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Homemade dry foam shampoo for kirby

Submitted by Debbie

I have a Kirby vacuum/shampooer and have not been able to afford any shampoo for it. I have searched the internet for a couple of years now to try and find a recipe where I could make my own. Yesterday I found one and I would just like to share it. It works just as good if not better than the Kirby dry foam shampoo. Please test a small area first. (This recipe is for shampooers that use dry foam cleaner)

Mix all ingredients in a large bucket then lightly stir to mix. Add the WATER first to cut down on all the bubbles.

3 quarts WATER
3 Tbs DISHSOAP
1 Tbs WHITE VINEGAR
1/2 tsp AMMONIA

If you have any stubborn spots you can pre-treat with any window cleaner.

Visitors comments

works great Comments By: John R on 2008-10-13 I tried this mixture, and it works just as good if not better than the Kirby brand stuff, for a fraction of the price. THANK YOU DEBBIE !!   i will try today Comments By: Imus on 2008-11-02 Im going to try this mixture out and see how well it works, I used to work for Kirby and I'm pretty much hooked on the Kirby brand shampoo. I hope this works as I can't afford shampoo atm   Geat Tip Comments By: Jocelyn Bishop on 2008-12-08 Where can I buy dish soap - is it the same as washing up liquid TipKing says: Yes it is   Worked well Comments By: Jocelyn Bishop on 2008-12-15 Well done to Debbie for tip. Tried on my carpet and worked. Will not be using Kibby brand again. Didn't know what dishsoap was but used washing up liquid and no problem at all. All items will now be kept in my storage cupboard for future use. WELL DONE will save me pounds.   THANKYOU Comments By: christy on 2008-12-22 Will be very keen to try this, just did my carpets using the kirby stuff and went through nearly a whole bottle to do 3 rooms...i am new at this too!   "Idiots"! Comments By: Mr. Knowitall on 2009-02-23 You are leaving SOAP, in on your carpet. Detergent needs to be RINSED_OUT. Now how are you going to RINSE your carpet??? I own a Vacuum Shop and I've researched many angles to save my customers their hard-earned money. But this is childsplay. If you steam clean your carpet, you wont need any soap. It'll still be right there, where your kids are itching on it. Some things are not worth saving a few bucks. Good-luck!   Haven't tried it yet but just wondering Comments By: Anon on 2009-04-11 Mr.knowitall, you are one of them, you're in sales, why would you want anyone to be able to replace a product you probably sell? It's only 3 Table spoon to a whole 3 quarts of water, can't be to much soap to remove. Obviously if a person can't afford something as simple as carpet shampoo then it's highly likley they won't be able to afford a carpet steamer, besides Im sure the stuff Kirby sells isn't rocket science. Since you deal with carpet supplys what would you suggest a person uses since you care so much about trying to help people save money.   Comment on Dishsoap Comments By: Sondy on 2009-04-20 Dishsoap is just what you use to wash your dishs, (Dawn, Joy ect.) In responce to leaving dishsoap in your carpet. If feel safe with that since we also eat off of the dishes that are washed in it. I agree with the other person that 3 tbp. for three quarts is not bad and you collect most of that with the dirty water. I'm trying this tonight. Thanks soo much!   Great Money Saver Comments By: Sondy on 2009-04-21 I used this recipe last night and it works great! I think that I will cut the dishsoap down to 2 tbsp. because it built up foam on the front of my Kirby. Otherwise it was great. There is no odor left behind and I realy like that. I have 3 inside dogs and it took care of all the dirty spot. I'll never buy shampoo for my kirby again. Thanks so much.   Thank You Thank You Comments By: Brittani on 2009-05-06 I Found This Recipe Over A Week Ago And Hesitated To Use It... I Have Now Used It To Clean 6 Of Rooms And Plan To Finish The Last Room Today. Works Wonderfully And Saving SO Much Money Makes It Even More Wonderful. Thank You Thank You Thank You For Your Help. ** Thought I'd Add That Once This Recipe Is Made You Don't Have To Use 3 Cups Of It + Water As You Would The Kirby Shampoo Which Is Concentrated. You Just Fill Up Your Kirby Tank With This Solution As Is. It Is Not Concentrated... Took Me A Few Mins To Figure That Part Out :)   money saver! Comments By: Caileen on 2009-05-08 This recipe works great! I used Tide this last time because I was out of dish soap & it worked just as well. And smells great too!   AWESOME RECIPE Comments By: Garry on 2009-05-10 What a great recipe, works better than the Kirby shampoo without a doubt. Just make sure that you do not use this stuff as you would with the Kirby shampoo, meaning this is not a concentrate, just put it straight into the tank. As my memory serves me a friend over 10 years ago had a Kirby and used to use this recipe, I think it may have been a trade secret amoung Kirby salesman and people who used these machines commercially. I have 3 cats and and used this recipe today on some stains - all gone and very happy.   