Oral Rehydration Salts Calculator
Homemade ORS sugar, salt, and water by liters.
What it does
Dehydration kills through salt and water loss together, and oral rehydration solution replaces both. Six level teaspoons of sugar with half a teaspoon of salt per liter of safe water makes the WHO homemade mix; packets do the same job pre-measured at one sachet per liter.
The tool above scales the homemade recipe. Enter liters and it prints sugar and salt in spoons with gram equivalents. One liter needs 6 tsp sugar and half a tsp salt; two liters double to 12 and 1. Precision matters more than speed here.
Health authorities align exactly. A WHO position paper states the half-spoon salt plus six-spoon sugar liter, IFRC volunteer guides give 3.5 g salt with 40 g sugar per liter, and MedlinePlus frames sipping and daily-fluid guidance around illness. Homemade serves only when packets are unavailable.
Spoon discipline decides safety. Level spoons, not heaped, keep sodium inside the therapeutic window; too much salt harms while too little fails to rehydrate. Mix fresh daily, discard after 24 hours, and seek care for no urine, lethargy, or bloody stool.
How to use
- Enter liters of safe water.
- Read sugar tsp first, then salt.
- Weigh grams when scales exist.
- Stir fully dissolved.
- Sip small and often.
- Make fresh daily; prefer packets.
Formula
- liters
- Safe water liters, 0 to 20.
WHO position paper (half tsp salt + six tsp sugar per liter) with IFRC gram equivalents (3.5 g + 40 g).
Worked example
Example: 1 liter ORS
Defaults: 1 liter.
- Input: 1 liter of safe water.
- Sugar: 6 x 1 = 6 level tsp (40 g).
- Salt: 0.5 x 1 = 0.5 level tsp (3.5 g).
- Stir dissolved; sip small and often.
- Tool shows 6 tsp sugar, 0.5 tsp salt, 40 g + 3.5 g.
Reference table
| Water | Sugar | Salt |
|---|---|---|
| 0.5 L | 3 tsp (20 g) | 0.25 tsp (1.75 g) |
| 1 L | 6 tsp (40 g) | 0.5 tsp (3.5 g) |
| 2 L | 12 tsp (80 g) | 1 tsp (7 g) |
| 4 L | 24 tsp (160 g) | 2 tsp (14 g) |
Limits
- Recipe math only. Dosing by illness needs clinicians.
- Assumes safe water; treat water first.
- Spoon accuracy limits homemade safety.
- Severe dehydration needs facility care.
Common mistakes
- Heaped instead of level spoons.
- Doubling salt for strength.
- Storing batches past 24 hours.
- Large infrequent gulps.
- Skipping care for danger signs.
Try it yourself
Quick checks. Answers sit tucked under each question.
2 liters?
Sugar 6 x 2 = 12 tsp (80 g). Salt 0.5 x 2 = 1 tsp (7 g).
Half a liter?
Sugar 6 x 0.5 = 3 tsp (20 g). Salt 0.5 x 0.5 = 0.25 tsp (1.8 g).
Questions
What is the homemade recipe?
Six level tsp sugar plus half a level tsp salt per liter of safe water, per WHO and IFRC.
How do I scale it?
Multiply both: 2 liters need 12 tsp sugar and 1 tsp salt.
Packets or homemade?
Packets first: 1 sachet per liter. Homemade only when packets are unavailable.
How long does it keep?
Make fresh daily and discard remainder after 24 hours.
How is it given?
Small frequent sips plus continued feeding; seek care for danger signs like no urine or lethargy.
Can I eyeball the spoons?
No. Precise level spoons matter; too much salt harms. Use packets when unsure.
Sources
- WHO: ORS Position Paper (recipe per liter)
- IFRC: Preparing ORS (gram equivalents)
- MedlinePlus: Dehydration Care Guidance (NIH)