Resetting Clearblue Easy Ovulation Prediction Kit for Reuse

Clearblue easy sells a well-reviewed ovulation prediction kit (OPK) that essentially reads an ovulation strip and digitally tells the user whether or not she is in her fertile window. At $30-$40 for a pack of 20 tests ($25-$35 for a pack of 7 tests), they aren't the cheapest option out there.

Included in each box is a digital test reader, and sealed test sticks. You open and insert a test stick into the reader each day and test your urine, and then wait for the digital read out that comes in the form a smiley face or an empty circle.

On our first pack, we got a smiley face on the second day! I thought we could use it again next month with the same tester and the other 18 test sticks, but everything I read online seemed to say we'd have to buy a new pack. Anyways, I cracked open the digital test reader, and found a couple of batteries, and a microchip controller (Holtek HT48C06, http://www.holtek.com/english/docum/uc/48x050608_1.htm). I didn't want the results from last month to affect the reader this month, so I popped out the batteries and put them back in to hopefully reset any counter or memory in the reader.

I also bought another pack for this month so I'd have two testers (one new and one reset) to make sure everything is working as it should. And we got two smiley faces on Day 14! A couple caveats: I don't know that removing the battery actually resets anything. It could be that you could just keep using the tester and it would work just fine. A better experiment might be to have one tester that has been reset, one new tester, and one tester that has not been reset to then see how each performs, but at $30/box and ~$1 per test stick, it's an expensive experiment I'm not going to be doing any time soon. If any readers do try this out, let us know in the comments! Alternatively, if you can make sense of the technical document for the Holtek chip, likewise, we'd love to know!

Final note: while Clearblue does not sell refill packs of the test sticks, the test sticks for the Fertility Monitor seem to fit inside the OPK testers. This month we've just been using the test sticks from the OPK boxes, and if we go again next month, I'll be giving the fertility monitor test sticks a try. The Fertility Monitor Test sticks come in boxes of 30, and are about $30-$40 from Amazon.

Step 1: Open Tester

On the side above the display, there is a notch you can use to open the tester. I use a quarter, which fits in nicely, or you can use a spudger (if you have one). Pry the tester open, and pull apart. The top should snap off.

Step 2: Take Out the Batteries

See the silver batteries in the center there? There are two flat button batteries in the center. You will need something thin and flat to push those buttons out of the compartment. Do this for both of the buttons.

Step 3: Replace the Batteries

Now that the batteries are out, put them back in! Flat side down, if you didn't note that when you took them out. Push them in firmly with your finger, and then close the tester back up by snapping the cover back on. And you're done!

Step 4: Finished!

If you need more test sticks, I believe the Clearblue Easy Fertility Monitor test sticks work in the OPK testers. I opened one up and it definitely fits, but we haven't tried it out yet since we've just been using the test sticks in our OPK boxes.

Again, I'm not sure if this does anything, and all I know is that the tester gave the same results as a new tester we had bought and used alongside the one we had "reset". Please let us know in the comments if this ends up helping you, or if you can provide more data points! I'm sure the Fertility Monitor does a bit more (tells you high, low fertility, etc.), but for those who just want a positive/negative, I think this works great!