Looking to save money and found this!! Comments By: Hughlene on 2009-05-21 I just cleaned my carpet with the Kirby shampoo and planed on cleaning more often. BUT the cost of the KS was going to eat my breakfast (so to speak). That is when I thought to Google a homemade recipe. There are 6 (small dogs) here and two of them are allergic to some soaps. I was thrilled to see some one used laundry soap. I will be trying this recipe with the laundry soap that the dogs tolerate next week. I will also try some of the oxygen laundry additive t see if it helps with odors. The KS didn't do as well as I had hoped. THANKS!!   Certified Carpet Tech. Comments By: Anthony on 2009-05-28 Well I've been injured for over 9 months now and even a pro carpet guy like me cannot afford a professional extraction so I busted out my Kirby and desided to try the shampooer and I have no shampoo so here I am. A couple things alarmed me about the ingredients. You see carpet manufacturers apply a protecter to your carpet and as a consumer you are trying to keep your carpet for as long as possible so chemically it is possible to remove the protectant. I am only doing this in a pinch and stains will absolutely stick now that the protectant is GONE! So as soon as I can I will be needing a full steam extraction to remove most of the residue that will for sure remain after this process and also carpet protectant reaplied and brushed in. The good news is that my carpet is pretty clean looking on the top and I paid 0. I'm sure some people are like well I have heavily soiled carpet so more soap and ammonia. This would be a huge mistake so be smart and only do a once over and let dry and do it again so the carpet backing does not get wet(LATEX) does not like water. Be careful not to delaminate your carpet. So don't over due it. and I also towel dried the top portion of the carpet and yes I removed even more remaining soil and residue. But so far this method is only ok for the life of your carpet ,not good. But like I said my carpet looks pretty good. And I'm concerned for the resoiling timeline. Will It be sticky and attract dirt and be dirty looking again in a month. Time will tell and I will let you all know. Alot of info just tryin to share with you all who might not know. Also the kirby guy slipped up and said to refill a single bottle is like 2.00-3.00 dollars. So ofcoarse the vacuum salesman will say that but he is right to some degree. (ALL) CLEANING METHODS WILL LEAVE A TRACE!!!!!!!!!!!! I know. I took the full coarse and am certified. I'm not sure how to rate this because in a pinch it's a 5 for sure cause it looke so good when finished. But my experience tells me that only the top is partially clean and not a complete job so I'm going with a 4   Thinking about using it Comments By: Daniel Gonzales on 2009-06-22 From all the good comments im thinkiing about using it. I hope it works . My carpet is dirty!!!   Worked Great! Comments By: Michele on 2009-07-16 Thank you for the recipe -- Worked Well!! I'm passing it along!   question how to use Comments By: mike on 2009-08-02 I tried the recipe but was not sure how to use with the shampooer tank. Do I consider the recipe as premixed and pour directly into the tank or fill the tank to one level and add a capfull of the recipe.   dishsoap or washup soap Comments By: Mike on 2009-08-02 I have never heard of washup soap. where do I buy it.   STOP THE MADNESS! Comments By: Old Carpet Veteran on 2009-09-22 Okay, I am going to tell you EXACTLY why nobody should use this assinine recipe, but first you have to understand exactly HOW Dry Foam Shampoo works. There are TWO kinds of shampoo (NOT to be confused with detergent, or soap. They all ALL DIFFERENT and have there own unique purpose.) The first shampoo is what's considered a "Wet" shampoo....old technology and the 2nd is a "Dry" shampoo....New technology. The wet shampoo does NOT crysalize and MUST be rinsed out. It simply loosens soil from the fibers so an extractor can easily rinse the soils and shampoo away, that's all and nothing more. The dry shampoo, like the kirby shampoo on the other hand will crystalize when dry, holding the encapulated soil within itself ready to be dry vacuumed away once completely dry. Of course you can also rinse and extract afterwards too if you like, but it's not nessasary. Now, this....concoction that you guys are using is nothing less that a bucket full of disaster. First, NEVER, EVER use dishwashing, or laundry detergent on a carpet. It will NEVER crystalize and will simply lay there, leaving behind a terrible residue that will only