwise]

The apple cider vinegar has more beneficial stuff in it than white! Also I find it to be temporary at best,,,

[quirk]

This is safer and stabilizes and maintains more consistently than liquid products I've used Gingerbread. 1/8th tsp/gal gets my 8.2 city water to 6.5, I generally use within 4 days.

[Rwise]

That could have been sulfuric acid you stuck that finger in, and it will bring your PH down. I use sulfur which mixes with water and over time makes sulfuric acid in the soil. BTW one can get sulfuric acid fairly cheap, about 10 bucks a quart. (lowes, homedepot, plumbing supplies)

[johnb1963]

i use the the ph down. my tap water is right around 7.95, i use 2.5ml per gal and it lowers it to 6.5-6.9 every time. i got a baby medicine syringe, so it simple to measure.

[Gingerbeard]

I'm going with the afore mentioned and supported, apple cider vinegar. 1.5ml lowers a quart of 7.6pH, dechlorinated water to 6.4. My seedlings need less than that for watering. Nothing nasty about vinegar. No need to store because it's just so darned quick and easy.

[Gingerbeard]

Keep talking StillHigh1982. I'm listening.

[StillHigh1982]

You fuxing guys. This thread makes me happy. Dont dip your fingers in acid. If you do on accident because you're too high or something then make paste from baking soda and water and then dip your pecker in that. If your fingers still burn then put some paste there too.

[johnb1963]

i used to used distilled vinegar, but after several hours the PH is right back where it started. so only mix what you're going to used for one watering.

[Rwise]

That was my finding as well, temporary at best,,,

[Gingerbeard]

Yep...