Dilution Ratio Quick Card

Concentrate-to-water ratios with ready-to-use volumes for spray bottles, mop buckets, and autoscrubbers. Verify every dispenser monthly.

Portrait · 2 pages · 8.5 × 11 in · Last reviewed: June 2026

Dilution Ratio Quick Card (PDF)Portrait · 2 pages · 8.5 × 11 in

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Master conversion table

Concentrate-to-water ratios with ready-to-use volumes. Verify every dispenser monthly with the math below — drift on tip orifices and chemical viscosity is common.

Ratio	oz / gallon	mL / liter	% v/v	Typical application
1:4	25.6 oz/gal	200 mL/L	20.0%	Heavy-duty degreaser, oven/grill cleaner, stripper
1:8	14.2 oz/gal	111 mL/L	11.1%	Heavy soil floor cleaner, dock/shop degreaser
1:10	11.6 oz/gal	91 mL/L	9.1%	Heavy soil truck wash, equipment cleaner
1:16	8.0 oz/gal	59 mL/L	5.9%	Standard heavy-duty all-purpose / degreaser
1:20	6.1 oz/gal	48 mL/L	4.8%	Medium-soil all-purpose, restroom cleaner
1:32	4.0 oz/gal	30 mL/L	3.0%	Light-medium all-purpose, daily floor cleaner
1:40	3.2 oz/gal	24 mL/L	2.4%	Neutral floor cleaner (most VCT / sealed concrete)
1:48	2.7 oz/gal	20 mL/L	2.0%	Light all-purpose, glass/multi-surface
1:64	2.0 oz/gal	15 mL/L	1.5%	Light-duty cleaner, no-rinse floor maintenance
1:128	1.0 oz/gal	7.8 mL/L	0.78%	Quat disinfectant at use-dilution (verify with test strip)
1:256	0.5 oz/gal	3.9 mL/L	0.39%	Concentrated quat disinfectant (verify ppm)
1:512	0.25 oz/gal	2.0 mL/L	0.20%	Ultra-concentrated disinfectant — dispenser only

Common task targets — ready-to-use volumes

Task	Container	Ratio	Concentrate	Water
Spray bottle — light all-purpose	32 oz	1:32	1 oz concentrate	Top up to 32 oz with water
Spray bottle — quat disinfectant	32 oz	1:128	0.25 oz (1½ tsp)	Top up to 32 oz with water
Spray bottle — glass/multi-surface	32 oz	1:64	0.5 oz (1 Tbsp)	Top up to 32 oz with water
Mop bucket — neutral floor cleaner	3 gal	1:40	9.6 oz concentrate	Add water to 3 gal fill line
Mop bucket — heavy-duty degreaser	3 gal	1:16	24 oz concentrate	Add water to 3 gal fill line
Mop bucket — quat disinfectant	3 gal	1:128	3 oz concentrate	Add water to 3 gal fill line
Autoscrubber tank — daily cleaner	15 gal	1:64	30 oz concentrate	Add water to fill line
Pressure washer — degreaser injector	—	1:10	Set injector to ≈10%	Verify with rinse-test on small area

Secondary container labeling — HCS 1910.1200(f)(6)

OSHA Hazard Communication Standard requires that any container into which a hazardous chemical is transferred from a labeled primary container must itself be labeled unless it is used only by the worker who filled it and only during that work shift. In practice, every spray bottle and bucket in your facility needs a label.

Required elements on every secondary container:
  •  Product identifier (matches the SDS)
  •  Words, pictures, or symbols providing general information regarding hazards
  •  Dilution ratio (e.g., “1:64 use-dilution”)
  •  Date filled and initials of person filling

Sanitizer / disinfectant target concentrations

Application	Target ppm	Regulatory / verification note
Quat sanitizer (food-contact)	≥200 ppm active quat	21 CFR 178.1010 — verify with quat test strip
Quat disinfectant (hard surface)	400–800 ppm typical	Follow EPA label use-dilution; do not under-dose
Chlorine sanitizer (food-contact)	50–100 ppm free chlorine	21 CFR 178.1010 — verify with chlorine test strip
Chlorine disinfectant (hard surface)	≥600 ppm (≈1:48 of 8.25%)	EPA List N use-dilution — confirm contact time

Dispenser verification and mixing math

Monthly dispenser verification (5 minutes)

Set dispenser to the use-dilution tip. Pull from the discharge into a clean graduated cylinder for exactly 30 seconds.
Measure total volume dispensed (mL).
Disconnect chemical line, dispense again for 30 seconds — this is water-only volume.
Concentrate volume = total − water volume. Divide water by concentrate. Ratio should match the tip.
Drift >15% from labeled ratio: replace tip and re-test.

On disinfectant lines, also use a test strip on the discharge solution. Quat strips read 0–400 or 0–800 ppm. If the dispenser math is on but the strip reads low, your concentrate is exhausted or contaminated.

Manual mixing math

Working in oz/gal: divide 128 by the second number in the ratio.
  1:32 = 128 ÷ 32 = 4 oz per gallon
  1:64 = 128 ÷ 64 = 2 oz per gallon
  1:128 = 128 ÷ 128 = 1 oz per gallon

Working in mL/L: divide 1000 by the second number in the ratio.
  1:40 = 1000 ÷ 40 = 25 mL per liter
  1:128 = 1000 ÷ 128 = 7.8 mL per liter

Pre-fill water first. Adding concentrate to water — not water to concentrate — prevents splashing of acids and caustics. Some products are exceptions; check the label.

Common failure modes

Failure mode	Why it matters
Eyeballing concentrate into the bucket	Cost: 2–5× over-use of chemical and under-cleaning at the same time. Use the cap, a graduated cylinder, or a dispenser — never pour.
Hot water with quat or chlorine	Active drops fast above 110°F. Always use cool to lukewarm water; verify with test strip if uncertain.
Refilling the same secondary container without rinsing	Old product residue alters pH/activity. Empty, rinse, and re-fill — every time.
Dispenser tip swapped during preventive maintenance	After any service, re-verify ratio with the 30-second draw test before releasing to floor staff.
Test strips stored open in a damp closet	Strips absorb humidity and read low. Keep capped, date-mark on first open, replace yearly.

Dilution Ratio Quick Card (PDF)Print at 100% scale. Laminate for wet or chemical-storage areas.