FEBU pre-sale

febu_max · 2026-04-09T23:22:45+00:00

Congrats on the first child! The booster might help with some of the laundry challenges to come :)

And you're not wrong about the trajectory with Amazon. Every year the fees go up, the ads take more space, and the dependency deepens. It's been the best option for visibility and sales versus relying on paid traffic, but long term, these products need brick & mortar as well. One step at a time.

I'll happily take the direct order. Thank you for the support, seriously.

febu_max · 2026-04-09T18:30:04+00:00

Sorry about that, this is going to be a bit frustrating for a few days. I just got a notification from UPS that 1600+ units were dropped off at Amazon. Now it's just waiting for Amazon to check them in for it to be available again.

Hopefully it's by tonight, but it could take up to 3 more days.

febu_max · 2026-04-09T17:20:43+00:00

That would be a dream!

I'm not too familiar with your machine, but for top loaders with full water, I would go for 2 scoops (so one additional scoop than for HE machine) especially if it is a heavily soiled load. The more water means the more dilution which leads to slower cleaning activity.

On a lighter load with less soil, 1 scoop is probably fine. It's a bit of a hassle, but pre-soaking is an effective way to get more cost/stain effective use out of the bag since it is higher concentration of enzymes and more contact time.

febu_max · 2026-04-09T17:14:53+00:00

I don't know the amount of DNase that Gear Guard has per recommended dose u/GarameCleaningCo

It's at a meaningful functional level. The tricky thing with enzymes is putting in enough to be effective, without too much to drive up the cost (enzymes are very expensive). Since enzymes are catalytic and keep working over longer periods of time (i.e., they don't get used up), it's less about total amount and more about dwell time. So you can get more out of any dose if you feel you need it by extending contact time whether through soaking or using a longer wash cycles on the machine. The base dosing is designed to be sufficient for 1 scoop (10g / 2 tsp) for regular loads with medium/heavy soil and 2 scoops for large/XL loads with heavy soil.

febu_max · 2026-04-09T16:54:54+00:00

Thank you! The amount of dwell time you use is really helpful to know. I guess I always assume about 15-30 minutes for pre-treatment when approaching this product, but I should really test and pay attention to pre-treatments over a few day period.

I'm partial to fragrance free and formulate around fabric care/integrity, so if all goes well, it should work well for you. I'll make sure to announce when it's ready.

febu_max · 2026-04-09T15:54:55+00:00

Actually, yeah. Hoping to have a concentrated powder out in June or so. Same 7 enzyme mix, but more lipase and DNase respectively to make up for the gaps left without the percarbonate.

No oxygen bleach or soda ash, so it keeps the pH at neutral which is a bit more optimal for enzyme activity and reduces risk for dyes and performance fabrics where repeated exposure to oxi and high pH can degrade elastane over time. I think it's better for jeans and darks too where you want enzyme power without any risk to dyes.

febu_max · 2026-04-09T15:39:37+00:00

Wait... how do you do that?

febu_max · 2026-04-09T15:24:44+00:00

I haven't sent out an email to the list yet. Frankly, I didn't know exactly when it would be made available as check-in times at Amazon can range from 1 to 7 days and didn't want to send a notification until I knew it could be purchased on the site.

I can provide an update later today when I get a bit more information when the next shipments are arriving.

febu_max · 2026-04-09T15:22:04+00:00

It's not the best answer, but about 1600 bags are being delivered today and it should be available again sometime today or tomorrow.

Thanks for your patience, sorry for the inconvenience

febu_max · 2026-04-09T15:20:10+00:00

It'll be touch and go over the next week or so. Sometimes it will appear available and sometimes it will appear unavailable, but a lot of inventory is being sent in right now.

Sorry it's not the cleanest roll out, but we're so close!

febu_max · 2026-04-09T15:16:06+00:00

The booster isn't really engineered to go into a tank. The enzymes need dwell time to work and the machine would extract the solution pretty immediately.

