Read the whole instruction before the ratio
A bottle, bucket and foam cannon can each use a dilution number for a different operation. Begin with the exact product, its intended application and the measuring instructions that go with it.
- Which product?
- Match the name, concentrate or ready-to-use form, market and applicable version.
- Which job?
- Find the instruction for that surface and method. A bucket wash, interior spray and equipment feed can have different recipes.
- Which quantities?
- Name both ingredients, check volume versus weight, and establish whether the starting amount is water or the final mixture.
- Which stage?
- For foam equipment, identify whether a number describes the reservoir or the delivered solution.
Our audit records what selected manufacturer sources actually establish, including missing definitions. It does not test cleaning performance or choose a suitable dose for a surface. Keep the product’s application, handling and removal instructions with the recipe.
Put ingredient names beside the numbers
Component order is part of the instruction. A ratio written product:water puts the concentrate first. A ratio written water:product puts it second. Read the manufacturer’s definition before transferring either number into a calculator.
Two sources that name the ingredients
Koch-Chemie’s dilution guide explains Green Star with one part chemical plus five parts water, including a metric example. Optimum’s Power Clean instructions explicitly put water first in their ratios. Preserve each source’s order.
A named amount can resolve a question that a bare ratio leaves open. CARPRO Reset’s instructions pair ratio notation with a metric product dose for a stated amount of water. The source explorer preserves both the observation and the fields still open in each instruction set.
Read a colon as a proportion only after its components and measuring basis are established. A ratio without those definitions does not justify switching to a scale or borrowing another brand’s convention.
Decide what the measured amount represents
“Add to 500 mL of water” starts with an ingredient already measured. “Make 500 mL of mixture” starts with a finished amount. Product occupies some of the container in the second task.
The same number on the jug. Two different jobs.
Illustrative product:water ratio by volume, assuming additive volumes. These choices teach the arithmetic; they do not select a product or a suitable cleaning strength.
Make 500 mL of final mixture
mL productPlus 454.55 mL water.
Nominal total: 500 mL.
Start with 500 mL of water
mL productAdd to the water already measured.
Nominal total: 550 mL.
For a confirmed 1:10 volume recipe, divide a finished amount by 11. Divide an existing water amount by 10. Displayed quantities round to two decimal places.
For a confirmed product:water volume ratio of 1:n, a final amount V contains V ÷ (n + 1) product. If W is the water already measured, add W ÷ n product. A container’s nominal capacity is neither of those inputs until you choose the task.
Bilt-Hamber’s Auto-Wash FAQ describes a measured product dose with water added to the bucket. That wording gives the starting quantity more precisely than copying a ratio alone.
A percentage needs a denominator
For a product:water ratio measured by volume, nominal product percentage is product volume divided by total mixture volume, multiplied by 100. With additive volumes, 1:10 is 1 ÷ 11, or about 9.09% product.
An explicit 10% volume example
If the instruction actually means product is 10% of the finished volume, a 500 mL nominal mixture contains 50 mL product and 450 mL water. That is a 1:9 product:water ratio. Adding 50 mL product to 500 mL water instead makes 550 mL nominal mixture.
These are mathematical examples. A percentage can describe other things, including active ingredient, weight fraction or delivered concentration. Check the named substance, denominator and measurement basis before converting. An ingredient percentage on a safety sheet is not automatically a product dilution recipe.
Follow the dilution through the equipment
A foam reservoir feeds into an additional water stream. The mixture in that reservoir can therefore be more concentrated than the material discharged at the lance. A reservoir recipe alone cannot establish panel-impact concentration.
Bilt-Hamber’s Touch-Less instructions use a plain-water collection method to relate a delivered target to the reservoir preparation. Its Auto-Foam technical sheet likewise locates its target at the panel and supplies a calibration method.
A 1 L reservoir can feed much more than 1 L of output.
Illustrative collected-output model: a 1 L reservoir is emptied during a plain-water calibration. Keep equipment settings fixed. Choose a target only when the exact product and equipment instructions support this method.
In this model, add 800 mL water to fill the 1 L reservoir. The reservoir mix is 20% product while the calculated delivered target is 2%.
