With the weather getting cooler, people seek ways to get warmer, and what better way to do that than with a hot water bottle?
Hot water bottles have been around forever, but little did everyone know that they may not be safe if you’ve had them for quite some time now. However, there is a way to verify the extent of their safety.
Experts take to TikTok
Experts have spoken about hot water bottles on TikTok, talking about how to know whether they’re safe for use or not.
They also explained that hot water bottles “have a short lifespan” and warned that “the older they get, the more likely they are to burst or leak.”
The sign that you missed
The hot water bottle has a symbol indicating its date of manufacture. The TikTok expert explained, saying to look out for the “handy daisy wheel symbol.” This symbol has the bottle’s date of manufacture, and “the petals represent the 12 months of the year, and the dots are the weeks in those months.”
How long does a hot water bottle last?
The expert said on TikTok, “According to the Children’s Burns Trust, if yours is more than two years old, then it’s too old.” This might come as a surprise to many who have had their water bottles for decades but better safe than sorry.
The consequences of using old hot water bottles
If you keep using your hot water bottle beyond its normal lifespan, it might break, leak, or burst, causing serious burns. A person recounted how their 20-year-old bottle suddenly burst out of nowhere. Fortunately, they were not hurt, but it could have been worse.
Signs to look out for
The TikTok expert discussed the warning signs to look out for in hot water bottles, saying, “Remember to always check your hot water bottle for signs of wear and tear like split seams, perished rubber, and a poorly fitting stopper.”
Somebody got burned
A woman, Yazmin Hardy, joined consumer expert Alice Beer on the This Morning show. She talked about “agonizing burns and shocking scarring” when her hot water bottle burst.
She used her hot water bottle for endometriosis and suddenly, “it literally just split down the side of the seam.”
Hot water bottle safety
Consumer expert Beer advised that the bottle should be filled with a mixture of hot and cold water, screw in the stopper until hand-tight, and squeeze as much air out of the bottle as you can before closing it.
Why squeeze the air out of the hot water bottle?
It is imperative that you squeeze all the air out of your hot water bottle before closing it. If you close it with air still present in there, the heat in the water can heat the trapped air, which leads to the hot water bottle’s expansion, which might lead to its bursting.
Hot water bottles don’ts
Beer urges everyone not to use the bottle if there are any cracks, signs of wear, or leaking.
Additionally, one shouldn’t fill it with boiling water or put it in the microwave or oven. She also advised hot water bottle users to fill up to two-thirds of it unless the bottle is designed to be filled.
Tips and tricks while using the bottle
Beer also urged people not to place the bottle in direct contact with their skin but rather to have a cover, towel, or clothing in between. Furthermore, don’t put pressure or weight on the bottle or sleep with the hot water bottle in bed overnight.