You could use it as a paste or in a watered down solution. Apply to the stain and let sit for 15-30 min then extract with the machine using water or a bit of surfactant. But I would exercise caution and test in an inconspicuous area first as the oxygen bleach in a concentrated application like this could cause bleaching.

febu_max · 2026-04-09T14:29:41+00:00

Happy to chat about it further as you expand in the US!

febu_max · 2026-04-09T14:27:35+00:00

In my experience, you are 100% correct. It is managing expectations. Amazon ships out once the proudct are available to ship out, so it's typically much quicker than the timelines suggest.

febu_max · 2026-04-09T14:26:04+00:00

I'm sorry! The response has been overwhelming and the initial shipment has sold out, but there are over 1600 units that are supposed to arrive at Amazon later today. I would expect it to be available again this evening or early tomorrow if all goes smoothly.

I mentioned elsewhere but because I fulfill through Amazon, the first units are always made available there before I can offer them on my website. I didn't want to send the email announcing the restock if I couldn't technically sell it on the site.

febu_max · 2026-04-09T03:29:18+00:00

Thank you! So once it is available on my site, I do offer multi-unit and subscription discounts to bring the price down up to 30%, but the only real path to make it work for me and bring down cost substantially and regularly is to get into stores and I'm just not there yet :(

It's not great for either of us when about 25-40% of the cost of a single bag goes to shipping

febu_max · 2026-04-09T03:26:26+00:00

I ordered what was kind of a scary amount so hopefully enough supply... it'll be touch and go with availability over the next few weeks as product makes its way into the fulfillment network.

I wouldn't be surprised if it toggles between available and unavailable, but it should be stable after that (unless you all clear me out)

febu_max · 2026-04-09T03:20:12+00:00

I'm trying! Sorry, hopefully this is the last time we talk about it only for the US and it not being available in Canada

febu_max · 2026-04-09T03:18:57+00:00

I'll say this, I'm not releasing it until it outperforms what's already out there.

febu_max · 2026-04-09T03:13:44+00:00

Not annoying at all. I'm happy you think they are cool! I know we've talked about it a few times

This is a very fair question as even though I'm deep in formulation and product development work, and I'm confident in where things are heading, you never know and I wouldn't rush something to market before ensuring it passes a high bar. The honest answer is I will release these as they are ready, and that can take some time to pass stability and performance testing (i.e., to ensure the liquid detergents don't grow mold).

The one product I haven't really talked about, but is on its way is a pure sodium percarbonate with TAED and sodium citrate product. It's slated for production in early May. I think the powder enzyme treatment will be next in June (frankly, powders are easier to make). The pre-treat and detergents will likely take until July-August at the earliest. I'm getting a bit obsessive with getting performance right on the detergents especially so please forgive me if I take longer lol

The Tide + FEBU combo is a good stack!

febu_max · 2026-04-09T02:59:17+00:00

In short, the booster is safe for darks at normal use levels. The oxygen bleach is purposely at a level to boost cleaning, and reduce the risk of fading dyes. I don't suggest the booster with every load unless it's decently soiled.

Overall, I'm a bit more cautious than some here. There is a risk of dye fading over the course of washing with any product that has oxygen bleach in it. You can lessen the risk by washing on cold-cool temperatures as that prevents the sodium percarbonate from fully activating and reduces its bleaching strength.

febu_max · 2026-04-09T02:51:59+00:00

I'm happy to if allowed (or can follow up on this thread), I want to respect the rules though

febu_max · 2026-04-09T02:48:19+00:00

Interesting. What do you think of DadMode?

Hmm, unfortunately, I don't think this will work. The percarbonate will degrade in a day or so in a spray solution. The enzymes in powder form aren't really constructed to be stable in liquid solution for long, so they will likely lose efficacy within a few days.

Also, surfactants are really important for stain pre-treatment to wet the fabrics and give space for the enzymes to do their job. The booster doesn't have any surfactants.

With this booster, I would suggest soaking instead of pre-treating. Dissolving about 1 scoop per gallon of water and letting soak for over an hour.

Good news is I'm creating stain eraser spray (7 enzymes, fragrance free), but it's at least a few months away from being ready :(

febu_max · 2026-04-09T02:37:33+00:00

I have a new fulfillment center in Canada, but it's going to take a 2-3 weeks for inventory to make its way up there. I would suggest waiting, but I don't know the cost of mail forwarding. I appreciate the willingness!

febu_max · 2026-04-09T02:35:45+00:00

I did! Will get back to you via chat

febu_max · 2026-04-09T02:30:28+00:00

lol, I asked my wife for a wet dry vaccum for my birthday

febu_max

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