Calculation: total collected output × target fraction. The model assumes the calibration remains applicable to the prepared solution. It does not measure actual delivered concentration, compensate for viscosity or prove cleaning performance.
A manual-mix method can describe a different task. The Griot’s Garage method guide distinguishes jar preparation from automatic metering. Preserve that equipment context. For a longer walkthrough, read our bottle mix and PIR article.
What the source audit found
The 2026 MixByParts Detailing Dilution Instructions Review found component ratios in 21 of 28 selected product instruction sets, named doses or fill amounts in 11, and explicit panel-impact concentration in two.
How these instruction sets express quantities
28 product instruction sets · six brands · categories overlap
The practical finding is the variety of measuring tasks. Instruction form, component order, measurement basis and suitability are separate questions. The presence of a ratio does not answer all four.
Explore the source audit
Filter by product, brand or instruction form. Open a record for its source location, market, edition and unresolved fields. These are source observations, rather than a substitute recipe chart.
CARPROMultiX All Purpose CleanerComponent ratiosProduct source
Ratios vary with the cleaning method.
Keep in view. The page does not explicitly label the ratio order or mass/volume basis.
- Source context
- CARPRO global English instructions
- Location reviewed
- Instructions, item 1
MultiX All Purpose Cleaner — official instructionsNo printed revision date established · Accessed 11 November 2026
Meguiar’sD101 All Purpose CleanerComponent ratiosProduct source
The label lists separate heavy, medium and extractor ratios.
Keep in view. The reviewed label does not define ratio order or a mass/volume basis. No forum interpretation is used.
- Source context
- United States; D101 professional concentrate
- Location reviewed
- D20101PK12 secondary label, p. 1, Dilution
D101 All Purpose Cleaner — official instructionsNo printed revision date established · Accessed 11 November 2026
Griot’s GarageBOSS Foaming Surface WashComponent ratios · Named doses or fill amountsProduct source
Manual jar preparation gives a ratio and an ounce amount; automatic metering is a separate method.
Keep in view. The stated ounce quantity is rounded. This is a reservoir instruction, not a measured panel concentration.
- Source context
- United States; BOSS equipment method guide
- Location reviewed
- Routine Maintenance Method Guide, p. 1, Preparation 2
BOSS Foaming Surface Wash — official instructionsCopyright 2018; no distinct revision date established · Accessed 11 November 2026
Koch-ChemieGreen StarComponent ratiosProduct source
The brand guide names Green Star and explains one chemical part plus five water parts using mL.
Keep in view. Application and soiling determine the permitted range; the example is not a universal cleaning dose.
- Source context
- United States manufacturer instructions
- Location reviewed
- Product recommendations; brand dilution guide, ratio explanation
Green Star — official instructionsNo printed revision date established · Accessed 11 November 2026
Koch-Chemie volume-ratio direction and worked examplePublished 19 April 2022 · Accessed 11 November 2026
Koch-ChemiePol StarComponent ratiosProduct source
The product sheet gives an application dilution range.
Keep in view. The sheet does not itself label ratio order or measurement basis; the brand example names a different product.
- Source context
- Manufacturer English data sheet; match your local formulation and label
- Location reviewed
- Product information, p. 1, Recommendations for use
Pol Star — official instructionsNo printed revision date established · Accessed 11 November 2026
Koch-ChemieGentle Snow FoamNamed doses or fill amountsProduct source
Product is measured in mL and added to a stated water amount; methods have different doses.
Keep in view. A foam-sprayer preparation dose does not establish the concentration delivered by every foam cannon.
- Source context
- United States manufacturer product page
- Location reviewed
- Recommendations for use, Snow Foam and Handwash
Gentle Snow Foam — official instructionsNo printed revision date established · Accessed 11 November 2026
Bilt-HamberTouch-LessPanel-impact concentrationProduct source
Panel concentration is tied to collected equipment output, then the reservoir is filled.
Keep in view. The water-collection instruction permits jug or weight measurement; this is not a general product mass/volume conversion.
