How To Dilute Solution: 10:1, 4:1, 1:1 (And What Each Costs)

Solution is the all-purpose cleaner that's been on the Shine Supply roster since 2014. It's a concentrate. You dilute it with water to match the job, and the dilution ratio you pick changes what kind of work the bottle is set up for. Light, standard, or heavy. That's the system.

If you're new to Shine Supply or thinking about clicking the order button, this is what Solution does, how to mix it three different ways, what each working strength actually costs you per bottle when you mix it yourself, and where it fits next to the other cleaners we make.

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What Solution Actually Is

Solution is a heavy-duty all-purpose cleaner. It works by emulsification, meaning surfactants and chelating agents loosen dirt at the molecular level instead of burning it off like a standard degreaser. That's the reason one bottle can move between general cleaning, exterior work, and heavier knockdown jobs by changing nothing but the water ratio.

It's a concentrate. Buying the gallon and diluting it into spray bottles is how detailers have used Solution for over a decade. The 32oz Ready-To-Use version exists for customers who want the same product pre-mixed at the standard 4:1 ratio with no measuring, and it's a great option if you want a grab-and-spray bottle on the shelf.

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Watch the Full Walkthrough

Here is the full breakdown of Solution and every dilution. Worth watching before you mix your first bottle.

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The Three Working Strengths

Solution gives you three usable strengths from one bottle. Think of them as light, standard, and heavy. Match the strength to the resistance of the dirt. Going stronger than needed wastes product. Going weaker than needed means you scrub more than you should.

10:1: Light Strength

One part Solution to ten parts water. The mildest working strength and the one that does more work than most people realize. Two main jobs:

Interior cleaning. Interior plastics, vinyl, dashboards, door panels, console surfaces, and standard upholstery. For interior work, always spray onto a microfiber towel or brush first. Never spray directly on the surface.

Paint prep and door jambs. Anything where you are spraying onto paint, use 10:1. Pretreat rocker panels, lower thirds, door jambs, and any heavy debris areas during your pre-rinse to break down grime before the wash. Spray on, let it dwell, then rinse off with the hose. You are not wiping it down on paint. This is a spray-and-rinse step that lets your wash mitt do the rest.

4:1: Standard Strength

One part Solution to four parts water. The everyday workhorse dilution and the strength most exterior cleaning calls for. Handles general grime and road film on wheels and tires at maintenance level, rubber floor mats, fender wells, engine bays, undercarriages in their typical condition, and truck beds. The Solution RTU comes pre-mixed at this exact strength because it's the dilution you'll reach for most.

1:1: Heavy Strength

One part Solution to one part water. The heaviest cleaning strength, used as a real degreaser. Reserve it for caked engine grease, dried mud knockdown, neglected undercarriages, heavily soiled wheel wells, or any surface where the standard 4:1 isn't moving the dirt. Most jobs are a 4:1 job, not a 1:1 job. Don't reach for this strength unless you actually need it.

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The Math: One Gallon, Three Strengths, Real Cost

A gallon of Solution is 128 ounces of concentrate. When you dilute it with water, each ounce of concentrate turns into multiple ounces of usable cleaner. Here's what a single $38 gallon produces at each working strength.

For comparison, the Solution RTU 32oz is $22. That bottle is already mixed at the standard 4:1 strength, so you're paying for the convenience of skipping the math. If you only want a grab-and-spray bottle on the shelf, the RTU is the right pickup. If you want to mix to multiple strengths, the gallon pays for itself fast. One gallon at 4:1 covers what would cost roughly $440 in RTU bottles.

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Step By Step: Mix Your Three Working Bottles

The fastest way to set yourself up is to pre-dilute Solution into three labeled 32oz spray bottles. One light, one standard, one heavy. That's how most pros run it, and it's the setup we use at Stevens Detailing.

Pro Tips

• ✓ Start at the lightest strength that gets the job done. If 10:1 doesn't cut it, step up. Going heavy first wastes product and risks damage you can't undo.
• ✓ Don't ever let it dry. Solution is a working cleaner. Spray, agitate, wipe or rinse. Never walk away with it sitting on a surface.
• ✓ Match the brush to the job. The Bristle Boss for general scrubbing, The Palm Pro for wheel faces, The Tire Tamer for tire sidewalls, and The Reacher for getting into undercarriage and fender wells.
• ✓ For sensitive interior surfaces, use the dedicated cleaner. Solution works on most plastics and vinyls, but for premium or high-end interiors, reach for our Leather & Interior Cleaner instead.
• ✓ For interior work, never spray Solution directly on the surface. Spray onto a microfiber towel or your brush first, then wipe or agitate. This protects screens, switches, and finishes.
• ✓ Most cleaning is a 4:1 job, not a 1:1 job. Reserve the heavy strength for the surfaces that truly need it.

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Why Solution Has Been In The Lineup For Over A Decade

Solution has been on the Shine Supply roster since 2014. It's older than most of the products you'll see marketed today. There's a reason it hasn't been retired or reformulated into something flashier.

Most of the cleaners you'll see right now are aimed at a single job. We make some of those too, on purpose. Cool Guy is built specifically for iron-removing wheel cleaning, and nothing else does that job as well. Wise Guy is built for wheel cleaning and deep tire cleaning, stripping baked-on dressing and road grime in a single pass. The Leather & Interior Cleaner is formulated for the surfaces where Solution would be too aggressive.

Solution is the general-purpose workhorse that sits in the middle. The product you reach for when you don't need a specialty cleaner. The formula has been upgraded over the years with a more effective emulsifier package than the original, which is why the same dilutions clean harder than they used to. The bottle didn't change. The label didn't change. The product just got better.

That's the Shine Supply approach. We don't chase new SKUs every quarter. We make the products we already have work harder, and Solution is the cleanest example of that on the shelf.

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Frequently Asked Questions