The most-read post on my blog in this site’s nearly 12-year history continues to be “The Clean Dishes Challenge: Battle of the Dishwasher Detergents.” I originally wrote this in 2012 after detergent manufacturers removed phosphates from consumer dishwasher detergents. After switching to phosphate-free formulas, my dishwasher suddenly wasn’t getting dishes clean at all.
I wasn’t alone — many, many people wrote in to say the same and share similar experiences. I began seeking out and testing phosphate-based dishwasher detergents that were still available to see what would make my dishwasher continue to get things clean the way it used to.
Fortunately, commercial-grade dishwasher detergents are still available with phosphate formations, and since 2012, I’ve been happily using Professional Line Cascade. It’s about $11 for a 53-load box, and of course, there are no coupons for it, but it’s a product that I feel is worth paying for because it works so incredibly well.
(Note: I am not here for a debate on whether phosphates are harmful to the environment. Unless your drain runoff is going to a septic field near a pond, the “dangers” of phosphate algae bloom have been shown to be largely overblown, particularly by a 2011 University of Washington study. If your home’s sewer system drains to a municipal water treatment plant, there is no issue at all. If Trisodium Phosphate, the same ingredient in Professional Cascade, was truly “harmful,” would it be an ingredient in Cheerios? Restaurants, hotels, hospitals, and many other businesses continue to use phosphate-based detergents, and there’s no reason consumers can’t as well.)
Anyway, I’m down to my last box of Professional Cascade, and I was getting ready to order more soon. Then, earlier this week, I spotted something really interesting at Menards:
These boxes of Finish Powerball Classic caught my eye because the text on the front is in multiple languages – English, French, and Italian, with Dutch and German on the sides of the box too. The box features a European website (uk.cleanright.eu), an Ireland company address, and “Made in Poland.” What’s this doing at my local Menards?
A peek at the ingredients label revealed that this Finish Powerball Classic is a phosphonate-based detergent. Phosphonates are closely related to phosphates, and phosphonates have been used in Europe to achieve the same level of cleaning power as phosphates.
Menards is selling 10-count boxes of European Finish Powerball for $1.79 and 110-count boxes for $12.99. I bought a 10-count box earlier this week and took it home to try.
I’m pleased to report that this European Finish is cleaning with the same strength as my beloved Pro Cascade – shiny dishes, no detergent residue, and no food or haze on my dishes. So, I went back to the store yesterday to buy some more in the 110-count boxes, as these work out to about .11 per load versus the .20/load that the Pro Cascade works out to. Plus, Menards has an extra 11% of at the time of this writing, which further sweetens the deal. UPDATE: For the week of 1/12/20 – 1/18/20, Menards is having a 15% off Bag Sale. Bring the bag from this Sunday’s paper, and this Finish will drop to $1.51 and $11.04, respectively. (For what it’s worth, current Finish coupons are not valid for this particular variety of Finish.)
I’m not sure how long this product will be available at Menards. The Carpentersville store that I shopped has these red-tagged as clearance items, and a frequent part of Menards’ promotional strategy is selling diverted product*, so it’s probably something that will only be in-store while it lasts. I’m welcoming the chance to spend a little bit less on dishwasher detergent though and still gain the same strong cleaning power.
For people who enjoy reading labels, as I do, here are some close-up photos. If you’ve got a Menards in your area, and you’re a fan of phosphate or phosphonate-based dishwasher detergents, you just might want to pick some of this up while it’s available.
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Diverted product refers to items sold to stores via channels other than those authorized by the manufacturer. For example, if your store wanted to stock brand-name paper towels, they’d likely go directly to the brand’s authorized supplier to order them. However, there is another way stores procure products to sell – via diverters.
These third parties broker in buying overstock, unwanted, or discontinued items from one retailer and selling them to another. These products are still new, but the store’s acquiring them through another channel. If you’re a regular Menards shopper, you may already have noticed that they often have interesting things on the shelves — like Walmart-brand towels, or those occasional free-after-coupon deals on Oral-B Shiny Clean toothbrushes. Shiny Clean is a variety created for the Asian market, and while our USA Oral-B coupons typically exclude their entry-level toothbrushes, they never exclude Shiny Clean, because that’s a variety that (in theory) shouldn’t even be available in the USA.