- Source context
- United Kingdom manufacturer instructions
- Location reviewed
- How to use, steps 1–3
Touch-Less — official instructionsNo printed revision date established · Accessed 11 November 2026
OptimumNo Rinse Wash & Shine V6Named doses or fill amountsProduct source
The wash instruction adds a named ounce amount to two gallons of water.
Keep in view. The text says oz rather than explicitly fl oz; confirm the applicable bottle and US unit convention.
- Source context
- United States; US fluid ounces and US gallons
- Location reviewed
- Directions; Dilution Ratios
No Rinse Wash & Shine V6 — official instructionsNo printed revision date established · Accessed 11 November 2026
CARPROPERLComponent ratiosProduct source
The dilution list varies by surface and includes an undiluted option.
Keep in view. Introductory and detailed ratio notations differ in direction; no single numerical convention is imposed here.
- Source context
- CARPRO global English instructions; match your local product label
- Location reviewed
- Instructions; Dilutions
PERL — official instructionsNo printed revision date established · Accessed 11 November 2026
CARPROResetComponent ratios · Named doses or fill amountsProduct source
The wash recipe includes a ratio and an explicit mL product / litres water example.
Keep in view. Marketing and instructions print opposite ratio orders. The named metric dose supplies a clearer starting quantity.
- Source context
- CARPRO global English instructions; match your local product label
- Location reviewed
- Instructions, item 1
Reset — official instructionsNo printed revision date established · Accessed 11 November 2026
CARPROLiftComponent ratiosProduct source
The page gives a water-dilution ratio with adjustments for foam consistency.
Keep in view. The reviewed text does not explicitly label mass/volume basis or provide a calibrated panel concentration.
- Source context
- CARPRO global English instructions; match your local product label
- Location reviewed
- Instructions, item 1
Lift — official instructionsNo printed revision date established · Accessed 11 November 2026
CARPRODescaleComponent ratiosProduct source
Different ratios are listed for bucket washing and foam sprayer / spray bottle use.
Keep in view. The text does not explicitly define ratio order or mass/volume basis. Do not exchange application methods.
- Source context
- CARPRO global English instructions; match your local product label
- Location reviewed
- Instructions, item 1
Descale — official instructionsNo printed revision date established · Accessed 11 November 2026
CARPROInsideComponent ratiosProduct source
The instruction distinguishes light cleaning from Alcantara dilution.
Keep in view. The ratio table does not explicitly label mass/volume basis or component order.
- Source context
- CARPRO global English instructions; match your local product label
- Location reviewed
- Instructions, light cleaning and Alcantara
Inside — official instructionsNo printed revision date established · Accessed 11 November 2026
CARPROECH2OComponent ratiosProduct source
Waterless washing and quick detailing have separate ratio instructions.
Keep in view. The reviewed ratio text does not explicitly label mass/volume basis or component order.
- Source context
- CARPRO global English instructions; match your local product label
- Location reviewed
- Instructions, waterless wash and quick detailer
ECH2O — official instructionsNo printed revision date established · Accessed 11 November 2026
CARPROHydrO2 ConcentrateComponent ratiosProduct source
The concentrate instruction specifies a minimum dilution.
Keep in view. The reviewed ratio line does not explicitly define component order or mass/volume basis; it is not the Lite product.
- Source context
- CARPRO global English instructions; match your local product label
- Location reviewed
- Instructions, dilution step
HydrO2 Concentrate — official instructionsNo printed revision date established · Accessed 11 November 2026
OptimumPower CleanComponent ratiosProduct source
The page explicitly identifies water first and Power Clean second.
Keep in view. The ratio definition establishes component order, but does not itself state volume versus mass.
- Source context
- United States manufacturer instructions
- Location reviewed
- Directions for Use; final ratio-definition sentence
Power Clean — official instructionsNo printed revision date established · Accessed 11 November 2026
OptimumCar Wash SoapNamed doses or fill amountsProduct source
A named ounce dose is added per gallon of water.
Keep in view. The reviewed wording does not explicitly mark ounces as fluid ounces; no mass conversion is inferred.
- Source context
- United States; US fluid ounces and US gallons
- Location reviewed
- Dilution, Bucket Wash
Car Wash Soap — official instructionsNo printed revision date established · Accessed 11 November 2026
OptimumOpti-Coat No RinseNamed doses or fill amountsProduct source
The source names both product and water quantities for each application.
