What’s The Most Accurate Homemade Pregnancy Test?

Can you make a pregnancy test at home? Will it be accurate? There are lots of DIY tests with simple ingredients touted to produce reliable results. Some of the most commonly used are sugar, salt, dish soap and even vinegar. Here’s a look at each.

  • Homemade conception tests may not be 100% accurate.
  • However, accompanied with some obvious early pregnancy symptoms, they can help determine a conception.
  • A homemade pregnancy testing kit is discrete and will help you keep your privacy.

You can prepare an at-home pregnancy testing kit with sugar, bleach, salt, dish soap, shampoo, baking soda, vinegar etc. But which one is the most accurate?

What is a homemade pregnancy test?

It is a free test you make at home to establish whether you are pregnant or not. You can also rely on such a method when you do not want to arouse any suspicion pertaining to your status.

Tests made at home are much cheaper compared to the standard commercial testing kits.

You will however need to be very careful when performing the test. The instructions have to be followed to the latter for accurate results to be obtained.

How to make a home pregnancy test?

Many experiments discussed below rely on the use of urine. You must therefore make sure that you use the morning first urine to carry out the experiments.

This urine is preferred as it has the highest levels of HCG hormones that are present in all pregnant women. Here are some of the best homemade pregnancy tests. They are not ordered according to accuracy.

1. Salt test

Salt is considered to be a pure chemical as it is crystalline in nature. It is able to detect the presence of HCG hormones in your urine.

You can therefore use salt to establish whether you are pregnant. Here’s how to make a pregnancy test with salt.

  1. Use a clean container to collect your first-morning
  2. Add several salt pinches to the salt.
  3. The salt should become like milk cheese if you are pregnant.

Here’s a video done by a 5 months’ pregnant woman demonstrating the results of this test.

2. Test with sugar

Sweets can be used to establish whether you are expecting a child or not. For a sugar test, you have to collect the first-morning urine, a clean container and white granulated sugar. Here’s how to do it at home.

  1. Place the sugar granules in your container.
  2. Add the urine sample into the container.
  3. Allow it ten minutes to react.
  4. A positive result will cause the sugar to form clumps.
  5. Negative pregnancy will cause the sugar granules to dissolve in the urine.

Ensure you use a few drops of the urine sample.

3. Bleach pregnancy test

Fabric bleach is considered to be an effective (and most accurate) way to establish whether you could be expectant.

The remedy should however only be used outdoors or in a room that has proper ventilation. Bleach may release some fumes that could make it very difficult for you to breathe. Here’s how to carry it out.

Using the bleach test

  1. Measure a single cup of bleach
  2. Add the urine collected in the morning after waking up to the bleach
  3. Stir it thoroughly
  4. Allow the bleach and urine solution to rest for around ten minutes

How to read the results: See the picture below.

Homemade pregnancy test with bleach
Results of using bleach

A positive result will lead to formation of a blend.

No changes are noticed if the result is negative.

4. Baking soda pregnancy and gender test

Baking soda is another handy remedy that you can use when preparing a DIY homemade pregnancy kit. It is easy to prepare and does not harm your health in any way. The baking soda remedy can also be used to test for gender of your baby.

Directions

  1. Get a clean bowl and two teaspoons of baking soda
  2. Place the baking soda in the bowl
  3. The first-morning urine should then be added to the baking soda

Here’s a picture of the possible results for gender and expectancy as well.

Homemade pregnancy test picture 2 - gender test with baking soda
Baking soda gender test results.

The presence of bubbles indicates that you are expecting a boy child

No reaction could mean that you are pregnant with a girl or are not pregnant at all.

5. Vinegar DIY pregnancy test

Vinegar is an ingredient that is used in many Chinese cuisines. It also happens to be a diluted acid in chemical terms. The HCG hormone present during pregnancy reacts with the vinegar to give a quick result.

The acid assists in detecting the presence of HCG in the urine to tell you whether you are expectant or not. Here’s how to do a vinegar test yourself at home.

  1. Collect the first early morning urine in a clean plastic cup.
  2. Use another bowl to measure the vinegar.
  3. Take the urine and pour it to the bowl with the vinegar.
  4. Standby and observe any changes that could be present.

Reading the results: A color change will mean that you are indeed pregnant.

No observable change means the test is negative. Ensure you do not pour the urine in a rapid manner as this could cause frothing or bubbling.

6. Shampoo test for pregnancy

The analysis is very similar to the one carried out using dish soap or toothpaste. Adding or mixing shampoo with your urine will help determine whether your urine contains the HCG pregnancy hormone or not.