attract layers and layers of soil until you finally rinse that yuk away. As for the vineger....The only thing that will do is lower the ph of that witches brew of a concoction. White vinegar is wonderful to use for tannin stains and to lower the ph of a chemical, but that's pretty much it as it is an acid and acids STOP the soil removal process. As for the ammonia added to the mix....WHY? It doesn't make sense. Including ammonia into a mix with vinegar is an oxymoron. You see, ammonia is an alkaline...the OPPOSITE of vinager. That would be like trying to drive you car with your foot on the brake pedal. Get it? Now, if you want to use a solution of just 7% Clear ammonia and 93% water for a wonderful, self neutralizing spotter and blood stain remover that will last you a life time, then have at it. But do NOT mix it with vinegar. And finally, if you people want this old carpet cleaning veteran for 30 years opinion on DIY carpet cleaning that REALLY WORKS, then I reccomend using Capture Dry Cleaning Compound. It's made by Milliken, a carpet manufacture, so they know what they're doing and it works beautifly. Host is another great Dry cleaning product and BOTH are approved by the Carpet And Rug institute....Unlike this witches Brew I read about here. Of course you could always hire a pro like me, or simply shell out the extra few dollars for the darn Kirby shampoo and be done with it. That's my 2 cents.   Good for windows not carpet Comments By: stoobee on 2009-11-22 I'm not going to write a lengthy explanation, suffice it to say that the above mixture is a great window cleaner, but not suitable for carpet. Yes, it will clean your carpet, but the toll it'll take on the carpet and padding will be brutal in the long run. On the other hand, it will leave your windows sparkling.   Hacksville!! Comments By: Anon on 2009-11-27 I understand people want to save money. This is not really a good way to do it, would you make a home made oil and put it in your engine to save money? there is alot of research in developing a product from PH levels to anti resoil capabilities,surfactant levels encapsulating abilities ect. The fact that your are not extracting you would need something that encapsulates so you can vacuum when it dries. try on looking for a less costly alternative to Kirby Shampoo(Zep makes ZEPOFOAM) for example. To me this is saving money but adding more work due to the residue left behind causing to resoil faster and wasting another weekend cleaning your carpets. Factor your time into the equation and I'll bet your actually spending more.   To those who think this is non-sence!!!!!!! Comments By: Brandon Berning on 2009-12-03 These are natural cleaning solutions. I read a coment about pH balance. My answer to you is more of a question in response. What do you think the vinegar and banking soda in the detergent is for? The fact that people are saying it worked is obviously an indicator that it was a pretty good ingredient ratio. People, do not be affraid to except the fact that natural cleaning products are capable of cleaning.   Still Working Great Comments By: Brittani K on 2009-12-20 After Reading Some Negative Comments I Thought It Only Fair To Say, I LOVE THIS Tip. I Have Used It Many Times Now. Never A Problem And The Money I've Saved... Is Incredible. My Carpet Is Clean, It Looks Clean, It Feels Clean, It Smells Clean, My Crawling Babies Have No Dirt On Their Pant Legs/Knees After The Day Is Over And Really, That Is What Is Important To Me! Did I Mention It Has Saved Me A Small Fortune? Because It Has. Thank You   DOES IT PUT OUT TOO MUCH FOAM Comments By: CRYSTAL on 2010-01-02 I THINK THE VINEGAR WOULD BE HARSH ON A CARPET   Here's The TRUTH! Comments By: Brevards Best Carpet Cleaner on 2010-01-20 First: Vaccuum your carpets repeatedly until they give up no more dry soil. (Usually, that's 8-9 SLOW passes doing All angles. L to R, Back to Front, reverse that whole thing, etc.) Second: Since you all are using the Kirby, use the Pile Lifter brush with the bag next going at least 2 oppisite (perpendicular) directions. You have now done more than 98% of homeowners or professionals! Third: If you use that concoction or any with non-encapsulating/crystallizing shampoo, there will be soil-attracting residue left so you'll need to minimize it by using the Pile Lifter brush after each room has been cleaned. Fourth: Use the best WATER soluble stain guard you can afford. The solvent/oil based stuff can ruin the carpet by delaminating, staining, etc. Fifth (and Lastly): Groom (brush) the carpet with a Grandi-Groom or equivelant before the stain guard can dry. This will uniformly coat the carpet fibers and keep the pile lifted for the maximum effectiveness of ALL future vaccuumings, sopot cleanings, etc. Don't call each other names - learn the truth and pass it on!   