Keep in view. The reviewed text says oz rather than explicitly fl oz; other ONR versions are separate products.
- Source context
- United States; US fluid ounces and US gallons
- Location reviewed
- Directions; Dilution Ratios (Product / Water)
Opti-Coat No Rinse — official instructionsNo printed revision date established · Accessed 11 November 2026
Koch-ChemieNanoMagicShampooNamed doses or fill amountsProduct source
The metric recipe adds a measured shampoo dose to warm water.
Keep in view. An approximate capful measure is also supplied; it does not make every cap the same volume.
- Source context
- US article in manufacturer English data sheet
- Location reviewed
- Product information, p. 1, Recommendations for use
NanoMagicShampoo — official instructionsNo printed revision date established · Accessed 11 November 2026
Bilt-HamberAuto-WashComponent ratios · Named doses or fill amountsProduct source
The FAQ names a product dose and added water quantity, and also gives ratio notation.
Keep in view. Bucket capacity, the added water quantity and the nominal finished amount are distinct.
- Source context
- United Kingdom manufacturer instructions
- Location reviewed
- Manufacturer FAQ; product How to use
Auto-Wash — official instructionsNo printed revision date established · Accessed 11 November 2026
Auto-Wash — official product pageNo printed revision date established · Accessed 11 November 2026
Griot’s GarageFoaming Poly GlossComponent ratios · Named doses or fill amountsProduct source
The manual-mix instruction gives a ratio and a rounded jar dose.
Keep in view. This shared guide is one document supporting three sampled products, not three independent documents.
- Source context
- United States; BOSS manual-mix method
- Location reviewed
- Routine Maintenance Method Guide, p. 1, Preparation 2b
Foaming Poly Gloss — official instructionsCopyright 2018; no distinct revision date established · Accessed 11 November 2026
Griot’s GarageBest of Show Wash & WaxComponent ratios · Named doses or fill amountsProduct source
The table ratio is accompanied by an ounce-per-gallon-of-water bucket instruction.
Keep in view. The page uses ounce wording without explicitly spelling out fluid ounces; preserve the source unit context.
- Source context
- United States; US fluid ounces and US gallons
- Location reviewed
- Routine Maintenance Method Guide, p. 1, dilution table and Preparation 1
Best of Show Wash & Wax — official instructionsCopyright 2018; no distinct revision date established · Accessed 11 November 2026
Koch-ChemieMehrzweckreinigerComponent ratiosProduct source
The sheet gives a dilution range for the described cleaning methods.
Keep in view. The sheet does not itself explicitly label ratio order or mass/volume basis.
- Source context
- Manufacturer English data sheet; match your local formulation and label
- Location reviewed
- Product information, p. 1, Recommendations for use
Mehrzweckreiniger — official instructionsNo printed revision date established · Accessed 11 November 2026
Koch-ChemieActive FoamComponent ratios · Named doses or fill amountsProduct source
Handwashing, dosing-pump preparation and mL-per-car delivery appear in one instruction set.
Keep in view. A dosing-pump feed mixture and a per-car dose describe different operations.
- Source context
- US articles in manufacturer English data sheet
- Location reviewed
- Product information, p. 1, Recommendations for use
Active Foam — official instructionsNo printed revision date established · Accessed 11 November 2026
Koch-ChemieHydro Plast CareComponent ratiosProduct source
The concentrate may be used straight or diluted for different finishes.
Keep in view. The reviewed product text does not itself explicitly label ratio order or mass/volume basis.
- Source context
- United States manufacturer store
- Location reviewed
- US product page, Recommendations for use
Hydro Plast Care — official instructionsNo printed revision date established · Accessed 11 November 2026
Meguiar’sD110 Hyper-WashComponent ratiosHistorical NZ reference
A manufacturer-authored regional bulletin explicitly lists water before concentrate.
Keep in view. Historical NZ context: current US applicability is unconfirmed. The bulletin’s inconsistent ounce example is excluded.
