"A National Treasure": Mbali Nhlapo Shows How to Clean Dirty Plugs White Using 2 Kitchen Ingredients

• Mbali Nhlapo, a South African housekeeper, shared a simple cleaning hack for yellowed or dirty electrical plugs
• The tutorial used only bicarbonate of soda and dishwashing liquid to make a thick paste with no water needed and one specific rule
• South Africans flooded the comments praising the tip, with one calling Mbali a 'national treasure'

A South African housekeeper's hack has gone viral after showing how to bring grimy, discoloured electrical plugs back to their original white colour using just two items from the kitchen cupboard.

Mbali Nhlapo posted the tutorial on Instagram on 29 April 2026, responding to a follower who had asked how to clean plugs to make them white again. The video, filmed in a home kitchen, quickly caught the attention of domestic workers, home cleaners and everyday South Africans looking for affordable household solutions.

The Cleaning Hack That Needs No Water

Mbali's method is straightforward. Combine one tablespoon of dishwashing liquid with one to two tablespoons of bicarbonate of soda and mix them together into a thick paste. The key, she emphasised, is to leave water out entirely. The paste needs to stay thick to work properly, and the two ingredients together do all the heavy lifting.

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She described the mixture as "a great best eraser that you can do at your home," and applied it directly to a plug she described as visibly black and grimy. The results, shown in the clip, left the surface noticeably cleaner.

Mbali Nhlapho releases practical DIY cleaning guide

A Sister@Work: The DIY Cleaning Guide by award-winning housekeeper Mbali Nhlapho offers affordable, easy-to-follow cleaning recipes using everyday household items. Drawing on over 15 years of experience, the book helps South Africans keep their homes clean while saving money amid rising living costs.

View the Instagram video below:

Mzansi Reacts to the Cleaning Tip

South Africans in the comments were quick to respond, with many sharing their own thoughts and follow-up questions her page:

@twinafrica2 asked:

"Didn't that paste like go inside the plug holes??"

@zama5822 wrote:

"When are you coming to Durban?"

@mbalinhlaphoo replied to herself:

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"With bicarbonate of soda, dish liquid happiness."

@unlimitedcon suggested:

"Handy Andy works very well as well."

@funekasiba left one of the most enthusiastic responses:

"Uyi national treasure yazi wena (You are a national treasure, you know) 👏😍 I don't throw away things just because I did not know how to clean them 🙌 love it for me."

More Briefly News Stories on Mbali Nhlapo

• A popular South African housekeeper shared an affordable DIY cockroach repellent made with garlic, dishwashing liquid and boiling water, earning praise from social media users for the simple household pest-control hack.
• Award-winning housekeeping expert Mbali Nhlapho impressed South Africans by showing how to clean suede shoes using a simple eraser and vinegar instead of expensive specialised cleaning products.
• Award-winning housekeeper Mbali Nhlapho wowed South Africans by sharing a simple homemade mixture of brown sugar and vinegar to remove stubborn limescale from a Smeg kettle using everyday household ingredients.

Source: Briefly News