How to remove the carpet on stair treads DIY style

So for my next project I'm tackling the old stairway and foyer.
When we bought this house two years ago, the stairs were covered with an old carpet and I knew I wanted it gone fast. But the kitchen took precedence and so it had to wait for a bit. But now I really want to get this done and hopefully bring this staircase back to its original glory.

I've already painted the walls and started on some trim but first things first; tearing out the carpet. 
I didn't know that my treads had millions of staples imbedded to keep the carpet from shifting,  and I'm not even sure if its the kosher way to install carpet on treads but holy cow- my fingers hurt from tugging and pulling to get those darn staples out! Pulling this carpet up definitely requires some muscle. Also, I probably should have worn a face mask because I'm pretty sure there were at least 8 years of sand and dust in that carpet! Gross... Keep your vacuum handy and a bottle of bleach water to clean the heck out of the treads after the carpet is gone. You will need pliers, a claw hammer, and a small flat blade screwdriver for the extra deep staples. Oh, and a large garbage bag to place the old carpet into immediately.

Try to pull up on the very corner of the carpet with pliers until you are able to pull it back just a bit. Get a good hold with those pliers and start yanking away. Gloves would come in handy right about now.

Ok, so it took me a few days to do this even though, in total, this project should only have taken a few hours. But I'm a stay-at-home-Mom and loving wife you know:)

I was so nervous during the whole process because I didn't know what I was going to find underneath! (bad experience doing this in our living/dining area) But I am pleasantly surprised. The treads seem to be original or at least very old and in pretty good shape. Yay for not having to replace them!!  My plan is to lightly sand, gel stain, and seal with polyurethane. I will post an update if whenever I get that part done. I still have a gazillion staples to pull out yet.
You might have noticed in the picture above that I have unfinished wood wainscoting on the walls ready for paint. This is my next project that needs completed. Get ready for my new post on how I turned lath into flat panel wainscoting!