- Source context
- New Zealand reference; current US applicability unconfirmed
- Location reviewed
- NZ listing; VMDTB-110 (2/06), Dilution
Meguiar’s New Zealand D11001 page — links manufacturer technical bulletinNo printed revision date established · Accessed 11 November 2026
Meguiar’s technical bulletin VMDTB-110 — water:concentrate conventionVMDTB-110, 2/06 · Accessed 11 November 2026
Meguiar’sD120 Glass Cleaner ConcentrateComponent ratiosHistorical NZ reference
A manufacturer-authored regional bulletin explicitly lists water before concentrate.
Keep in view. Historical NZ context: current US recipe applicability is unconfirmed. Do not apply it to a different glass cleaner.
- Source context
- New Zealand reference; current US applicability unconfirmed
- Location reviewed
- VMDTB-120 (2/06), Dilution; NZ listing
Meguiar’s New Zealand D12001 page — links manufacturer technical bulletinNo printed revision date established · Accessed 11 November 2026
Meguiar’s technical bulletin VMDTB-120 — explicit water:concentrate directionVMDTB-120, 2/06 · Accessed 11 November 2026
Bilt-HamberAuto-FoamPanel-impact concentrationProduct source
The technical sheet locates the percentage at the panel and explains collected-output calibration.
Keep in view. Some equipment cannot deliver the target even with an undiluted reservoir. The retrieved sheet has no printed revision date.
- Source context
- United Kingdom manufacturer instructions; Auto-Foam prewash concentrate
- Location reviewed
- Product page; technical sheet, How to Use
Bilt-Hamber Auto-Foam — official product instructionsNo printed revision date established · Accessed 11 November 2026
Bilt-Hamber Auto-Foam technical sheet — explicit 4% total-output calibrationNo printed revision date established · Accessed 11 November 2026
Bilt-Hamber Auto-Foam FAQ — calculated product exceeds reservoir capacityNo printed revision date established · Accessed 11 November 2026
This audits the retrieved wording. A product record can have more than one instruction form, and several products can share a document. A missing definition here does not prove there is no explanation elsewhere.
How we reviewed the instructions
Before coding, we froze all 28 published detailing products in the existing MixByParts catalogue at the start of this review. Two draft records were excluded. This is a convenience sample across six brands, selected from our own library, rather than a representative industry survey.
What counts as one record
One named product instruction set. Different application recipes stay within that record. Multiple products can share a document; the 32 distinct source URLs are not 32 independent studies.
What we coded
Component ratios, named doses or fill amounts, and explicit panel-impact concentration. These forms can overlap. PIR-specific parts-in-100 notation is counted in the panel category, rather than counted again as a component ratio.
Source scope, access gaps and remaining uncertainty
- We read manufacturer pages, labels and technical instructions on 11 November 2026. A live URL or retrieval date does not prove a printed instruction is the latest applicable edition.
- D110 and D120 use manufacturer-authored New Zealand reference bulletins dated 2/06, linked from the national branded site. These are historical regional evidence of wording. Current US recipe applicability was not established. D110’s inconsistent ounce example was excluded.
- The shared Griot’s Garage guide carries a 2018 copyright. That is recorded as copyright, not promoted to a revision date. Most retrieved pages and sheets have no established printed revision date.
- Some direct downloads were blocked. Public web-text retrieval supplied the D101 label and several current product pages. The large US professional catalogue was not successfully retrieved and is excluded from the coded evidence. No accounts or manufacturer contacts were used.
- Ratio order and mass/volume basis stay unresolved where the reviewed instruction does not establish them. A general brand example is not automatically an exact-product definition. Ounce wording is preserved without silently deciding fluid versus mass ounces.
- This is an AI-assisted source audit, with source-by-source coding checked against the retrieved wording. It does not measure consumer mistakes, cleaning performance or manufacturer-wide completeness.
Downloads include the coding definitions, source links, access dates, edition notes and full-file hashes where original bytes were downloaded. Web-text retrievals have no original-file hash. Manufacturer files can change after review.
Have an exact-product clarification or a newer applicable source? Send the product, market and document edition.
Got the instruction?
Choose the matching calculation.
Use the exact product and application, with the components and measuring basis established.