Is the savings worth the risk? Comments By: Voice_of_Reason on 2010-02-03 I am professionally trained and IICRC certified as a color technician. I dye back bleach spots and remove almost any stain from red juice to urine to hair dye. Because of what I know my services demand $50 to $150 per hour. I believe that makes my opinion an educated one. FACT: This solution will make your carpets look better initially. FACT: Your carpet will re soil and fade sooner than if you used the proper type of solution. FACT: Ammonia and dish soap have an extremely high PH FACT: A PH higher than 9 will dissolve scotch guard. FACT: Carpets are colored with what are referred to as "acid dyes". These dyes form an ionic bond with the nylon fibers which only happens at a low PH. A high PH will weaken this bond which can cause a loss of color. FACT: Dry foam encapsulation shampoo is a different solution than detergent. FACT: Dry foam works by crystallizing sticky and oily soils so that they may be removed dry. FACT: Detergent (because it IS sticky and oily) works by acting as a mediator between oils and water by eliminating surface tension which allows soils to mix with water so that it may be rinsed away. Even if for some ridiculous reason you cannot see how obviously absurd this is, please, think about this logically. Using Kirby brand shampoo only costs $3.00 to $5.00 per room, generic brands even less. Carpet costs $500.00 a room after pad and installation. IS IT WORTH RISKING $500 TO SAVE $3.00?!?! (If you want to test a dry foam solution, pour a small amount on a glass plate and let it dry overnight. If it is oily and tacky on the plate, it will be oily and tacky on your carpet.)   Keep on trying to sell your carpet cleaning services!!! Comments By: Tiredofspam on 2010-05-07 I do not care what anyone says it cleans carpet. I am sure it is no harsher than all the chemicals used in the actual shampoo. Eventually all carpets are going to get faded by cleaning duh!! Everyone has to replace their carpet at some point. I believe this work and my carpet is no worse off than it was before full of dirt and grime.   will try Comments By: peter on 2010-05-16 it seems that the so called experts will always try to condem this , it is no diffrent than useing kitchen oil in your diesel car which i use if we all used this guess what the oil companys would be condeming this any way i will try this anyway if this many people have tryed it it cant be that bad   MR.KNOWITALL THIS IS FOR YOU IDIOT Comments By: g5owner on 2010-05-21 first of all if you werent stupid you would know steam cleaning is the worse thing on carpet...HELLO WHAT DOES DIRT AND WATER MAKE??? MUD !...thats what steam cleaning does it makes mud under your carpet then yall try to suck it out and wonder why the carpet is hard...gee i wonder...this is a great recipe by the way for anyone wondering   Professionals give me more advice! Comments By: searchingforsavings on 2010-05-29 I'll leave it up to the professionals advise. I agree that this concoction is probably a temp fix and bad for long term use on nice new carpet but I still want to save money. So what is the preferred alternate brand and will they be concentrated also. I looked up Capture at Amazon, wow $25 but how much is in that bottle (it doesn't say) and how long will it last. Where else can I buy these things?   Great recipe for ruining your carpet Comments By: un-Common Sense on 2010-06-01 First of all, Brandon Berning please do the whole world a favor and go back to school; there is no reason to not have a proper education in this day and age. There is nothing "natural" about dish soap and your grammar is ridiculous! Anyone who has had kids, or has lived a proper childhood should be familiar with blowing bubbles, and that once dry, bubble solution gets nasty and sticky. If you want a nasty sticky carpet, then this recipe is for you. Everyone who is commenting that carpet is just going to wear out anyways and that there is no point in properly maintaining it doesn't deserve a carpet under their feet. I doubt that in your ignorance you could ever conceive of having a home with hard packed dirt for flooring, yet I know from personal experience what that is like; and even in poverty it was proper to sweep the floor. As for the cooking oil comment: cooking oil contains glycerin! If not separated from the oil, it will ruin your engine! Now I am truly surprised no one has commented on this fact yet so here I go: IF YOU CAN AFFORD A VACUUM CLEANER THAT COST OVER A THOUSAND DOLLARS YOU CAN AFFORD PROPER SHAMPOO TO RUN IT! Seriously, stop the ignorance, it's truly degrading the once beautiful image I had of this world :(   My two cents Comments By: Elizabeth on 2010-07-22 I bought my Kirby earlier this year and decided to shampoo the carpet for the first time today. I stumbled upon this page after googling how long it normally takes for the