Check your hot water bottles for when they were made!
I didn’t know this until I saw a clip off This Morning - I know we’re all using these more because of the heat prices so I thought I’d share.
All hot water bottles should have this flower symbol on them. The number in the middle is the year it was made, the flower segments represent the 12 months of the year and the dots inside those represent the number of weeks.
So this one was made the 1st week in June 2019. You’re only meant to keep them MAX 3 years and then replace as they aren’t safe anymore (looks like I need to get a new one - I thought this was fine too) if your hot water bottle doesn’t have this symbol - get rid asap as it means it’s that old!
A lady had shared with This Morning her daughters 3rd degree burns because hers was out of date and split whilst she had it on her belly.
Are you sure this isn’t just another marketing ploy, to induce yet more panic buying?
Sell by dates provide companies with a great way to boost sales but at the same time unfortunately increase the amount of garbage we produce, but lets not worry about that.
The title of this thread should be ‘Sell more hot water bottles!’ (and disregard the environment).
Don’t panic Mr. Mannering!
Morning @HHilary. Never put boiling water straight into a hot water bottle. Always put some cold in first or into the kettle. Sure it doesn’t get as hot or stay hot as long but there is always a risk of a leak from the bottle or stopper. Julia x
I probably should check my hot water bottles as they are old and I may get a new one but in general I’ll just be careful with them. My 91 year old mother has a new project at her knit and sew group - a cover for hers
I believe it is genuine safety advice rather than being a sales gimmick. Rubber is a perishable substance and is like tyres which have to be changed before they perish and cause serious accidents. I certainly would not like to be burnt by hot water escaping from a cracked hot water bottle.
As the name says, it’s a ‘hot’ water bottle, don’t fill with boiling water as care must be taken to prevent scalds and yes they do wear out and perish, so need to be replaced. If you use one, please take care, here’s some tips.
Hot Water Bottle Safety tips
Fill the bottle with hot, but not boiling water
Make sure the stopper is securely screwed on
Fill the bottle to a maximum of three-quarters full
Wrap the bottle in a towel/use a cover to prevent direct contact with skin
Avoid taking the bottle to bed
Frequently examine the bottle for signs of wear and tear
Make sure it has been tested to BS1970:2006 standards
Expel all air above the water level before sealing carefully, to prevent injury from the escaping hot steam
Replace the bottle after two years
Special care should be taken when used by those with sensory deficits, the elderly and children
My grandparents had a stoneware hot water bottle they used to put in the bed to warm it up, definitely not something you could cuddle up to
Thanks for all the comments. I have invested in 2 new hot water bottles now. I had a proper look at the date on mine. 07 and 15. They are both more than a bit old.
Totally agree Bobbi…. I can’t remember how many years we have had ours but was before they came up with the idea of having fluffy covers on them. But also old enough to know that rubber perishes so keep an eye on it and never ever fill with boiling water. Ohh and test it before every winter. What a nannying society we have become ….
I also had a stone hot water bottle when I was a child many many years ago …. It’s just sad that there are so many ignorant folks out there who need a list of dos and donts for hot water bottles, and re/newing every 2 years is an outright marketing ploy
Well my “old days” go back much further than yours , when we mostly used common sense. Too much fuss made these days some folk don’t know how to boil an egg and I actually saw a cook explain the best way to do it
@Ismeval I agree, if treated appropriately, you would think a hot water bottle should last more than 2 years, but it’s best to check regularly as we don’t want any nasty scalding accidents
We are going to need our hot water bottles over the next few days. The weather forecast shows temperatures are going down to December levels! We have been spoiled with a very mild November.
I made the manufacturer rich today! A ginormous £13.98 I gave him. I bought 2 new hot water bottles with fleecy covers!
I know what you are going to say @Bobbi, Bah Humbug!! But you will be glad of them when the proper winter sets in and our electric goes off after I have filled them up with not so hot boiling water.
I’m just reviving this post because it’s just been a close call for daughter She just had her hot water bottle on her lap when she suddenly warm and wet as though she’d had an embarrassing accident But she grew out of those accidents a long time ago so she immediately threw her hot water bottle on the floor and the leak grew…all over the carpet
And that’s when I remembered reading this post some weeks ago.
Needless to say the flower symbol and 17 on it. The annoying thing is she’s only had it about 2yrs, which is why I thought no more of it Anyway, so lucky no harm was done other than having to mop up the carpet and she now needs a new one.
But it’s that time of year again when everyone’s digging out the hot water bottles. So please check them first before you think of filling them, it could have been a whole lot worse if my daughter was in bed when it happened.
Always been worried about leakages with halter wot bottles (as my grandchildren call them), so my weapon of choice is the good ol’ wheat bag from the microwave.
If it cools too much, a couple of minutes makes it toasty.
That was my hot water bottle !! 
but it’s best to check regularly as we don’t want any nasty scalding accidents
She just had her hot water bottle on her lap when she suddenly warm and wet as though she’d had an embarrassing accident 
But she grew out of those accidents a long time ago so she immediately threw her hot water bottle on the floor and the leak grew…all over the carpet 
But I did find they cooled down too quickly and not enough heat for it’s needed for.