That morning cup of joe has a pH around 5—pretty acidic, which is why it’s bitter. If you add a dash of milk (pH 6.7), you’re raising the pH and making it less harsh. But if you swirl in baking soda (a high-pH champ), your coffee turns into a fuzzy, metallic mess. It’s like seasoning a steak with sugar—technically possible, but why would you? A higher pH in your drink usually makes it taste flatter, like the ambition of a Monday morning.
Your Laundry’s Dark Secret
Ever notice how your white socks come out of the wash looking slightly gray? That’s often because your detergent is too high in pH. Alkaline water can make whites whiter (yay!), but it can also make colors bleed like a bad watercolor painting. It’s the same reason you don’t use dish soap for your hair—trust me, I’ve tried it, and my mane looked like a distressed hedgehog.
