Find out if your hot water bottle is still safe to use
It shouldn't be used if it's more than three years old
With the gas and electricity prices high at the moment, households up and down the UK are trying out all sorts of tips and tricks to keep the cost of bills down. The advice these days is to heat the person, not the room, and with that the use of hot water bottles is seeing a huge rise as the cold temperatures creep in.
Whilst hot water bottles are a great way to warm you up, experts have now given a warning to users as last year saw a rise in scalds. So make sure you keep an eye on how old your hottie is and when you should be replacing it.
How do I know if my hot water bottle is safe?
In 2022, as the cost of living crisis set in, Consumer Expert Alice Beer appeared on This Morning to reveal a handy little tip to ensure safe use, and to avoid the bottle splitting.
Alice told hosts Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield at the time: “Half of hot water bottle injuries need skin grafts, they need surgery. This is really serious.
"They do have a date of manufacture, which you don’t know about.
"Why would you ever take the fluffy cover off? But inside – and I think this is the worst system of printing a date ever, because it’s so confusing – you’ve got a daisy wheel date with 12 segments.
“In the middle, you have the year it was made, then you’ve got 12 segments around the outside – those are the months in which it was manufactured."
She continued: “I mean it’s ridiculous!. Congratulations if you can work that out. Most people have no idea.
“If you don’t have it on, then you haven’t got it from a very good source, or it’s too old.”
Alice also advised users should replace their hot water bottles after three years, and take the cover off them whilst filling it up.
How to read the date of manufacture on a hot water bottle
Take a look at the daisy wheel, the number in the middle is the year it was manufactured.
Take a look at the 12 segments around the daisy wheel. These segments relate to the 12 months, with the dots instead them relating to the number of weeks in each month. The example below was manufured in April 2020.
Tips to use a hot water bottle safely
1) Never fill up a hot water bottle with boiling water. Either allow the water to cool down slightly or top up with cold water.
2) Only fill a hot water bottle to a maximum of two-thirds capacity.
3) Be sure to expel any air out of the hot water bottle before putting the lid on.
3) Screw the lid tightly to avoid leaks.
4) Never sit, lie or apply pressure to a hot water bottle.
5) Do not leave your hot water bottle in direct contact with one area of the body for more than 20 minutes.
Check out these top tips for keeping your house warm in the winter:
1. Radiator Reflectors
If your radiator is joined to an outside wall, the heat can be lost to the outside. With a reflector installed behind the radiator, the panel helps retain the heat by reflecting it back into the room.
2. Tape up keyholes and catflaps
A lot of draught can be let in through small gaps around the house, so tape up those keyholes and loose-fitting pet flaps to check there is no breeze sneaking its way in.
3. Sofa Blanket
Introducing... the sblanket. For those evenings spent curled up on the sofa with a cuppa, having a blanket permanently on the sofa means that you won't have to get up five minutes later, realising you're cold and grabbing for the dressing gown!
4. Draught stoppers
The proper ones can be pretty pricey, but the classic sausage dog definitely does the trick for keeping the draft out between the door and the floor. You can also stuff a pair of tights with socks and pop it under the door if you're feeling DIY!
5. Hot drinks
Whether you're into your hot chocolate, your peppermint tea or your honey and lemon, a hot beverage warms you up a treat when the nights draw in.
6. Thick curtains
When it comes to curtains in winter, the thicker the better! And if you don't fancy splashing out on a new pair of curtains, you can line them yourself with fleece.
7. Let the daylight in
Even if you are using lovely thick, luscious new curtains, open them up during the day! Letting as much natural light (and therefore heat) in as possible is essential for homely heat retention.
8. Hot water bottle
They're as old as the hills, but nothing goes further than a warm water-filled bottle to tuck under your jumper while you're snuggling on the sofa.
9. It's all about LAYERS
When it comes to getting warm, layers are the key. So it's time to get the vest, the t-shirt, the long-sleeved shirt, the jumper, the scarf and the blanket out of the wardrobe. It does increase your washing loads a bit, though...
10. Get snug in a onesie
Probably one of the comfiest items in the world, and obviously also one of the most attractive! Onesies are a great thing to whack on at the end of the day – they're super comfy, and cover literally every part of you!
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