Mbali Nhlapho’s Hack To Get Rid of Cockroaches Leaves South Africans in Doubt: “Temporary Solution”

• Diepkloof-born housekeeper and entrepreneur Mbali Nhlapho shared an affordable hack to get rid of cockroaches
• The well-known TikTok content creator shared the ingredients used in the solution, which could easily be found in homeowners' kitchen cupboards
• While some local members of the online community showed their appreciation for the hack, other social media users found that the method didn't work for them

The helpful Mbali Nhlapho, a popular housekeeper with a growing presence on social media, shared with people an easy method to get rid of pesky cockroaches roaming about their houses. However, the budget-friendly concoction she made left many internet users in doubt.

On 1 August, 2025, Mbali uploaded a video on her TikTok account to share the ingredients she added to a spray bottle. She mixed one cup of vinegar, a tablespoon of cloves, juice from half a lemon, a tablespoon of dishwashing liquid, and a teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda with a cup of boiling water.

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Regarding the vinegar she used, Mbali stated that while she used rice vinegar but noted that apple cider vinegar and white spirit vinegar could also get the job done.

The Diepkloof-born housekeeper, who was a participant in Briefly News' Women of Wonder: The Real Housekeepers of Mzansi initiative, informed people that they should allow the solution to "trek" (or mix) overnight and spray the cockroaches in the morning.

South Africans question the method

Although some were appreciative, several South African social media users headed to the comment section and shared their doubts about what they had seen on their For You Pages.

@ms_sgee told Mbali and the online community:

"I tried this mixture. It was a temporary solution."

An upset @tiktok.comlesego informed people under the post:

"Nothing works. Shem, I'm even thinking of moving out of my rental place."

@cathrinesitsha joked in the comments:

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"The cockroaches in my house will dance and say, 'Thank you for the slimming juice.'"

@anne.ndichu6, who seemed to be one of the few who found success in the hack to get rid of the roaches, shared with the public:

"I forgot to add cloves, and it did wonders. I just sprayed once, and all the cockroaches died. Really amazing. Not even one survived."

@princeyodikela asked the housekeeper in the comment section:

"Does it help with drain cockroaches? I'm struggling with the big drain cockroaches."

Take a look at the TikTok video below:

3 Other stories about Mbali Nhlapho's hacks

• In another article, Briefly News reported that Mbali shared a method for cleaning a suede couch using a towel-covered lid from a pot. Social media users appreciated the affordable cleaning method.
• Last year, the famous housekeeper showed a great way for people to wash their pillows. She used three detergents to make them white and clean, which impressed the public.
• Known for her quick and easy solutions to common household problems, Mbali shared how to get rid of mould in just one step. The tip was very helpful for homeowners during the winter months.

Source: Briefly News