The Official Detail Lab Supply Co. Chemical Mixing, Container Conversion & Pro Concoction Guide
Professional detailing chemistry is engineered in concentrated ratios so you aren't paying to ship water—and so you can dial in the exact cleaning strength each surface requires. Use this playbook at your wash cart or mixing bench for instant ounce- and milliliter-per-bottle math across our Koch-Chemie, Armour Detail Supply, P&S Detail Products, Optimum, and GYEON lineup.
Pro Technique Tip — Water First + Distilled Water for Rinseless & Interior Bottles: Always fill your spray bottle or foam cannon with water first and add concentrate second so surfactants don't foam over. Use distilled water in 16 oz–32 oz spray bottles (ONR, Armour Hero, interior APC) so minerals never spot glass or degrade shelf life.
1. Quick-Reference Container Dilution Cheat Sheet (US Oz & mL)
Formula: Total Container Volume ÷ (Dilution Parts + 1) = Concentrate Needed. Always fill your bottle or bucket with water first, then add the chemical concentrate last so foaming surfactants don't overflow.
| Ratio (Water : Product) | 16 oz (473 mL) Spray Bottle | 24 oz (710 mL) Spray Bottle | 32 oz (946 mL) Spray Bottle | 1 L (33.8 oz) Foam Cannon | 4 Gal (512 oz) Wash Bucket |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1:1 (Heavy Strip) | 8.0 oz (237 mL) | 12.0 oz (355 mL) | 16.0 oz (473 mL) | 16.9 oz (500 mL) | — |
| 3:1 (Heavy Wheel / Degreaser) | 4.0 oz (118 mL) | 6.0 oz (177 mL) | 8.0 oz (237 mL) | 8.5 oz (250 mL) | — |
| 5:1 (Medium Wheel / Tire / Bug) | 2.7 oz (80 mL) | 4.0 oz (118 mL) | 5.3 oz (158 mL) | 5.6 oz (167 mL) | — |
| 10:1 (Interior APC / Standard Wheel) | 1.5 oz (43 mL) | 2.2 oz (65 mL) | 2.9 oz (86 mL) | 3.1 oz (91 mL) | — |
| 16:1 (Quick Detailer / Foam Cannon) | 1.0 oz (28 mL) | 1.4 oz (42 mL) | 1.9 oz (56 mL) | 2.0 oz (59 mL) | — |
| 20:1 (Light APC / Mild Snow Foam) | 0.75 oz (22 mL) | 1.1 oz (34 mL) | 1.5 oz (45 mL) | 1.6 oz (48 mL) | — |
| 64:1 (Clay Lube / Pump Foamer) | 0.25 oz (7.5 mL) | 0.37 oz (11 mL) | 0.5 oz (15 mL) | 0.5 oz (15 mL) | 8.0 oz (237 mL) |
| 128:1 (Rinseless Pre-Spray — 1 oz/gal) | 0.13 oz (3.7 mL) | 0.19 oz (5.5 mL) | 0.25 oz (7.5 mL) | — | 4.0 oz (118 mL) |
| 256:1 (Rinseless Bucket — 0.5 oz/gal) | — | — | 0.13 oz (3.7 mL) | — | 2.0 oz (60 mL) |
| 500:1 (Hyper-Concentrated Bucket Soap) | — | — | — | — | 1.0 oz (30 mL) |
2. Master Brand-by-Brand Dilution & Application Table
| Product | Target Job | Ratio | Exact Mix & Pro Application |
|---|---|---|---|
| Koch-Chemie Active Foam (Af), 1 L & 5 L | Alkaline Pre-Wash Snow Foam (pH ~9.5) |
1:15 – 1:30 (Cannon) 1:50 (Pump Foamer) |
1–2 oz (30–60 mL) in a 1 L Adam's Standard Foam Cannon, or 3–4 oz in a 6 L Goizper Foam Pro 12. Dwell 3–5 min on dry paint, then pressure-rinse. |
| Koch-Chemie Reactivation Shampoo (Rs), 1 L | Acidic Ceramic Coating Descaler (pH ~3.0) |
1:200 (Bucket) 1:10 (Cannon) |
2.5 oz (75 mL) in a 4-gal bucket or 3 oz (90 mL) in a 1 L foam cannon. Dissolves road salt & hard-water mineral film clogging ceramic coatings. |
| Koch-Chemie Alkali Wheel Cleaner (Awc), 1 L | Concentrated High-pH Wheel & Tire Cleaner |
1:3 (Heavy) 1:10 (Maintenance) 1:20 (Light) |