In this case, Menards is also currently selling European Finish dishwasher detergent. They’re likely buying in lots from a diverter to sell to their own customers. This dishwasher detergent traveled halfway around the world to hit Midwest Menards shelves, but it works really well, and I’m happy to have discovered it!
SSMark1 says
Jill, Nice find!
10 Count location locator: https://www.menards.com/main/grocery-home/housewares/cleaning-supplies/dish-detergents/finish-reg-powerball-dishwasher-detergent-tablets-10-count/10ct/p-1563431365509.htm
110 Count location locator: https://www.menards.com/main/grocery-home/housewares/cleaning-supplies/dish-detergents/finish-reg-powerball-dishwasher-detergent-tablets-110-count/40-02607/p-1530858517918-c-7100.htm
Menards MIGHT… fingers crossed… have the 15% off paper bags next week (no rebate, instant 15% off = less tax since you still pay tax on the 11% rebate … unless you are paying with a store credit or other Menards rebate )
I miss the calendars with the $5 off $50 coupons we’d get the Sunday after Christmas.
Thank you!
-Mark
Coupon Maven says
Mark, thanks for the links – I forgot you could check stock at each location online! I have no idea how long they will be carrying these, but I bought three 110ct. boxes this week. If they do bring the bag sale back, I might have to get more :) There are twice as many loads in these big boxes as in the Pro Cascade (53) and they’re cheaper.
J.R. says
Picked one up this afternoon. Big box. We’ll see how it does.
Question: Our dishwasher has two soap holders. Do you use one in each? We’ve always used liquid Cascade, as powders left residue on the dishes. I suppose we could put a tablet in the first compartment, and the liquid in the second.
Coupon Maven says
I’m not sure – my dishwasher only has one dispenser, so I put one tablet in it. I guess give it a try with two?
Calibabydolly says
15% bags are in the paper today and also says available at store!
Coupon Maven says
Woo woo! Well, that settles it – I am going to get more next week then! Thanks!
Jackie says
I know what I’m doing after work tomorrow!
SSMark1 says
The 2nd full week of January is almost always discount bag week, which is why I mentioned it in my reply above last week as a possibility, which has been 15% off for the past few bag offers.
Menards also has 11% rebate forms for the 2 weeks before 11% off sales.
You have to ask for them for those since they never have them on display, or know the 4 digit rebate code to print them off from the website.
I’ll be getting some if there are any left later this week.
Thanks again Jill for an awesome find & sharing on your site.
-Mark
Gailanne says
Plenty of 10 count and 110 count boxes in Crystal Lake this morning (Monday.) Used the 15% off bag!
J.R. says
There were three 110 count boxes left when I got to Crystal Lake this afternoon. I bought them all. The 15% bag would have held a fourth if there had been one.
I left Carpentersville for Jill :)
Or figured that Jill had already cleared them out :)
Coupon Maven says
Not me! I bought three 110-counts at C’Ville last week. Today I stopped in to get more, and the shelves are clear! You guys are GOOD! :)
I did pick up a few more of the 10-count boxes to top off my bag ‘o Menards stuff that I bought today – but there weren’t too many of those left either. I would say maybe 10-15 boxes.
Coupon Maven says
Update: I was up in Woodstock today for an errand and I checked the Woodstock Menards. They have plenty of the 110-count Finish – but theirs is NOT on the $12 clearance price – it’s $16.99!
If anyone goes, remember that Woodstock has a .10 bag tax now if you don’t bring your own bag. If you do not bring the Menards bag from your newspaper and pick one up in the store, they will charge you the .10 for that too.
dancingwolves says
3/24/20….was at Menards in Crystal Lake. They have the 110 ct of Finish described above for $16.99 and there is 11% off this week. Not the same deal but found a supply. Its in back of store in one of the center aisles next to the food section. Will test this because the dish washer replacement I have isn’t doing the job that I had with my older cheaper dishwasher. My brother in law offered me a Bosch that was older he took out of a remodel job…and it doesn’t have a dry cycle (or its not working) so I have to hand dry the dishes…whats the point? But if it gets my dishes cleaner its half the battle.
