Buying a concentrated degreaser in bulk is the smart move, but only if you dilute it correctly. Get the ratio wrong and you either waste product on jobs that didn't need full strength, or you under-clean the grease you bought it for in the first place. This guide gives you a practical, chart-style breakdown of dilution ratios by surface type, so every bottle of concentrate works as hard as it should.
Why Dilution Ratios Matter With a Concentrated Degreaser
Concentrates aren't meant to be used straight from the bottle for every job. They're formulated so you control the strength: light for daily wipe-downs, strong for baked-on grime. That's the whole point of buying concentrate over a pre-diluted spray. You get more cleaning power per litre, and more control over how you use it.
The problem is that most bottle labels only give one generic instruction, something like "dilute as needed." That's fine once you know what you're doing, but it doesn't tell a new customer how much water to add for a workshop floor versus a kitchen counter. That's the gap this concentrated degreaser dilution guide closes.
What Happens If You Use Too Much or Too Little
Too strong a mix on an everyday surface can leave a residue or film behind, especially on glass, tiles or stainless steel. It also burns through your concentrate faster than it needs to, so you're paying for strength you didn't use.
Too weak a mix on heavy grease means you're left scrubbing, re-spraying, and wasting time. The degreaser hasn't failed. It just hasn't been given the concentration it needs to break down oil, carbon and grime at that level. Matching the ratio to the job is what makes knowing how to use a concentrated cleaner worth getting right, rather than guessing each time.
How to Dilute Degreaser: The Basics Before You Start
Before you mix anything, get a couple of basics right. They make every ratio below far more reliable.
Tools You Need for Accurate Mixing
You don't need lab equipment, but you do need something that measures. A simple measuring jug with millilitre markings works well for bucket mixes. For spray bottles, use one with graduated markings on the side, or measure the concentrate with a small cup before topping up with water. Eyeballing it is the single biggest reason people end up with inconsistent results between one clean and the next.
Label your spray bottles once you've mixed them, especially if you keep more than one strength on hand. A strong workshop mix and a light kitchen mix look identical in an unlabelled bottle.
Water Type and Temperature Tips
Ordinary tap water is fine for diluting an alkaline degreaser. Warm water helps the mix cut through grease faster, particularly on kitchen surfaces and cooking equipment where fat resolidifies as it cools. Cold water works well for general home cleaning and outdoor surfaces where speed isn't critical.
Mix in a well-ventilated area, and always add concentrate to water rather than the reverse. It's easier to control the strength that way, and it's a habit worth building regardless of which cleaning product you're using.
Concentrated Degreaser Dilution Ratio Chart by Surface Type
Different surfaces carry different grease loads, so the right degreaser dilution ratio shifts depending on where you're cleaning. Think in bands, light, medium and strong, rather than a single fixed number, and adjust based on how dirty the surface actually is.
Kitchens and Food-Prep Surfaces
Everyday counters, hobs and splashbacks need a light-to-medium dilution. Daily wipe-downs of surfaces that aren't heavily soiled call for a lighter mix, while stovetops and extractor surfaces with baked-on grease need a medium strength. A 1L foamer bottle diluted to a light strength suits this kind of daily kitchen job, since it's ready to grab and use without mixing a fresh batch each time.
Workshop Floors and Industrial Grime
Oil-stained concrete, engine bays and workshop floors need a much stronger mix, sometimes close to full concentrate for the worst buildup. This is where buying in bulk pays off, because a 5L or 20L container gives you the volume to mix strong batches without running out mid-job. Reaching for a stronger dilution on these surfaces is normal. It's what the concentrate was formulated for.
Vehicles, Engines and Exterior Surfaces
Engine degreasing and heavy road grime on wheels or undercarriages call for a medium-to-strong mix, similar to workshop use. Painted bodywork and glass, on the other hand, need a much lighter dilution to avoid dulling the finish. Treat the engine bay and the paintwork as two different jobs with two different strengths, even on the same vehicle.
General Home Cleaning and Light Grime
Bathrooms, tiles, appliances and general household surfaces sit at the lighter end of the scale. A Calm Breeze Bundle 5L + 1L Foamer or Garden Breeze Bundle 5L + 1L Foamer covers this well: the foamer handles quick daily jobs at a light dilution, while the 5L refill lets you mix a slightly stronger batch for occasional deep cleans.
Diluting SK7 Superkleen Concentrate: Product-Specific Instructions
SK7 Superkleen is a water-based, multi-purpose alkaline degreaser designed to be diluted for everyday jobs and used stronger for heavy-duty grease. That flexibility is why bundles pair a ready-to-use foamer with a larger refill: one bottle for convenience, one for volume and control over strength.
Using the 1L Foamer vs Refilling from 5L or 20L
The 1L foamer is built for grab-and-go use. It's already at a sensible strength for daily jobs like counters, appliances and light bathroom grime, so there's no mixing required. Spray and wipe.
The 5L or 20L concentrate is where you take control of strength yourself. Refill an empty foamer or spray bottle and dilute it lighter for general surfaces, or mix it stronger in a bucket for workshop floors and heavy engine grime. This is the setup behind the SK7 Original Bundle 5L + 1L Foamer: the foamer covers daily use out of the box, while the 5L refill lets you match the ratio to whatever job comes next, from kitchens to workshops.
For households or teams going through a lot of degreaser, the SK7 Citrus Burst 20L gives enough concentrate to mix multiple strengths and refill bottles repeatedly, rather than buying small bottles on repeat.
Safe Cleaning for Any Surface: Precautions When Diluting Degreaser
A properly diluted, eco-friendly degreaser is still safe for daily home use around kitchens, bathrooms and living areas. Diluting doesn't reduce safety, it reduces strength to match the job, which is exactly what keeps a water-based alkaline degreaser sensible for everyday cleaning rather than harsh, old-school chemical sprays.
Surfaces to Dilute More Carefully
Some surfaces deserve extra caution regardless of how tough the grease is. Painted wood, car paintwork, and natural stone like marble or granite can be sensitive to stronger mixes and should always start with a lighter dilution. Spot-test on a small, hidden area first, wait a few minutes, and check for any dulling or discolouration before treating the whole surface. If it looks fine, you can move on to the rest of the area with confidence.
Getting More Value From Your Concentrate: Bulk Buying and Bundles
Correct dilution is what makes bulk buying actually pay off. A concentrate diluted properly for each surface stretches far further than one used at a single, overly strong strength for everything, which is where a lot of product gets wasted unnecessarily.
For businesses and teams that go through degreaser fast, the Bomb Squad bundle of 4 × SK7 1L bottles is built for exactly that volume: workshops, fleets, hospitality and cleaning businesses that need reliable stock on hand and dilute it across dozens of jobs a week. Get the ratio right, and that stock lasts noticeably longer than a rough guess ever would.