Lucy Flynn, BABYGO® team
The box is on the edge of the bath, the leaflet unfolds to the size of a tea towel, and you've got one go at this before you have to buy another. Here's the short version.
What to do before, how long to hold it in your wee, how long to wait, and how to read what comes up. Clearblue makes a few different tests and the timings differ slightly between them, so where they do, I'll say, and the leaflet in your box has the final word.
Quick answer: Take the cap off, hold the absorbent tip in your wee for 5 seconds, or dip it in a clean, dry cup for the time your leaflet gives (5 to 20 seconds, depending on the test). Keep the tip pointing down, put the cap back on, lay it flat and wait up to 3 minutes. Read it in the window the leaflet gives, not an hour later.
The bits that matter:
- The NHS says home pregnancy tests are accurate as long as you follow the instructions correctly. The leaflet is the instructions.
- Any time of day works for the sample, the NHS says. It doesn't have to be the morning.
- Check the expiry date on the box before you start. An expired test can give a wrong result.
- A positive is almost certainly correct, the NHS says. A negative is less reliable.
Before you take the test
Four things, none of them hard.
Check the date. There's an expiry date on the box. An out of date test can give an inaccurate result, and it's the one thing you can't fix afterwards.
Put the cup of tea down. Drinking a lot before you test dilutes your urine, and with it the hCG the test is looking for. If your level is still low, a watered down sample can push it under what the test can detect, and you get a negative you didn't need. Have the drink after.
Pick your method before you start. Either hold the tip in your wee stream, or wee into a clean, dry container and dip the tip in. Both work. Deciding on the toilet with the cap already off is how tests end up on the floor.
Read the leaflet, then this. Clearblue makes several tests and the dip time and wait time differ slightly between them. Where I give a range below, your leaflet tells you which end applies to yours.
If you're testing before your period is due, timing matters more than technique, and that's a different question. It's answered in how early a Clearblue can detect pregnancy.
How to use a Clearblue pregnancy test
- Take the test out of its wrapper and take the cap off.
- Either hold the absorbent tip in your wee stream for 5 seconds, or dip it into a sample in a clean, dry container for the time on your leaflet, which is 5 seconds for some tests and 20 seconds for others.
- Keep the absorbent tip pointing downwards the whole time. Don't turn it tip up to have a look.
- Put the cap back on and lay the test flat.
- Wait. Up to 3 minutes, and some tests show a result sooner. The leaflet says how long for yours, and how soon you need to read it by.
- Read the result window. What you'll see depends on the test, and the next section covers that.
How long to leave a Clearblue test in your wee
In the stream, 5 seconds, and that's the same across Clearblue's tests. Dipping into a sample is where they differ: 5 seconds on some, 20 seconds on others, and the leaflet in your box says which. Count it out loud if you need to.
| Step | How long |
|---|---|
| Held in your wee stream | 5 seconds |
| Dipped in a clean, dry container | 5 or 20 seconds, depending on the test. The leaflet says which |
| Waiting, cap on, lying flat | Up to 3 minutes. Some tests show sooner |
| Reading the window | Within the time the leaflet gives. Not the next morning |
Positive? Tell us your due date and we'll send what to expect, what to do and what to sort, week by week from here. 10% off when you're ready.
How to read a Clearblue pregnancy test
Depending on which test you've got, the result shows in one of three ways.
- The words Pregnant or Not Pregnant on a digital test. Some digital tests also give a rough idea of how far along you are.
- A plus or a minus.
- Two lines or one line.
Two lines, or a plus, or the word, is a positive, even when the second line is faint. The forum rule is that a line is a line, and the NHS backs it: a positive result is almost certainly correct.
A negative is less reliable, so if there's no line and no period either, the NHS says wait a few days and test again, and speak to your GP if the second test is negative and your period still hasn't come.
Digital tests are what people buy after three faint lines, because the word settles the argument. It's the same hormone read the same way. If a result looks odd, or you've got a positive and can't see how, there's a piece on false positive pregnancy tests that covers the rare reasons.
If it's positive, two things. Work out your due date with our due date calculator, which works from your last period and covers IVF and IUI dates too. And get yourself into NHS pregnancy care: the NHS says to refer yourself to a midwife, and its page on doing a pregnancy test tells you how.
Questions we get asked
Can I drink water before a pregnancy test?
A normal amount, yes. A lot, no. Drinking a lot dilutes your urine and the hCG in it, which can push a low level under what the test can pick up and hand you a negative you didn't need. Test first, then drink.
What if I held the Clearblue in my wee for too long?
A second or two over 5 seconds is unlikely to spoil it. What does spoil a test is turning the tip upwards, or reading it long after the time on the leaflet. If nothing appears in the window at all, use a fresh test.
Is a faint line on a Clearblue a positive?
Yes. A faint second line is still a line, and the NHS says a positive result is almost certainly correct. If you want to see it darker, test again in a couple of days.
Where can I get a pregnancy test?
The NHS says you can buy them from pharmacies and some supermarkets, and get them free from sexual health services, some youth services, Brook centres and your GP.
Do I need to test again after a positive Clearblue?
You don't need to. The NHS says a positive result is almost certainly correct, however faint the line. Plenty of people do a second one anyway, for the photo. The useful next step is working out your due date and getting into NHS pregnancy care.
Then the pregnancy collection is there for the months after the two lines, whenever you're ready.
This is general guidance from the BABYGO® team, not medical advice. Your midwife or GP knows your pregnancy; ask them if anything here doesn't fit your situation.