Coupon Maven says
Let me know what you think of them – we love them. (And now that we are eating three meals a day at home, we’re running the dishwasher more often! :)
I’m not sure if the Bosch you have is the same, but I also have a Bosch. They are designed differently than the traditional-style dishwasher with a heating element in the bottom to dry dishes. This one is supposed to use “condensation drying.” It does take longer than the kind with a heating element, but the advantage is supposed to be that there is no “top rack only” designation for dishes. With no heating element in the bottom, there is no “danger zone” for plastics.
dancingwolves says
I will let you know. I looked after finding out it wasn’t drying and I couldn’t find any heating element or coils of any king in the machine. I had presumed it had the heating coils in it but I didn’t pick it up and help install it (it was a nephew project with my husband) I even looked on the top but I don’t know much about dishwashers since the first dishwasher I ever had was the one that just broke. I’m wondering if they just didn’t install it correctly. Ugh!
Coupon Maven says
Dancingwolves, mine has no visible heat element inside the wash tub area either – nor is it visible if you pull the dishwasher out from the cabinet. I just changed the door gasket on ours about two weeks ago and had it out of the cabinet again. It has no visible drying elements of any kind (again, the manual for ours says it uses convection to dry, not heat.)
Here are a few photos if this helps you:
This is a Bosch FD8104 – it’s 16 years old.
dancingwolves says
Thank you for the photos. I thought I was missing something. I’m going to try to locate the model name, etc. and go on-line for the manual to determine if it is similar to yours.
Coupon Maven says
You’re welcome. On mine, the model number is on the right side of the door when it’s open. I hope you can get it working :)
We purchased ours from a Sears Outlet store – it was a floor model that came with no box and had been connected in-store to a display (actually still had water in the trap when we got it.) I have no idea how long it ran in the display, but we have had it installed here for 16 years with no major issues & I’ve only replaced easy things like gaskets over the years. It’s been a great appliance.
J.R. says
Just saw more of these at Menards today. And of course it’s 11% rebate week.
Carpentersville had lots of them on one of the sale display squares, between hardware and pet supplies.
I was there early during senior hours, and the store was almost empty.
Except for TP and sanitizers, and the other obvious things, the store seemed pretty well stocked. But no wipes for carts.
m says
I gave these a try, and for whatever reason — My Bosch didn’t seem to like them. While glassware came out okay, I noticed that they left grease & food behind on plates and dishes that were not thoroughly pre-rinsed, and after the cycle was done, there was this… smell, that was just… dirty, left behind. I tried several tablets from the 10ct Packages, and and the 110ct with the same results. The rest of them, I gave away to my Mother in Law — who I assume hasn’t tried them, because she hasn’t said anything.
Out of curiosity, have you tried any of the newer dishwasher formulas? One of my neighbors gave me a box of recently made Cascade Complete — and that seems to do a very similar job, to the Fryer Boil Out.
Coupon Maven says
M, I’m sorry it didn’t work out for you. I am currently using my last box of Cascade Professional (the fryer boil out formula) but earlier this year, I discovered some European Finish with phosphonate in it at Menards, and I did a huge stock-up. Once my last box of Cascade is gone, I have years’ worth of Euro Finish here, which works extremely well too! https://jillcataldo.com/i-found-phosphate-dishwasher-detergent-at-menards/
dancingwolves says
I ran out of the supply I had of this dishwashing tablets with phosphonates. I went to the Menards in Crystal Lake and they still carry it there as a regular item priced at $12.99 for 110 count. I brought with me this article to make sure it was the same ingredients. So adding it along with the other items for 11% off.
Coupon Maven says
That’s fantastic! I am still well stocked, but I hope that means they are going to keep carrying it :)
Kimberly says
I *just* discovered your post about phosphates. Funny thing is, I’m not to far away from you; I’m between Woodfield mall and Harper College! Since you’ve posted about this phosphate topic a few times, I was wondering if there was a 2023 update on this topic in the works? Like, did they finally start making dishwashing detergent that actually works? Like you, ten years ago when my dishwasher stopped washing well, after a little googling I figured out why and bought a bazillon Cascade Professionals like you did and I’m running out. These new EPA guidelines are really driving me nuts; its like a friggen research project to try to find stuff that works, or at least works the best. Did you know that now there are some washing machines where HOT is only 90F?!??!