carpet to dry and I have to say that people should not use this homemade recipe. I don't really know much about carpets, but I have to agree with the previous comment in that we spent a lot of money to purchase a Kirby so why not spend a little extra to make sure that we get what we paid for. I don't know what your reasons were for purchasing one, but mine were: - I wanted to keep my carpet looking nice and clean for a very long time since I spent a lot of money on it (I spent an extra 2500 to upgrade the carpet). I was told by the Kirby salesman that Walmart vacuum cleaners do not 'suck' very well which eventually leads to matting of the dirt into the carpet and cuts down on the life of the carpet. - I'm a clean-freak and when I saw the demonstration where he vacuumed the crystals with my old vacuum cleaner then with the Kirby, I was sold. - Eventually, I'm going to want to have kids and do not want them breathing in dust and whatever else is in the carpet. Now, I just looked up on Amazon how much it would cost to buy a Kirby shampoo => 34.99 shipped for a gallon. I know that the economy's not doing so well right now, but I would like to believe I can afford $35 to clean my carpet (which by the way it will be years before I need to buy another bottle - I used the 12 oz bottle to clean all the carpet in my house today and I only plan on cleaning it 2x/year max) and know that my carpet is clean and will last, hopefully, for at least a decade.   Don't know what to rate yet Comments By: Angie on 2010-07-25 I just got on here to find a place, such as Wal-Mart, Target, ect. to actually buy the Kirby solution. Doesn't look like it is that easy to find, and when I find it on Amazon, it is expensive. I thought about using a generic from one of the above-mentioned places. Then i found this. I am concerned about the soap. My husband sold Kirby many years ago. I've seen it do amazing things on horrible carpet, but also saw the spots come back through on that carpet not long after, which is what many are saying will happen with the home made solution. So, spots come back with Kirby solution, and spots come back with inexpensive solution. If they will be back anyway, and you have to clean again anyway, why not inexpensive. All of those ingredients are used as household cleaners anyway. I have an area rug to try it on. I is so old and crusty any clean would be nice. I think I would be upset if I paid a lot for solution and the spots just come back.   dish detergent. :( Comments By: kristi on 2010-08-05 I'm no expert but have to agree with those carpet proffesional guys who were not in my opinion trying to make any sales, but just trying to help out thier fellow citizen. Soap attracts dirt unless it's rinsed out. So, this recipe leaves a residue that actually makes your carpets attract dirt. Technically this is what happens. The overall life of the carpet is then hence shortened. I am still researching making my own recipe, but so far I've found that even with the dry foam shampoo system you should still use a steam vac every once in a while, but don't use the shampoo in it, just use vinegar and water, and then as many runs of just water as possible to remove residues left from the dry system. then treat with a scotch gaurd.   No bubbles Comments By: Gail Mcpherson on 2010-10-08 Have tried this today .......no foam. Have contacted Kirby and have no missing parts...am cheesed off with it.   I am going to try it Comments By: Patty on 2010-10-11 I have nothing to lose since I had professional (Stanley Steamer) clean my carpet a few years back and they totally ruined my entire house. They carpet took 3 days to dry it was horrible experience. Now my carpet all needs have all the wrinkles taken out, It look like a limp wrinkled rag. Thanks to the "pros" Also what do these "professional" people think vinegar is only a window cleaner. Duh It will also "kill" suds instantly thus no soap left in carpet.   The Kirby Frustration Comments By: Suzanne on 2010-11-14 Thank you Debbie for taking the initiative to post a Kirby dry foam shampoo substitution. I have been purchasing the Kirby specified shampoo for years; however, I have different issues with it. Kirby dealers are all independent and stay in business for very short periods of time. I am half way through shampooing my carpet and have run out of solution. It is Sunday and the closest Kirby dealer is closed and they are located 43 miles away. I have been to six stores looking for any dry foam shampoo. For those who previously commented on how bad this solution is for our carpet, or took a cheap stab at the individuals who couldn't afford the shampoo, but could afford the machine; what would you recommend?   