Converting Drops to mL

Simple table for converting drops to mL

Many natural remedies formula specify the number of drops of liquid to use. As pharmacists, we tend to want to use a more accurate measure such as milliliter (mL).

This also goes for using antiquated terms like teaspoon (5 mL) or tablespoon (15 mL).

When preparing natural remedies, it is always best to use accurate measures. Nevertheless, many older textbooks and even information on the web continue to use these "outdated" and "inaccurate" terms.

The design of the dropper and the thickness of the liquid will affect the actual size of the drop and hence the amount of liquid. (That's why we try to avoid using drops as a measurement unit!)

So here's a basic conversion chart. Typically with most fluids, 1 mL is about 20 drops.

 

Drops	mL	Others
1	0.05 mL
5	0.25 mL
10	0.5 mL
15	0.75 mL
20	1.0 mL
25	1.25 mL
50	2.5 mL	1/2 teaspoon
75	3.75 mL
100	5 mL	1 teaspoon
300	15 mL	1 tablespoon
Do you really want to count 100 or 300 drops of any liquid?? With larger drops, get a syringe from a pharmacy (usually free!) and use mL instead of drops.

Bottom line

Although the "standard" drop of liquid is considered to be 0.05 mL, the amount that you get actually various depending on the thickness of the liquid and the design of the dropper.

Use accurate units like mL (milliliter) or g (grams) and avoid terms like cups (250 mL), teaspoon (5 mL) or tablespoon (15 mL).

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