That's a very clever temporary solution! People have also used ladies' knee high hose. I haven't tried it.

The reason I suggested distilled water is because it would be pH neutral pH=7). Tap water can have a pH anywhere between 6.5 and 8.5 depending on the source and whether it's going through a softener or filter. But you can boil a couple cups of water and let it cool to room temperature. That'll bring the pH close enough to 7 for our purposes.