4 oz (heavy), 1.5 oz (routine), or 0.75 oz (light) in a 16 oz spray bottle. Agitate barrels with Wheel Woolies and rinse thoroughly. |
| Koch-Chemie Magic Wheel Cleaner (Mwc), 500 mL | Acid-Free Reactive Iron Wheel Gel | RTU (Straight) | Spray onto cool, dry wheels; allow 3–5 min dwell as gel turns deep purple, agitate with soft brushes, and pressure-rinse. |
| Koch-Chemie Finish Spray Exterior (Fse), 1 L & Allround QD, 500 mL | Water-Spot Remover QD & Multi-Surface Detailer | RTU (Straight) | Mist 1–2 sprays per panel onto a Dual-Pile Plush Towel after drying to erase fresh limescale marks and boost gloss. |
| Koch-Chemie Top Star (Ts), 1 L & Glass Cleaner (Gc) | OEM Satin Interior Dressing & Streak-Free Glass | RTU (Straight) | Apply Top Star via Microfiber Applicator Pad onto clean dash/door trim. Pair Glass Cleaner with Diamond Weave Glass Towels. |
| Armour Hero Rinseless Wash, 16 oz & 1 Gal | Hoseless Wash, Clay Lube & Quick Detailer |
256:1 (Bucket) 128:1 (Pre-Soak) 64:1 (Clay Lube) |
2 oz in a 4-gal bucket (0.5 oz/gal); 0.25 oz in a 16 oz bottle for clay lube; 0.5 oz in a 16 oz bottle for winter pre-spray or quick detailer. |
| Optimum No Rinse (ONR v5), 32 oz | Polymer Rinseless Wash, Clay Lube & Interior QD |
256:1 (Wash) 64:1 (Clay Lube) 16:1 (QD) |
2 oz in a 4-gal Grit Guard bucket; 0.25 oz in a 16 oz bottle for clay lube; 1 oz in a 16 oz bottle for quick detailer & interior wipe. |
| Armour Shampoo+, 16 oz | pH-Neutral Contact Wash & Foam Cannon Soap |
500:1 (Bucket) 1:15 – 1:30 (Cannon) |
1 oz (30 mL) in a 4-gal wash bucket, or 1–2 oz in a 1 L foam cannon. Pure surfactant formula safe on coatings and matte wraps. |
| Armour Clean APC, 16 oz & 128 oz (1 Gal) | Interior & Exterior Citrus Degreaser |
1:4 (Tires/Engine) 1:10 (Interior/Mats) |
3.2 oz per 16 oz bottle (1:4) for tires, wheel wells & engine bays; 1.5 oz per 16 oz bottle (1:10) for interior plastics, vinyl & carpet spotting. |
| P&S Brake Buster, 16 oz Pint & Armour Wheel Cleaner | Non-Acid Foaming Wheel & Tire Cleaners |
RTU (Heavy) 1:3 – 1:5 (Foamer) |
Use straight for heavy brake dust and browned tire sidewalls, or mix 3 oz cleaner + 13 oz water in a foaming sprayer for maintenance washes. |
| Armour Iron Fallout Remover, 16 oz | pH-Neutral Chemical Paint & Wheel Decon | RTU (Straight) | Mist 1–2 sprays per washed cool panel prior to claying with a Clay Bar Mitt; dwell 3–5 min as iron dissolves purple, then rinse. |
| Armour Ceramic Spray Sealant, Amplify & P&S Defender | SiO2 Paint Protection & Drying Aids | RTU (1–2 Sprays / Panel) | Mist 1 spray per wet panel ahead of your Microfiber Drying Towel as a lubricating drying aid, or apply 2 sprays per dry panel and buff clear. |
| GYEON Q2 Pure EVO (30 mL) & Armour Spray Ceramic (90 mL) | Multi-Year True Ceramic Paint Coatings | RTU (Single-Layer) | Apply in cross-hatch passes onto decontaminated, machine-polished paint; level with Towel #1 (short pile) and final-buff with Towel #2 (plush pile). |
Safety Warning — Logarithmic pH Scale & Hot Surfaces: Every 1.0 step on the pH scale is a 10x jump in alkalinity or acidity. Never use exterior 1:3 wheel/degreaser dilutions on interior leather, piano black trim, or anodized aluminum, and never let active high-pH or low-pH chemistry dry on warm panels or hot brake rotors.
