Dilution Ratio Calculator
Work out how much product and water to mix for any dilution ratio, from wheel cleaner to rinseless wash.
Always check the product label's own recommended range first, this ratio is a starting point. Add product to water, not the other way around, to keep it from foaming up. Label your mixed bottles so you don't mix up strengths later.
How it works
A dilution ratio like 10:1 means 10 parts water for every 1 part product, so the product makes up 1 of 11 total parts in the mixed bottle. The calculator divides your bottle size by (ratio + 1) to get the product amount, then subtracts that from the bottle size to get the water amount. It also shows the percent strength of the finished mix, since a lower number there means more dilution.
Worked example: a 500 ml spray bottle at the default all-purpose cleaner ratio of 10:1. 500 divided by 11 comes out to 45.5 ml of product, leaving 454.5 ml of water to fill the rest of the bottle, for a mix that's about 9.1% product by volume. Switch the same bottle to a rinseless wash at 256:1 and the product amount drops to under 2 ml, since rinseless concentrates are meant to be diluted far more than a spray cleaner.
FAQ
Why do I add product to water instead of water to product?
Adding water to concentrated product tends to foam up before it's fully mixed, especially with soaps and foam-cannon concentrates. Pouring the product into the water already in the bottle or foam cannon tank mixes it more evenly with less foam and less mess.
Should I always use the ratio printed on the tool's presets?
Treat the presets here as a reasonable starting point, not a fixed rule. Every brand formulates its concentrates a little differently, so check the label on your specific bottle and use its recommended range if it differs from the preset. When a label gives a range instead of one number, start on the weaker end and go stronger only if you need more cleaning power.
Does a stronger mix always clean better?
Not necessarily, and it can backfire. Wheel cleaners and all-purpose cleaners mixed too strong can dry out faster on the surface, leave more residue to rinse off, and in the case of acidic wheel cleaners, increase the risk of damaging trim or plastic. Mixing to the recommended strength usually cleans just as well with less risk.
Why is the rinseless wash ratio so much higher than the others?
Rinseless wash concentrates are designed to be diluted heavily into a full wash bucket, typically in the hundreds-to-one range, because the lubricating polymers in the concentrate are strong enough that only a small amount is needed per gallon of water. Mix it too strong and you mostly waste product without a noticeable improvement in slickness.
For more on getting the mix and method right, see choosing a car wash soap and what to avoid, choosing a wheel cleaner and what to avoid, and waterless and rinseless washing explained.