to Un-common sence Comments By: Brandon on 2010-11-18 First off, Un-common sense you are an idiot without any common sense. All carpet shampoos have the same basic elements that are in dish soap. Secondly you have no general concept of the world because you are a moron. Do the world a favor and pull your botttom lip over your head and swallow.   6 to one, half dozen the other Comments By: Feeny on 2010-11-19 I also am a Kirby owner & agree with a few others that while I believe this is a fantastic vacuum cleaner & will inevitably last years longer than a vacuum cleaner from any retailer, the shampoo provided isn't that great. I've also found that while the carpet looks great for a day or 2 after shampooing, the stains that were there before re-appear soon after. It's quite clear that the expensive shampoo with the "kirby" name on it is nothing superior to what has been recommended in this forum. Steam cleaning cannot possibly be any better for your carpet. Pouring hot water into dirty carpet is not a good combination & near impossible to suck out. I've seen professional steam cleaners "clean" carpet in office buildings & hotel rooms & I have to say, it's disgusting when they are finished, let alone remains wet for several long hours afterwards. I haven't tried this solution, but I'm going to in about 5 minutes. Kirby doesn't make it easy for a person to conveniently purchase their products, so that's how we all end up here. Since the product that Kirby sells for it's own machines, in my opinion, doesn't really work that well, I'm not above trying something else in the meantime. I can appreciate the opinions of those who work in the carpet industry, but the condesending tones don't really persuade me to listen to your "professional" opinions.   Old Carpet Veteran is right Comments By: Anon7 on 2010-11-21 The Millican product that the Old Carpet Veteran suggested is a major find! Thank you so much for posting that! We had a visitor stay with us who had 2 dogs and they did a number on our carpet brand new...little yellow stains all over despite the fact we cleaned up after each "accident." The dry system was extremely effective and was not expensive. We found it on the shelves at Home Depot. Thanks!!!   let people be where they are Comments By: stafford57 on 2010-12-04 In an attempt to clean my carpets after Hurricaine Katrina I found that Kirby shampoo was no where to be found. I obviously needed to do something quick. the home made recipe described here worked wonderfully. To presume that every person owning a Kirby is in the same financial boat and cirsumstance as yourself is arrogant. People purchase things with the intent of providing the best clean for their families as possible, then lose their jobs, become ill, have family crises, experience a natural disaster or something else. Criticising what you don't know is cruel. Let people try to help themselves where they are in peace. This may not be, in your opinion, the best care of a carpet, but it is care of the carpet. At least they are trying to clean it and not just leaving it since they cannot afford the shampoo. And by the way, the climate and water conditions will cause you to use more or less shampoo, increasing or decreasing your need for shampoo.   Another alternative but..... Comments By: Art on 2010-12-20 Well, interesting feedback with the pros and the less experienced here. I sold kirby vacuums years ago and learned that the shampoos had brighteners in it to make the stains and carpet look cleaner. That is one of the reasons why the stains come back, one of the reasons only. Plus, when the carpet is wet, the hard stains look less visible until the carpet dries and then you realize the stain is still visible. Ok, my real reason for putting my comment on here is because when I ran out of the Kirby shampoo, I used Simple Green as an alternative. But.......... it's a sticky solution just like all soaps and attracted the dirt right back in a couple of months. Hope this was helpful.   I WILL USE IT! Comments By: Tere on 2011-01-11 Like somebody said, carpets don't last forever. I just need to keep it clean.   You can by Kirby Shampoo on Ebay Comments By: Joe Kirby on 2011-01-22 For those that can't find the shampoo for their Kirby, you can buy a gallon of it on Ebay for about $25.00. A gallon is about 21 tank fulls of the Kirby shampooer tank. One tank will do one to two rooms depending on their size. They have a pet formula also. Don't buy your supplys from the local Kirby store it will just cost you more. I also sell almost new Kirby vacuums for a fraction of the $1500.00 to $2000.00 they want. I sell them for about 75% off new. Email me at mazda2924x@hotmail.com to learn more. Thanks   going to try it Comments By: tigger2 on 2011-01-23 i have been looking up carpet cleaners for awhile now and everyone that i found uses dish soap, white vinegar and ammonia i am going to try it in my cats room and see if it works thanks for the tip   i have everything except the ammonia Comments By: sue