Here’s how to do the shampoo test at home:

  1. Collect the urine sample in a clean cup or bowl.
  2. Take a small amount of shampoo and mix it with water.
  3. Ensure that it has been properly
  4. The shampoo water should then be added into the urine bowl.
  5. Give it a few minutes.

Reading positive and negative results: formation of bubbles is a confirmation that you are expecting a child.

7. Dish soap

Dish soap is more readily available in many homesteads as compared to bleach. It is a great remedy for a homemade pregnancy test as the reaction will only take a few minutes for it to take place. It also does not require any kind of preparation.

  • Use your first urine of the day (in the morning).
  • Combine soap and foam to come up with a bubble solution.
  • Add a quarter of the solution to three-quarters of the urine collected earlier.

How to read the positive and negative results:

A positive pregnancy test leads to the solution turning greenish. No change is an indication that the test is negative.

8. Dandelion Leaves

Using dandelion leaves to test for pregnancy
Dandelion leaves.

The leaves from the dandelion plant are very efficient in confirming your pregnancy status. Ensure that you get dandelion leaves and not flowers for an early pregnancy test if you want somewhat accurate results.

Using dandelion leaves

  • Gather a few leaves and chop them up.
  • Place the chopped leaves in a clean and airtight container.
  • Confirm that the container is dry prior to adding the leaves.
  • Place your container in an area away from direct sunlight.
  • Drink as much water as possible. It will help in getting your bladder running.
  • Urinate on the leaves that are in your airtight container. You should try and do this early in the morning. Ensure that your leaves are submerged in the urine.
  • Allow ten minutes to pass by without disturbing the container

Reading the results:

Check the leaves after ten minutes. Presence of red bumps on the dandelion leaves will mean that you are pregnant. No bumps mean you are not pregnant.

9. Pine Sol

Pine soil is a remedy used in cleaning houses. It includes pine oil and is deemed to be very effective in such experiments. It is often relied on as a home cleaning agent.

Here’s how to use pine sol to test if you are pregnant or not.

  • Pour some pine sol in a clean bowl and then urinate on it
  • A color change indicates you are pregnant and vice versa

You can make pine sol at home by following these steps

  • Take different pine tree parts, e.g., needles, twigs and cones and combine them together in a bowl
  • Urinate on these ingredients
  • Leave it alone for at least ten minutes
  • Look for a color change to confirm you are pregnant.

10. Wheat and barley seeds

The wheat and barley seeds home remedy is the go-to solution when looking for a homemade pregnancy test that will work. It is a remedy that has been used since time immemorial.

  • Collect half a cup of barley seeds and half a cup of wheat seeds
  • Properly mix two types of seeds
  • Measure a few drops of your first-morning urine and add them to this mix
  • Allow the combined seeds a few days
  • Sprouting means that you are pregnant
  • A negative test is shown by failure of the seeds to sprout after a few days have elapsed

11. Red Cabbage

A cabbage can also be used in making a home testing kit. It is a DIY experimentation that kit that also provides very accurate results. You have to gather the following before you can proceed:

  • 2 clean jars
  • A single cabbage
  • One water pan

Preparation

  1. Take your cabbage and split it into two
  2. Place one part of the cabbage in the water
  3. Boil it for around ten minutes
  4. Give it enough time to cool down
  5. Strain all the water to an empty jar
  6. Obtain another empty container and use it to collect your urine
  7. You must make sure that your urine and water are of similar quantities
  8. Carefully combine the urine and water collected earlier

The water will change to a red/pinkish shade as a confirmation of you being pregnant.

12. Wine pregnancy test

It is yet another test that has been used for many years in testing pregnancy at home. Some people call it the Medieval Test.

Here’s how to do a wine test and interpret the results.

Wine pregnancy test at home
Wine test
  • Measure equal amounts of wine and urine.
  • Ensure they are properly and thoroughly combined.
  • Let the solution rest for around ten minutes.

Reading and interpreting the results: A change in the color will confirm that you are indeed pregnant.

13. Toothpaste

Toothpaste is one ingredient that is available in all homesteads. It is therefore considered to be the easiest and most readily available home ingredient for testing. But how do you toothpaste to check for pregnancy?

  • Ensure you have a white plain toothpaste.
  • Do not rely on the use of gel toothpaste.

You should allow it three minutes before checking the results. A blue result indicates that you are pregnant.

14. Mustard seed

If you are looking for a homemade pregnancy test that does not use urine, try mustard seed. It is one of the few methods that do not rely on the use of urine. Your periods must however be late before you can attempt to use the testing method.

How to test

  • Fill your bathtub with warm water.
  • Take grounded mustard powder and place it in the tub.
  • Soak your entire body into the tub.
  • Stay in the water for at least thirty minutes.
  • Use plain water to take your shower.

