To remind people NOT to use hot water bottles?

[Laptopsas]

There is another thread running about cold weather and hit water bottles are being recommended as safe. They are not.

Get a heated throw or the microwaveable bags.

If you must use one, don’t use boiling water.

https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/am_i_being_unreasonable/5068468-to-remind-you-all-to-throw-out-old-hot-water-bottles

https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/am_i_being_unreasonable/5176765-water-bottle-exploded

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c2kd7k2e48jo

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cdxnez4zxkno

This is true - generally Becsuse something electrical had caught fire and their batteries had run out in their fire alarms.

Thd moral if the story - have hard wired alarms or change the batteries frequently abx throw out all electrical items (plus hot water bottles) just in case.

I am with you OP, don't like them one bit.

A brand new one exploded???? And it wasn't filled with boiling water & it had had the air jet out??

yeah, no.

You are coming across as preachy mcpreach
Having worked in ED I’ve seen every seemingly innocuous item cause harm
swallowed toothbrush obstruction
avocado well they’d be banned purely for hand injury caused when trying to destone
blenders with ill fitting lid that ejected scalding hot soup,sauce

We use hot water bottles multiple times a day and night in my house. I even use boiling water yes I know not meant to, only had one leak in all this time. It certainly didn’t explode, your being dramatic OP

It's actually bonkers to think these are even still a thing really especially for young children.

Yep!

perfectly safe & do NOT 'explode' if used correctly!

Well then that’s hardly a replacement for a HWB in bed. Another one saying the odds of these explosions are fine when minimised by responsible usage.

According to Which? magazine, you shouldn’t use a wheat bag in bed
“Don’t:

• Place them under covers to warm bedding. They can continue to heat up and could begin to smoulder or set the covers alight.”

Also “Argos, Daewoo, DeLonghi, Morphy Richards, Panasonic and Russell Hobbs all have warnings against using these products [wheat bags] in their microwaves” - it can void your warranty.
www.which.co.uk/news/article/buying-a-hottie-or-wheat-bag-for-a-loved-one-this-christmas-heres-what-you-need-to-know-aZSrR1X6u4yQ

Hot water bottles don't leak on Mumsnet, they 'explode'.

Just as no Mumsnetter's microwave ever stopped working, they tend to 'blow up' as a rule.

Perhaps it's Mumsnet that's dangerous? 👀

I have one of those rechargeable ones that are filled with some kind of gel. I'm sure someone will be along to tell me how dangerous they are but I love mine, it eases my aches and pains and stays warm for hours.

Goodness, we best not use sharp knives, tools anymore as one slip and that's your fingers gone

People need to use their brains. I've used hot water bottles for 40 years never been a problem. It's not because I'm lucky, it's because I use them in the way they are designed to be used. Sadly you can't account for people not thinking. It's like when Asda put a message on the box of their remade cakes - something about being careful when cutting as knives are sharp 😆

Are people putting boiling water in their hot water bottles?!

Those long ones are really great but I did make the mistake of falling asleep with one lying along my inner leg, and found tbst the skin above the knee there is far less able to tolerate heat that feet, where I'd normally put the traditional oblong ones.
Almost burnt.
So extra prudence with the water temperature in those ones.

I don't find the wheat bags stay hot long enough - and I lived with someone who had one catch fire in the microwave at uni after heavy use so I'm a bit wary of them. Similarly I was brought up never to use an electric blanket because they're very dangerous- a family friend died after hers caught fire during use.

I am pretty careful with hot water bottles although I do like them made as hot possible for period pain. One on the small of my back and one on my belly after a very hot bath and some ibuprofen is the best thing for a bad period. We're careful about squeezing the air out and letting the kettle cool before filling. We usually also make them a bit early so the bed is warm/ they're not too hot and any leaks hopefully aren't on us. We often put them out as we get in and pull up the huge cosy blanket to help keep all the heat in.

And sleeping pills that may cause drowsiness 🤣

I’ve just treated myself to a nice new hot bot today and I’m currently lying in bed with the leccy blanket on underneath me and the hot bot perched on my belly.

Clearly my demise is imminent.

At least I’ll die snug.

All kinds of things are dangerous if you sit in them! Doesn't mean people should be told 'not to use them' for their INTENDED use.

🤣🤣🤣🤣

Love my hot water bottle amd had one by my feet for over 40 years in winter and before that my mum made us a ceramic one !!!

Hot water bottles are good. However check that they are ok by looking for the flower symbol near the top of the bottle.
This flower symbol, found on hot water bottles, indicates exactly when it was made. 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.13 Jan 2025

No I did my risk assessment & put mine in the loft, in a box, where it's happily lived for several years now

(actually while packing stuff away during a renovation, but it has stayed up there 🤣)

Your poor friend.

yes, we all do 'stupid' things at times & sometimes (mostly) we're lucky, but sometimes we pay the price

I can't stand the smell of them either!

What dates ? I’ve had the same one since the 1970’s, seems fine.

They’re safe to use as long as they’re within date. I popped into my local charity shop and saw some nice ones on sale - checked their use by date and all of them should have been thrown away about 5 years ago so I notified the manager and she threw them out,