i agree completely about the r/w ,you dont want it to be too wet or too dry but I use only distilled water and soak mine for at least 24hrs to 36 before i put a seed into them I also use hydrogen peroxide 2 teaspoons in with the distilled water I use just enough water to allow the cube to soak up all of it and i dont leave any excess I drain it and when im done soaking them I just simply whip them or sling them around to get rid of the real access and thats it DONT SQUEEZE them. And I also use seaweed extract to soak my seeds in and i have about a 85 to 95% rate of open and begging for light.
Heck check your r/w at about 12 to 24 hours I can smell it the smell that r/w has when its not ready is a definite one. ACID i know it sounds crazy but it works for me.Best of luck!