Holy shit this elixer is expensive ($15-20 per bottle). Last time I bought it for my steam cleaner was pre-MMM so I didn't pay much attention, but this time I shopped with my middle finger and decided to find an alternative.
I thought maybe I could use laundry detergent since it's cheap and carpet isn't too far from fabric anyway. I did some research of other people doing it before I tried it, and it turns out people have all kinds of crazy ideas (this was one of them).
Long story short, it worked out really well. My apartment smells a little like a fresh load of laundry, the carpets are clean, and I didn't shell out fifteen bucks to do it. (I already owned the cleaner btw, so no rental or anything)