Ok, guys, let's go a little further with chemistry here. There are two types of soil: organic and inorganic. Organic soils are broken down by high pH, and inorganic soils are broken down by low pH. Stripper works well for greasy soils because most strippers are a very high (alkaline) pH. The biggest problem with strippers is the fact that they (most of them) contain some nasty stuff, much of which can do serious harm to the body. Low pH (acid) cleaners will break down inorganic materials. The majority of soil you will find (grease, body fluids, dirt, animal fats, etc.) are broken down by the alkaline cleaner. The few things left such as efflorescence, uric salts, and other minerals are broken down by the acid cleaners. Acid cleaners also etch cementious grout (think for a minute here about what cement is composed of) which removes stains which are not deep.
Many of the "oxygen" cleaners are a little higher in pH, plus they have a mild bleaching action. Add a degreaser to that, and the pH goes up even further. There is a lot more to it such as builders, chelation, etc., but the basics of pH hold true for carpet, tile and grout, or any other cleaning. Just pay attention to what is in your cleaner or stripper and use proper precautions. Some of that stuff is really nasty.
