Alternative ways of using (or not using!) hydrometer
If you replace the whole lid of the fermenter with Gladwrap stretched tight and held on with a rubber band or the rubber seal from the original lid, you can put the hydrometer inside the fermenter itself at the start of the fermentation process and then take a reading whenever you like without having to muck around with taking samples. A small torch will help you see the reading. The Gladwrap needs to be stretched tight to aid visibility, and most importantly you need to make a small hole in the centre of the Gladwrap with a pin to allow the gas buildup to escape, as of course there is no airlock contraption in the new "lid".
I bottle most of my brews when the foam on top has completely dissipated and when I can no longer see bubbles rising in the liquid. Leave the Gladwrap on when you are bottling, then afterwards simply remove and throw it away.
One advantage of this approach is that after a while you no longer need to add the hydrometer, as you come to learn when a brew is ready for bottling simply by what it looks like.
This approach also means there are a few less things (hydrometer, lid and airlock components) to clean up and sterilise!