I, too, have been told by "professional cleaners" that anything other than water usually has an undesired result. I've tried everything from bleach (don't ever, ever do that; it was awful!), laundry detergent, Pine-Sol, Carpet cleaning solution, and vinegar in my machine and within just weeks, all the stains re-appeared, along with new ones. So, I reluctantly tried water, and it actually worked better than any of the others!