Chemical calculator
Dilution ratio calculator
Turn the ratio on a detailing product label into exact amounts for the bottle in your hand. Then check the ratio chart for ounces per gallon.
Mixing instructions
Chemical + waterExample mix
Measure 2.91 fl oz of product.
Use 29.09 fl oz of water for 32 fl oz total. Follow the label for mixing order.
The colored share is product. The rest is water. Use the exact amounts above and follow the label for mixing order.
At this strength, a full US gallon of mix uses 11.64 fl oz of product. A liter of mix uses 90.91 mL.
Put water in the container first when the label allows it. That reduces foaming and helps avoid over-concentrating the product. Wear the protection specified on the label.
Dilution ratio chart
Each row shows how much product goes into one US gallon (128 fl oz) or one liter of finished mix. Add water to reach the full gallon or liter. A ratio of 1:X means 1 part product plus X parts water.
| Ratio | Product share | Product per gallon | Water per gallon | Product per liter |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1:1 | 50% | 64 fl oz | 64 fl oz | 500 mL |
| 1:2 | 33.33% | 42.67 fl oz | 85.33 fl oz | 333.3 mL |
| 1:3 | 25% | 32 fl oz | 96 fl oz | 250 mL |
| 1:4 | 20% | 25.6 fl oz | 102.4 fl oz | 200 mL |
| 1:5 | 16.67% | 21.33 fl oz | 106.67 fl oz | 166.7 mL |
| 1:8 | 11.11% | 14.22 fl oz | 113.78 fl oz | 111.1 mL |
| 1:10 | 9.09% | 11.64 fl oz | 116.36 fl oz | 90.9 mL |
| 1:15 | 6.25% | 8 fl oz | 120 fl oz | 62.5 mL |
| 1:16 | 5.88% | 7.53 fl oz | 120.47 fl oz | 58.8 mL |
| 1:20 | 4.76% | 6.1 fl oz | 121.9 fl oz | 47.6 mL |
| 1:30 | 3.23% | 4.13 fl oz | 123.87 fl oz | 32.3 mL |
| 1:32 | 3.03% | 3.88 fl oz | 124.12 fl oz | 30.3 mL |
| 1:50 | 1.96% | 2.51 fl oz | 125.49 fl oz | 19.6 mL |
| 1:64 | 1.54% | 1.97 fl oz | 126.03 fl oz | 15.4 mL |
| 1:100 | 0.99% | 1.27 fl oz | 126.73 fl oz | 9.9 mL |
| 1:128 | 0.78% | 0.99 fl oz | 127.01 fl oz | 7.8 mL |
Values are rounded. For a different bottle size or ratio, use the calculator above.
How to read a dilution ratio
This calculator reads a ratio as product to water. A 1:10 ratio means 1 part product and 10 parts water. That is 11 parts in total, so the product is 1/11 of the mix, about 9.09%. The chart uses the same reading.
Some labels mean 1 part product in 10 parts of finished mix. That mix is stronger: 10% product. If the label does not say which it means, check the product data sheet or ask the maker.
Ounces per gallon
- Product per gallon = 128 fl oz ÷ (X + 1), for a 1:X ratio.
- Product per liter = 1,000 mL ÷ (X + 1).
- Water = the finished amount − the product.
For example, 1:15 is 128 ÷ 16 = 8 fl oz of product per gallon, with 120 fl oz of water.
Foam cannon dilution ratio
The ratio you mix in a foam cannon bottle is not the ratio that reaches the car. The cannon pulls solution out of the bottle and into the pressure washer stream. That water dilutes the mix a second time.
Pressure washer maker AR Blue Clean describes this second dilution and gives about 14:1 to 18:1 for it in its guide (AR Blue Clean foam cannon guide, accessed October 17, 2026). Your own number depends on the cannon, its orifice, its settings, and the water flow of your washer. Treat their range as a starting point, not a fact about your setup.
An example: a bottle mixed at 1:4 is 20% product. If the cannon adds 15 parts water to each part from the bottle, the foam on the car is about 1.25% product, or about 1:79. These are example values, not measured ones.
Measure your own cannon
- Fill the bottle with a measured amount of mix.
- Spray for a timed period, for example one minute.
- Measure how much mix left the bottle.
- Find the water used in the same time. Time how long the washer takes to fill a bucket of known size, then scale to your spray time. Use the same unit as the bottle. One US gallon is 128 fl oz.
- Water parts = water used ÷ mix used. Then final product share = bottle product share ÷ (water parts + 1).
If the soap label gives a foam cannon amount, follow the label. Use the calculator above to measure that amount for your bottle size.
Product amounts here come from the label ratio only. Read the label and safety data sheet for surface limits and protective equipment. To work out what each mix costs per car, use the cost per detail calculator.