Home Cleaning Calculators

Cleaning solution dilution.

Enter the dilution ratio printed on the product label and the amount you want to make. The tool gives the concentrate and water to measure. It never decides the ratio for you. Runs in your browser; nothing is sent or stored.

Your numbers

Ratio number from the label

How the label writes it

Check which your label means. 1:10 is 1 part product to 10 parts water; "1 in 10" is 1 part product in 10 parts total.

I know the

Amount

Unit

Safety. Follow the label. Never mix any cleaning product with household bleach. Health Canada warns that bleach reacts with products containing ammonia (such as glass cleaners) or an acid, including vinegar, to make toxic gases, and that the effects can be deadly. Mix one product at a time, in a ventilated space, in a clearly labelled container, and keep out of reach of children. This tool is arithmetic, not professional advice, and does not know your product.

Result

Fill the form and press Calculate.

Worked example

A label that says "1:10" means 1 part concentrate to 10 parts water, 11 parts in total. To make 1,000 ml: concentrate = 1,000 / 11 = 90.9 ml, water = 909.1 ml, a 9.1% mix. A label that says "1:32" for a US gallon (128 fl oz) needs 128 / 33 = 3.88 fl oz of concentrate topped up with water to one gallon. If the same label said "1 in 10", the mix would be 1,000 / 10 = 100 ml of concentrate and 900 ml of water.

How it works

Concentrate fraction = 1 / (N + 1) for "1:N" and 1 / N for "1 in N". Finished amount x fraction = concentrate; the rest is water. If you know the concentrate instead, finished amount = concentrate / fraction.

Always use the label's ratio. Different products and different jobs (general cleaning, disinfecting) use different dilutions and contact times. This tool cannot tell what a stronger mix would do to your surface, skin or lungs, so stay with the label ratio. For disinfecting, follow the product's directions exactly. Do not store diluted mixes in food or drink containers.

Never mix chemicals. Health Canada's advisory: never mix any cleaning product with household bleach. Bleach reacts with ammonia and with acids, including vinegar, to form toxic gases that can be deadly. Use products one at a time and rinse surfaces between different products.

Sources and basis (pages opened 2026-10-08): Health Canada, Reduce your risk from toxic gases: Never mix bleach with other cleaning products.

FAQ

What does a 1:10 dilution mean?

1 part concentrate to 10 parts water, so 11 parts in total and about 9.1% concentrate. Check that your label uses this convention.

What is the difference between 1:10 and 1 in 10?

1:10 is 1 part product to 10 parts water (1/11 product). 1 in 10 is 1 part product in 10 parts total (1/10 product). The calculator has a switch for each.

Can I mix bleach with vinegar or ammonia?

No. Health Canada says never to mix any cleaning product with household bleach: it reacts with ammonia and acids, including vinegar, and makes toxic gases that can be deadly.

Can I make it stronger than the label says?

Use the label ratio. This tool cannot tell what a stronger mix would do to your surface, skin or lungs.

How do I make a gallon?

Choose gallons, enter 1 as the amount, and read the concentrate in the result; switch the unit to fluid ounces to get a measurable amount.