In case your periods occur within a day or two after conducting this experiment, it indicates that the delayed period could have been caused by other unknown factors. You should hold a consultation with your gynecologist to learn why this is the case.

Failure to get your periods will be a confirmation that you are pregnant.

15. Vinegar and tuna juice

Another easy to use homemade pregnancy test that is also very efficient and accurate is vinegar combined with tuna juice.

  • Measure a quarter cup of tuna juice and vinegar in a container that is clean
  • Use a different cup to collect your urine sample
  • Add the urine to this mixture
  • Give it a few minutes to rest

How to read and interpret this experiment:

If this solution turns green in color, the result is positive. You are definitely pregnant. But if the color is yellowish-orange it means that the result is negative.

16. Use urine itself

All that is needed for this particular test is access to your urine sample as well as practicing lots of patience.

  • Collect the urine sample in a jar that is clean and dry.
  • Ensure you place the container with your sample in a flat area.
  • You should not shake or touch the jar.
  • Allow it to remain there for one day.
  • Proceed to check whether any white layer has been formed at the top of the urine sample after the elapse of twenty-four hours.

Formation of a white layer is a confirmation of pregnancy. No layer means you are not pregnant.

17. Onion insertion

It is a test that has been used for many years by the ancient Greeks but one that may sound quite crazy to an ordinary person. Here’s what to do at home:

  • Obtain an onion and slice it into tiny pieces
  • Take one slice and place it in the vagina
  • Smell your breath in the morning
  • An onion breath means that you are expectant.

Ancient Greeks believed that a pregnant woman’s vagina has the potential to absorb the juices present in an onion. The absorbed juices would then go into her bloodstream causing the onion-breath the following day.

Additional tips

You have to keep the following points in mind if you want to succeed in preparing your own homemade pregnancy test.

  1. You need to bear in mind that this test should only be used as a way of confirming that you are indeed pregnant. Do not treat it as an alternative pregnancy care method.
  2. They may not provide you with an accurate result during the early days of your pregnancy. You can only use it from the moment you miss the first period.
  3. Only the first-morning urine should be used in this kind of Store the urine in a sealed container if your intention is to take this test later.
  4. You can wait for the first pregnancy signs like morning sickness and delayed periods to manifest before taking this test.
  5. Take at least three exams so that you can be sure of the result
  6. Disappointments can be avoided by ensuring you use the exact quantities specified in each experiment. Do not use more or less of what has been specified.
  7. DIY experiments may necessitate the use of masks. It helps ensure that you will not end up inhaling harmful substances.
  8. Only containers that are made of plastic should be used during testing
  9. You can dispose of the containers immediately the experiment is completed and the results obtained.

What is the best, most accurate homemade pregnancy test?

Peroxide and Tylenol are considered one of the best experiments for testing pregnancy at home. Both items are available at home making it easy to retrieve and use them.

Pour a quarter cup of peroxide in a plastic tin and combine it with two tablets of Tylenol. The method will not require you to wait so that you can test your urine.

Therefore proceed to pour a quarter cup of your urine to the concoction prepared above. A blue color means that the result is positive. No change will mean that you are not pregnant.

First signs and symptoms of pregnancy

It is natural to assume that the first indication of pregnancy is a missed or late period. But this is not always the case. Your reproductive system is very different from that of your friend or relative.

It will therefore have a different reaction to pregnancy. Some of the early pregnancy signs that you need to look for will include:

  • An increase in your appetite
  • Nausea in the morning
  • Swollen breasts that are sensitive to your touch
  • Strange sense of smell
  • Frequent urge to urinate
  • Unusual abdominal bloating, similar to that during period.
  • Mood alterations that may lead to frequent cases of sobbing
  • Fatigue or general body weakness
  • Increased food cravings
  • Constipation

This does not mean that you will end up experiencing all these symptoms at once. You may find yourself going through the first trimester without any symptoms at all. They could last for between twelve and sixteen weeks after they manifest themselves.

You should try and keep crackers close by as they can assist in relieving your symptoms.

When should you test?

When should you perform a test to get accurate results? The question tends to be tricky due to the divergent views held by different women.

You should however try and wait for the symptoms to start showing before you can test.

Take the pregnancy test as soon as the early symptoms have begun to show. You must however keep in mind that it may take a few weeks before your body can start producing the HCG hormone that is directly related to you being pregnant.

You may try resting for a few days if the initial test comes back negative, and you still believe that you are pregnant.

It is common for this to happen. It is one of the most frequent advantages attributed to taking the homemade pregnancy tests. They are cheap, affordable, easy to perform, and can be conducted at any time or place.