Free detailing tool
Dilution Ratio Calculator
A dilution ratio of 1:10 means 1 part chemical to 10 parts water, so a 1 liter bottle takes about 91 ml of chemical and 909 ml of water. Enter your bottle size and ratio below to get exact amounts in ml, liters, ounces or gallons, or work backwards from the chemical or water you already measured.
Mix a bottle
Chemical
91 ml
Water
909 ml
Ratio
1:10
Adjust a pre-mix
Already have a bottle mixed? Get a weaker or stronger ratio from it. Uses the bottle size above.
Pre-mix
504 ml
Add water
496 ml
How dilution ratios work
A ratio like 1:X is parts, not percent. The first number is the chemical and the second is the water, so 1:4 is 1 part chemical and 4 parts water, 5 parts in all. To mix it, divide the bottle size by the total parts. That gives one part, which is the chemical. Everything else is water.
The higher the second number, the weaker the mix. 1:4 is a strong degreasing mix, while 1:256 is a very light wash solution. Doubling the second number roughly halves the strength.
- Enter the bottle size. Type the size of your bottle or sprayer and pick ml, liters, ounces or gallons.
- Pick what you know. Choose the ratio from the label, or an amount of chemical or water you already measured.
- Read the mix. The calculator shows the chemical, the water and the ratio. Add water to the bottle first, then the chemical.
Common ratios at a glance
Chemical and water for a 1 liter bottle and a 32 oz sprayer, rounded.
| Ratio | 1 liter bottle | 32 oz sprayer | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chemical | Water | Chemical | Water | |
| 1:1 | 500 ml | 500 ml | 16 oz | 16 oz |
| 1:2 | 333 ml | 667 ml | 10.7 oz | 21.3 oz |
| 1:3 | 250 ml | 750 ml | 8 oz | 24 oz |
| 1:4 | 200 ml | 800 ml | 6.4 oz | 25.6 oz |
| 1:5 | 167 ml | 833 ml | 5.3 oz | 26.7 oz |
| 1:6 | 143 ml | 857 ml | 4.6 oz | 27.4 oz |
| 1:7 | 125 ml | 875 ml | 4 oz | 28 oz |
| 1:8 | 111 ml | 889 ml | 3.6 oz | 28.4 oz |
| 1:9 | 100 ml | 900 ml | 3.2 oz | 28.8 oz |
| 1:10 | 91 ml | 909 ml | 2.9 oz | 29.1 oz |
| 1:15 | 63 ml | 938 ml | 2 oz | 30 oz |
| 1:20 | 48 ml | 952 ml | 1.5 oz | 30.5 oz |
| 1:25 | 38 ml | 962 ml | 1.2 oz | 30.8 oz |
| 1:30 | 32 ml | 968 ml | 1 oz | 31 oz |
| 1:50 | 20 ml | 980 ml | 0.63 oz | 31.4 oz |
| 1:64 | 15 ml | 985 ml | 0.49 oz | 31.5 oz |
| 1:100 | 10 ml | 990 ml | 0.32 oz | 31.7 oz |
| 1:128 | 8 ml | 992 ml | 0.25 oz | 31.8 oz |
| 1:200 | 5 ml | 995 ml | 0.16 oz | 31.8 oz |
| 1:256 | 4 ml | 996 ml | 0.12 oz | 31.9 oz |
| 1:500 | 2 ml | 998 ml | 0.06 oz | 31.9 oz |
| 1:1000 | 1 ml | 999 ml | 0.03 oz | 32 oz |
Ounces per gallon to ratio
Many labels say “2 oz per gallon” instead of a ratio. A US gallon is 128 oz, so the ratio is the water left over divided by the chemical.
| Chemical per gallon | Ratio |
|---|---|
| 0.5 oz | 1:255 |
| 1 oz | 1:127 |
| 2 oz | 1:63 |
| 4 oz | 1:31 |
| 8 oz | 1:15 |
| 16 oz | 1:7 |
| 32 oz | 1:3 |
Mixing for a foam cannon? The bottle is not the strength that reaches the paint. Use the foam cannon PIR calculator instead.
Frequently Asked Questions
1 part chemical to 10 parts water, 11 parts in total. In a 1 liter bottle that is about 91 ml of chemical and 909 ml of water. In a 32 oz sprayer it is about 2.9 oz of chemical and 29.1 oz of water.
Add the two numbers of the ratio together, then divide the bottle size by that total to get the chemical. For 1:4 in a 1,000 ml bottle: 1 + 4 = 5 parts, 1,000 ÷ 5 = 200 ml of chemical, and the other 800 ml is water.
No. 1:10 is 1 part in 11, which is about 9.1 percent chemical. A true 10 percent mix is 1:9. The gap is small at strong ratios and matters less at weak ones, but it is why the calculator works in parts, not percent.
1 oz per gallon. A US gallon is 128 oz, so 1:128 is 1 oz of chemical topped up to about a gallon. Strictly, 1 oz of chemical plus 128 oz of water is slightly more than a gallon, but for wash soaps the difference does not matter.
About 1:63. Two ounces of chemical in a 128 oz gallon leaves 126 oz of water, and 126 ÷ 2 = 63. Use the ounces-per-gallon table on this page for other common label amounts.
Add water. Enter your pre-mix ratio, for example 1:64, and the ratio you want, for example 1:128, in the pre-mix section. It tells you how much pre-mix to pour and how much water to add for your bottle size.
Yes, but only by adding straight concentrate, never water. Enter a target ratio lower than your pre-mix, and the calculator shows how much pre-mix and how much concentrate to combine.
Water first for most detailing chemicals. Pouring concentrate into water keeps soaps and all-purpose cleaners from foaming up in the bottle, and it makes the mix easier to measure. Always follow the product label and its safety directions.
More tools
- Foam Cannon PIR Calculator
Bucket test your foam cannon, then mix the bottle for the strength you want at the paint.
- Detailing guides
Plain answers on coatings, correction, headlights and care in the Arizona sun.
Rather have it done for you? AB offers mobile detailing in Phoenix and nearby cities.