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

It’s a rare occurrence,
Cars tend to crash too sometimes and even causes fatalities and yet everyone still drives them

Where are you - it’s 19 degrees here today!

Surely everyone decides for themselves.

I was advised not to use them due to hand issues but wouldn't stop anyone else using one

I'll stick to my heated hoodie and the risk associated with powerbanks

Fair to say I’ve got a brain and I’m not a complete fuckwit (nod to previous poster). But I still use an old ish hot water bottle with boiling water. I’ll lower the temp a bit and get a new one, but won’t give it up. Wheat bags are nowhere near warm enough for long enough. My family have used hot water bottles my whole life and never had an issue. But agree it’s wise to minimise risk.

Totally agree!!

I attach my stopper to the bottle with a hair elastic

I’ve personally never had issues but I have been weary of “cheap” hot water bottles and I wonder if the quality has declined, along with all manufacturing - it’s not like you need a certificate to sell one.

Can anyone shed more light on the idea that they can "explode" please?

I'm am aware they can leak from the top, or if they perish they can seep from anywhere, and they can burst if perished or under pressure (like the poster above who sat on hers, they're never going to survive that). And I know if you don't expel the air then the air can expand and this can contribute to them bursting.

But, exploding, no.

I have a temperature controlled kettle so I know I only fill mine at 85deg, and I put an inch of cold water in first too. And I expel the air bubble at the top. And it has a cover. And I buy new ones pretty regularly.

I'm aware that 85deg water would still cause a bad scald if it came into contact with the skin.

I didn't die (clearly) but I did have a stroke (10 months ago, & they still don't know why)

My 98 year old mum loved her hot water bottle, until a new carer put boiling water in it, it burned my mum's leg but not badly and thank goodness it didn't burst. Like anything, they need to be used correctly.

I think there is a British Safety Standard for them, I definitely have seen Kite marks on some. I'll check tomorrow on mine.

Woman injured by heated blanket

Heated Wheat Bags Can Cause Burn Injuries

OK, we can throw these out as well. Now what?

Just remembered loved the smell of rubber when I was pregnant 34 years ago.
I used to chew my hot water bottle fgs !!

🤣🤣🤣🤣

That's one thing I won't do, put a HWB in the bed with a plugged in EB, it's either/or

Here you go, British Safety Standard, look for the kite mark!

https://www.hotwaterbottleshop.co.uk/pages/bs-1970-2012?srsltid=AfmBOooWDZK0x1PxWl5UbsU0BXDMy-QLiJLUTSSCuBhCG7vTcaFE_LIL

I have never heard of a hot water bottle exploding before but I do remember reading about mini chicken kievs exploding over someone when they were removeing them from the oven 🤔

I'd guess it doesn't have a date on it if made in the 70's.

modern ones perish quickly, my 70's one was good for decades! I only stopped using it as I went travelling & packed it up before I left & it's still in another country!

the newer ones aren't as well made & I think perish much more quickly. The dates on them are easy to find.

Well done for letting her know & kudos to them for getting rid of them. I hope the company donating them hadn't done it knowingly & they were informed so they don't do the same again!!

In the OPs defence, I'm in my 40s and only found out recently that hot water bottles have expiry dates, and that you shouldn't use boiling water in them. So there are stupid folk (like me!) who can find posts like this useful. Thankfully they're not something we really use anymore, and I've never used one for my kids, but it's still helpful to know for future, even if it is something I should have known years ago!

https://news.sky.com/story/cost-of-living-warning-over-hot-water-bottles-usage-after-womans-horrendous-burns-12724384

An exploded six months old bottle.

Surely this is the same as never drinking hot tea when holding a baby? No need to ban tea (or babies).

My mum has had to stop using hers as she can no longer do it up properly (arthritis) 😌 & it soaked her bed a couple of times very luckily she was in the habit of putting it in her bed while she faffed around getting ready ready for bed so it didn't hurt her .

Remind people that they have an expiration date and that they need to be used properly, surely that's enough and better than banning them.

I have to admit I think you posted this last year and I haven't used one since, because we have wheat bags (cherry stone bags BTW don't have the smell, and work fine - they smell nicer than rubber hot water bottles as well.)

But two years? Since when has that been the advice? I am sure we used the same ones for decades running. My grandparents would always give us hot water bottles when we went to stay and I can't imagine they were buying new ones every two years. It seems incredibly wasteful to throw them out.

We always did boiling water if you had a cover on the bottle, or hot-tap water if it was an uncovered one. There were warnings on them saying not to use boiling water but my mum reckoned it was to do with scalding yourself when filling it and just to be careful.

The only thing I miss about the hot water bottle is the feeling of it - there is something about the pressure of water and the shape of it which isn't replicated with a bag. I don't think the cherry stones stay hot for as long either.