Green Cleaning Product Cost Calculator

Concentrate price alone is misleading because the two products dilute differently: the calculator divides each concentrate's cost per gallon by its dilution ratio (convCostPerRtuGal = convCostPerGal / convDilution, and the same for green) to get a true cost per gallon of usable solution. A green product priced higher per concentrate gallon can still cost less per RTU gallon if it's diluted at a much higher ratio, which is exactly the scenario the default values (1:32 conventional vs. 1:128 green) are built to illustrate.

With equal dilution ratios, the RTU cost comparison collapses to a straight comparison of concentrate prices, since dividing both by the same dilutionRatio doesn't change their relative ordering. In that case the calculator will show green as more expensive whenever its concentrate price per gallon is higher, since the dilution advantage that often favors green products has been removed from the comparison.

The model assumes both products are diluted exactly at their stated ratios every time, but staff eyeballing pours instead of using metered dispensers is a common failure mode that erases a concentrated green product's dilution advantage. Since dilution ratio sits in the denominator of the cost-per-gallon formula, small measurement errors compound quickly — over-diluting the conventional product or under-diluting the green one can swing the savings percentage well outside what this calculator projects.

No — it only computes cost-in-use from concentrate price, dilution ratio, and monthly usage volume. It doesn't factor in indirect benefits sometimes associated with green products, such as fewer VOC-related complaints, easier LEED or Green Seal compliance documentation, or reduced ventilation requirements, so a negative dollar savings here doesn't necessarily mean switching to green is the wrong call overall.