''Siktir!' I'm spitting. Swearing while experiencing pain allows you to endure it nearly fifty percent longer. All skin, except probably mine, is slightly acidic: pH of 4 to 6.5. That's called the acid mantle. I reckon my skin's above 7 because of how much time I spend handling soaps and undiluted ammonia. I'm getting an A in alkalinity. It hurts, of course, but the pain is just chemicals getting pinged to warn me. I know what I'm doing - I am cleaning...' (Publication abstract)