Hot water bottle warning as hidden symbol reveals whether you should throw yours out
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Many people will be reaching for their hot water bottles today, as cold Arctic air spreads up and down the country. In some places temperatures have dropped as low as -20C, so many will be taking extra measures to make sure they stay warm. Many will no doubt be following Money Saving Expert Martin Lewis' advice of 'heating the human, not the home', as it's much more budget friendly, and as such, hot water bottles are great. They are great and effective ways of keeping you warm, for example by having a hot water bottle on your legs while you work, or keeping it in bed with you.
But it's important to have safety in mind when it comes to hot water bottles. Many hot water fans were unaware that there's a hidden symbol on the bottle which tells you if it's still safe to use. If misused or old, hot water bottles can crack, leak or even explode, which can potentially result in severe burns or injuries. Most hot water bottles have a typical lifespan of about two years, after which the risk of damage increases. That's why it's crucial to be able to determine your hot water bottle's age.
Taking to TikTok, consumer brand Which? shared a warning to hot water bottle users over checking if it's safe to use. A consumer expert explained: "According to The Children's Burns Trust, if yours is more than two years old, then it's too old. To make sure, you can check your bottle's date of manufacture. Just look out for this handy daisy wheel symbol.".
The expert then pointed to the daisy wheel symbol, which is normally printed on the neck or body of your bottle - so you'll have to take off any cover it might have. "The central number is the year the bottle was made, and if you want to be more specific, the petals represent the 12 months of the year, and the dots are the weeks in those months," he continued.
