APC & Degreaser Dilution Guide: 1:4 vs 1:10 vs 1:20 (Exact Ounces, mL & Grams)
Exact APC product amounts for 16 oz, 32 oz, and 1 liter bottles at 1:4, 1:10, and 1:20 — plus grams, household measures, and quick safety tips.
TL;DR: stop guessing your APC mix
All ratios in this guide are product:water. To hit any ratio quickly, useproduct = total × a/(a + b)where a:b is your product:water ratio and “total” is the bottle size. Measure the product first, then top with water — faster, cleaner, and more repeatable.
Need more ratios or printable SOPs? Bookmark the detailing hub so the rest of your team can grab ready-to-go calculators and labels without pinging you.
When to reach for 1:4 vs 1:10 vs 1:20
1:4 — strong cut
- Tires and wheel barrels after salty winters.
- Engine bays with caked-on grease.
- Rubber mats or step rails you can rinse aggressively.
Spot test trim and raw aluminum. If you see chalky residue, step down to 1:10.
1:10 — daily driver
- Door jambs, sills, and kick plates.
- Plastic panels and coated leather (with a rinse/wipe).
- Carpet pre-treatment before extraction.
Most interiors tolerate 1:10 when you rinse or vacuum after. Let dwell time and agitation do the heavy lifting.
1:20 — maintenance
- Interior wipe downs on glossy plastics or screens.
- Painted surfaces between washes.
- Maintenance cleans where you want zero residue risk.
If the panel still looks hazy after wipe-off, rinse with a damp towel and switch to the lighter cut next time.
Don’t chase “power” indoors. Strong APC that dries on delicate trim or paint can leave chalky streaks. Choose the ratio that balances bite with safe rinse-off and let your process (dwell, agitation, extraction) finish the job.
Exact amounts to pour (ounces & milliliters)
Pour the product first, then top up with water to the fill line. These numbers are already rounded to three decimals for quick measuring cylinders.
1:4 (strong)
| Container | Product (oz) | Product (mL) |
|---|---|---|
| 16 oz | 3.200 | 94.6 |
| 32 oz | 6.400 | 189.3 |
| 1 liter | 6.763 | 200.0 |
1:10 (medium)
| Container | Product (oz) | Product (mL) |
|---|---|---|
| 16 oz | 1.455 | 43.0 |
| 32 oz | 2.909 | 86.0 |
| 1 liter | 3.074 | 90.9 |
1:20 (light)
| Container | Product (oz) | Product (mL) |
|---|---|---|
| 16 oz | 0.762 | 22.5 |
| 32 oz | 1.524 | 45.1 |
| 1 liter | 1.610 | 47.6 |
Crummy bottle markings? Measure the product in a separate beaker, then dump it into the bottle and fill with water. You will hit your ratios faster than chasing meniscus lines.
Weight mode (density = 1.05 g/mL)
For viscous concentrates, weighing the product keeps pours tight. Multiply the product mL by density (g/mL) — if you don’t know it, 1.00–1.05 is a realistic range for most APCs. The table below assumes 1.05 g/mL.
1:4
- 16 oz: 99.4 g
- 32 oz: 198.7 g
- 1 liter: 210.0 g
1:10
- 16 oz: 45.2 g
- 32 oz: 90.3 g
- 1 liter: 95.5 g
1:20
- 16 oz: 23.7 g
- 32 oz: 47.3 g
- 1 liter: 50.0 g
Want to master grams for every product? Jump to the mix-by-weight guide for formulas that work even when you can’t see a fill line.
Quick household measures
Spoons are fine in a pinch — just stay consistent. Divide milliliters by 4.93 for teaspoons or 14.79 for tablespoons if you need more ratios on the fly.
| Ratio & container | Product (mL) | Teaspoons | Tablespoons |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1:10 in 32 oz | 86.0 mL | ≈ 17.45 tsp | ≈ 5.82 tbsp |
| 1:4 in 16 oz | 94.6 mL | ≈ 19.20 tsp | ≈ 6.40 tbsp |
| 1:20 in 1 liter | 47.6 mL | ≈ 9.66 tsp | ≈ 3.22 tbsp |
A squeeze bottle with clear markings still wins for repeatability, but these conversions keep you moving when the beakers are all dirty.
Safety & surface checks
- Test on an inconspicuous spot before you flood a panel.
- Don’t let strong mixes dry on paint, aluminum, or soft trim — rinse or neutralize per the label.
- Wear gloves and eye protection when you are in 1:4 territory; atomized APC is still alkaline.
- Log your ratios on the bottle so techs don’t double-dose an already strong mix.
Use the calculator & lock in a printable label
Every link below opens a prefilled calculator so you can tweak bottle size, swap to weight mode, or duplicate for other technicians. Add ?mode=weight&density=1.05 to switch the calculator into grams instantly.
Building SOPs? Print a simple label that lists ratio, date, and PPE — then drop a QR code that points to the exact calculator URL (for example mixbyparts.com/mix/1-10-in-32-oz). Anyone on your team can scan, refill, and stay on-ratio without asking.
Want to dial in foam cannons next? Check out the foam cannon math playbook for panel impact ratios and siphon charts.
FAQs
Are these ratios product:water or water:product?
Product:water. A 1:10 mix is 1 part product to 10 parts water — 11 total parts. Flip it and you will overshoot by 10×.
Can I round to teaspoons or tablespoons?
Yes. Keep the same measuring spoon every time so your process is consistent. Divide the milliliters in the tables by 4.93 for teaspoons or 14.79 for tablespoons.
How do I mix by grams?
Multiply product milliliters by density (g/mL) from the SDS. If you don’t have the density, start at 1.00–1.05 g/mL and adjust after a test batch. The calculators support weight mode with a single toggle.