Hot water bottles can be dangerous if not used correctly (stock photo) (Image: Getty)
Your hot water bottle could cause you harm if you don’t use it correctly.
As the UK faces freezing temperatures and in some areas, many of us will be breaking out all the warming gadgets we’ve got around our homes, such as and fluffy slippers.
One of the most common items people turn to when they’re cold or need relief from joint or period pain is the humble hot water bottle. These bottles are perfect for warming up your bed before you get in or holding against your body as you curl up on the sofa in the evening.
But did you know hot water bottles can be dangerous if not used correctly? We recently reported the and using them beyond this date can make them more prone to splitting – which could leave you with nasty burns.
However, it’s not just the use-by dates that make hot water bottles dangerous. Many of us aren’t using them properly even when they’re in date, and this could be putting our health at risk.
A woman named Liv shared a video on in which she revealed you’re not actually supposed to fill a hot water bottle with boiling water straight from the kettle – which left many baffled.
She said: “Hot water bottles are not designed to have boiling water in them. You can only have hot water. You want around 60C water in there. Kettles typically boil to 100C, so if you put your kettle on and stop it halfway through, you’re going to be about right.
“If you don’t do that and you do boil it fully, you can put some cold water in first and then it will mix together [to bring the temperature down]. If you’re really particular, you can literally test the water [with a thermometer].
“I’m going to test mine just for the sake of knowing how hot it goes after half a boil. Half a boil for me is 65C, which is fine.”
[ADVICE] [TIP]
Liv then said if you want to be “really careful” with your hot water bottle, you shouldn’t use water above 60C in any circumstances.
Her next tip was to ensure you only fill your hot water bottle halfway. Once the water is in, you should squeeze out the excess air from the rest of the bottle and seal it shut with the lid. This reduces the risk of the bottle rupturing or leaking by allowing room for expansion.
These tips were backed by the , which previously teamed up with National Burn Awareness Day in October to share nine key pieces of advice for safely using hot water bottles – including avoiding boiling water.
They said: “It might be tempting to fill your bottle with boiling water for maximum warmth, but this can be extremely dangerous and lead to burns. Boiling water can degrade the material of the bottle over time and increase the risk of burns.
“Instead, opt for hot water that’s been left to cool down to a safe temperature after boiling. Hot water bottle manufacturers typically recommend using a temperature no higher than 50-60 degrees Celsius, and even lower for children.”