To use a ten year old hot water bottle?

[museumum]

Are you all seriously replacing them every two years like the advice says? I honestly couldn’t send one to landfill that often.
I might be pushing it with the one I used tonight that’s marked 2014 - but I don’t use it that often.

I'm really sorry for all those who have experienced the same as I did, posted upthread.
It's just not worth the pain and damage hot water bottles cause
I had to have my burn packed and dressed over Christmas one year, and I apparently have a scar on my lower back.
I bought my DS a rechargeable electric one for less than £20, which does exactly the same job
Lots on Amazon.

But you can't tell if it's perishing from the inside??

The date on modern ones ( looks like a daisy) is when It was manufactured
Change every 2 or 3 years unless your happy taking a risk

Has anyone actually read the posts from the burns nurse and the posts where burns have happened?!!

I had one burst on me in bed very lucky I wasn't scalded so I would be throwing them out after a few years you can see anyway when they start to wear down

hot water bottles in a don’t get “cold and clammy” as you put it, they just cool down 🤔 wheat bags and the like cool down much faster and get all vapoury and wet
also putting a soft bag which has been in your bed repeatedly in the microwave isn’t very hygienic/hair in food risk

I won't have them in the house after seeing how badly they can scald.

Thanks. I assumed they’d all be around £100 as I only looked at stoov which is that price. Can’t believe how cheap some are on Amazon!

My friend is drying out her (adult) son's mattress, the bottle leaked in bed the other day.

@museumum
I recommend this Vivo one
As you can see I've bought it twice

Yes, they weaken with use. I've heard of really horrible accidents where the bottle has suddenly burst etc and scalded people badly.

My daughter had the rubber burst on a hot water bottle she was holding. The burns were horrific. Without the cover it would have been even worse and that bottle was about 4 years old. I have vivid memories of having to hold her down in hospital and the screams so they could treat it. I feel awful for not binning after 2 years. Please don't make my mistake.

This is a case where prevention is better than cure, you change it as the risk of scald increases hugely with age of the item. The dates are there to protect you and the cost of a new bottle is a great deal less than the taxi cost to A&E!

I have one from Boots from 20 years ago. It's so strong and sturdy and retains heat for so long so I can't bear to send it to landfill either.

I did buy a new one from Boots recently but it's so thin and flimsy. Quality has gone down massively.

My little cousin has ended up with lifelong scars accross her chest. A hot water bottle burst on her when she was 9. She was in so much pain.
Since then I've taken the guidelines pretty seriously.

I also never put fully boiling water in like a lot of people do.

Remember also the correct way to fill them, by expelling the air: fill about two thirds full, then lower the bottle on to a flat surface to expel the air, until water appears at the top; then put the stopper in. This makes them less likely to burst or leak.

It is a shame that they are so disposable, though, in an era where the holier-than-thou brigade are always lecturing about saving the planet by not sending stuff to landfill.

As an aside, does anyone remember the lovely book Phoebe and the Hot Water Bottles, from 1977? Seven-year-old Phoebe has one hundred and fifty-seven hot water bottles, as her very busy single father gives her one every time she is good, and she plays with them like toys. The book is now sadly out of print, and somewhat discredited, because it's from an era of giving children puppies as presents, and Phoebe puts out a fire by herself (using her hot water bottles).

This is why I use MN so I hear random facts like this. I had no clue hot water bottles could burst/split, I’ve only been using them the last few years since moving into current house. Off to check the date stamp…

I worked as a carer and a guy used to fill his with boiling water and then microwave it as "it wasn't hot enough"
I said what are you wanting, molten lava?!

This is new to me. I'm just about to replace one that I've had since the 90s. Only because the lid broke

Thick rubber perishes just the same as thin rubber. It becomes brittle.

I'd bin it and get a microwaveable one to replace it.

I know, and I will throw it out. But the old one still retains heat much better than the new flimsy one.

They never get hot enough

It does, that's how you know when to replace it.

If it's too old to use safely with hot water, you could always empty and dry it, then stuff it rags made from chopped up old clothes and tights, and use it as a kneeler: good for your knees.

You are absolutely spot on!