Shop Pre-Built Detail Lab Complete Job Systems
Complete Wash System
Pre-Foam + Two-Bucket Contact Wash
Pre-Foam + Two-Bucket Contact Wash
Two-Bucket Foam Wash Starter
$157.99
✓ In Stock · Matched Chemistry & Wash Hardware
Brake Dust Decon + Satin Tire Seal
Wheel & Tire Kit
$112.99
✓ In Stock · Safe on Painted, Powder-Coated & OEM Wheels
H9.02 Heavy · F6.01 Fine · M3.02 Micro
3-Step Paint Correction & Pad Starter Kit
$159.99
✓ In Stock · German Menzerna/Koch-Chemie Cut & Finish
10:1 APC + OEM Matte UV Protect
Interior Refresh Kit
$100.99
✓ In Stock · Pre-Treat, Agitate & OEM UV Protect
3. Signature Detail Lab Pro Concoctions & Pairing Systems
Recipe A: Pre-Wash Road Film & Bug Strip Foam Cannon Mix
- Container: 1 Liter (33.8 oz) Adam's Polishes Standard Foam Cannon filled with 28 oz of warm water first.
- The Mix: Add 1.5 oz (45 mL) Koch-Chemie Active Foam (Af) + 0.5 oz (15 mL) Armour Clean APC.
- Why It Works: Combining high-clinging sandalwood snow foam with a light citrus APC boost melts winter de-icer film, diesel soot, and bug splatter off lower rocker panels during a 4-minute touchless dwell—so 85% of abrasive grit rinses off before your wash mitt ever touches the clear coat.
Recipe B: Winter Hoseless Rinseless + Drying Aid System
- Bucket Mix (256:1): 2 oz (60 mL) Armour Hero Rinseless Wash or Optimum No Rinse (ONR) in 4 gallons of warm water with a Grit Guard Insert & Washboard Combo.
- Pre-Treat Sprayer (128:1): 0.25 oz rinseless concentrate in a 32 oz sprayer to encapsulate road salt on each panel before wiping.
- Drying Aid Topper: Mist 1 spray of Armour Amplify Ceramic Detailer or P&S Defender onto the wet panel right before gliding your Microfiber Drying Towel across.
Recipe C: 3-Step German Paint Correction Pad & Compound Matrix
- Stage 1 — Heavy Cut ( Cut 9.0 / Gloss 6.0 ): 4–5 pea-sized drops of Koch-Chemie H9.02 Heavy Cut on a 5.5" cutting pad to remove deep swirls, oxidation, and P1500 sanding marks.
- Stage 2 — Medium One-Step Correction ( Cut 6.0 / Gloss 7.0 ): 4 pea-sized drops of Koch-Chemie F6.01 Fine Cut (or P6.02 One Cut & Finish) paired with Lake Country CCS Orange 5.5" Light Cutting Foam Pads.
- Stage 3 — Final Jeweling & Anti-Hologram ( Cut 3.2 / Gloss 9.0 ): 3–4 pea-sized drops of Koch-Chemie M3.02 Micro Cut on a soft finishing pad before locking in GYEON Q2 Pure EVO. Or grab the complete 3-Step Paint Correction & Pad Starter Kit.
4. Four Golden Rules of Chemical Mixing
- Water First, Chemical Second: Always fill your spray bottle, foam cannon, or bucket with water first, then pour in the chemical concentrate and swirl gently. Adding high-foaming soap before hitting it with a hose fills the container with suds instead of liquid.
- Use Distilled Water for Rinseless, Clay Lube & Interior Bottles: Mixing Armour Hero, ONR, or interior APCs with distilled water prevents hard-water mineral spotting and keeps diluted bottles shelf-stable for months.
- Never Mix Acidic & Alkaline Concentrates in the Same Bottle: Keep acidic descalers (Reactivation Shampoo RS) separate from high-pH degreasers (Alkali Wheel Cleaner) so they don't neutralize each other.
- Never Let Active Chemistry Dry on Hot Surfaces: Always work on cool panels out of direct sunlight, and rinse or buff within the manufacturer's dwell window.
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