wildman on 2011-02-20 i must be silly but i have everything except the ammonia,could someone in england let me know were i can buy it,i will try and shampoo my carpet,as i have a oil stain that i tryed steam cleaning and it didn't go,i know it won't go with this,but i will know that my carpets are hopefully clean,if you know were i can buy the ammonia please e mail me at suewildman1966@yahoo.co.uk thanks   Kirby user Comments By: DC on 2011-03-06 Hi - I have just bought a kirby legend 2 and it didn't come with a manual. Has anyone got one for me please? I want to learn to set the carpet cleaning attachments up etc.   why ammonia Comments By: Kelly on 2011-03-08 I have heard that cat urine and dog urine have ammonia in it, so why would you put that in your carpet? It will encourage animals to keep going on the floor. I have just used my shampooer for the first time and did one room and used half the bottle. I have a chihuaha that uses my house as the bathroom and it is leaving me tomorrow. I am thinking about calling a pro but am trying to do it on my own first. So carpet guy should I just use the vinegar? OR the ammonia?   where to get ammonia in the uk Comments By: j on 2011-03-09 hi to the uk lady who wanted to get ammonia, you should be able to get it quite cheaply in Wilkinsons hun - they also sell loads of cleaning products too that help to clean carpets. To ll the people being so nasty to each other. Why? a forum liek this is for people looking for help to problems they are trying to over come, being rude arrogant selfish and completely unsympathetic to those who are suffering only makes you into a nasty person with no soul - dont put other people and thier ideas down - that bigotry and extremly un-necessary!! and before you slate me for my spelling - think - you are doing it again! be nice even if you disagree with someone elses views - by being disparaging you are letting yourself down!   Fantastic!!! Comments By: Shaz on 2011-03-27 Thank you soooo much! I have had my kirby for years and loved the shampoo function, but after both my husband and I lost our jobs in the GFC (global financial crisis) things have been very tight (understatement lol). Even though we are both now working, our savings are gone and we had to start from scratch again. I have been trying to find someway to use the kirby shampoo function without paying the high price. This is absolutely amazing!!!   kirby soap left behind Comments By: jack on 2011-03-30 very little is left behind and a good re=vacuuming takes up even more truth be told form the experts who dont usually tell you is that what is in your carpet and pad is far worse for your children than the possibility of some trace amounts of soap . i think most would change to tile or wood floor if they saw what was living in their carpet   No Foam Comments By: Jeanette on 2011-04-02 I had no foam when I tried this - any suggestions?   shampoo for kirby Comments By: Sylvia on 2011-04-11 I'm off to the shops for the ammonia and vinigar, we all have washing up liquid, I will let you know how pleased or not I am, then see how long it takes to get dirty, wash again and use a scottch gaurd, thanks sylvia   was wondering Comments By: anon on 2011-05-11 Can I use this on couches (microfiber)? Thay are super dirty.. I mean really dirty, have 5 kids so you can imagin lol but please I've tried vinegar with water alone but I'm not happy with how it came our still dirty :( I just bought the kirby too I need to clean these couches please!   def will use this Comments By: rye on 2011-05-16 I have a Kirby. I also have no job and have been living off my husband's student loans. We picked up ours SECONDHAND because our prior vacuum broke, after six months of not having any kind of vacuum. There's no bloody way we could afford a new Kirby and there's no way I can afford to buy the special shampoo at this time. Our carpet is old, the prior owner let their dog unravel the berber, and we have two cats who are hacking up hairballs left and right since it's shedding season. You can get snotty about me using a cheap alternative but you aren't standing in my shoes. It may not be the best carpet treatment available but my carpet is shot already, I just want it clean. I can live with a tablespoon of soap residue spread out over most of the living room, thank you very much and I've got more time than money at the moment so that isn't a factor. How about we come down off our high horses and live in the real world?   Awesome! Comments By: Veronica on 2011-07-21 I wish I would have taken before and after shots of my carpet. PEOPLE! As others have already written: DON'T BE AFRAID TO TRY HOMEMADE PRODUCTS! These cleaning agents have been cleaning our world a lot more environmentally safe than or compared to what we pay at the store. Which is outrageously over priced! My house smells TERRIFIC <~; Â