Did you know hot water bottles can go out of date?
Me neither!
When the cold season hit this year, I filled up my cosy hot water bottle as usual. I hadn't used it in a few months due to a particularly warm season and suddenly, my counter and floor were streaming with boiling hot water!
Given that I felt like I hadn’t bought the hot water bottle that long ago, I delved into research around it and it turns out it was about 9 years old ... whoops!
Why Replace Hot Water Bottles Regularly
Hot water bottles have long been a trusted source of warmth and comfort during chilly nights or for soothing aches and pains. However, it's essential to be aware of manufacturer recommendations regarding their lifespan - which is an unbelievable 2-3 years! These guidelines are based on the manufacturer's extensive testing and research in order to ensure your safety and the optimal performance of the product.
As hot water bottles are typically made from rubber or similar materials, they can degrade over time. As they age, the rubber may become brittle, leading to potential leaks or bursts (just like what happened to me!). This obviously poses a safety risk to us all, as hot water can cause burns or scalds if it comes into contact with the skin.
In addition, the insulating properties of hot water bottles can diminish over time which can result in a decrease in heat retention, reducing their effectiveness in providing that warmth and relief that we need and rely on them for.
As many of us are completely unaware of these guidelines, we tend to use them beyond the recommended time scale with, often, no issues at all (until we have boiling water all over the counter and floor of course!). While this is essentially risky, it's hard to remember when you bought them and in addition, it's more cost effective to use them until they leak or don't retain their heat as much as they used to.
How to check the age of a Hot Water bottle
How to Read the Flower Wheel
- Locate the flower wheel on the top of the screw-on cap.
- The number in the middle represents the year that it was made.
- The flower segments represent the 12 months of that year.
- The dots inside those segments apparently represent the number of weeks.
- This is how you identify the exact time your hot water bottle was made and then you can work out roughly how old they are. Clever, huh!?
Using this image as an example:
- The number in the middle is the year so it was made in 2021.
- It has dots in 6 of the flower segments so it was made in June.
- It has 3 dots in the final petal so it was made in the third week of June.
- This hot water bottle was made in the third week of June 2021.
- Therefore, the manufacturers estimated 'safe' lifespan is from June 2023 to June 2024 (specifically the third week).
What does this all mean?
Hot water bottles have a lifespan of 2-3 years according to their manufacturers and their date of creation is recorded on them to make this easy for us to work out.
Checking your hot water bottles for their manufactured date will help you assess the risks of using it and measuring these against any other factors that of importance to you.
It is essential to replace your hot water bottle if you notice any signs of damage, such as visible cracks or leaks and replace if needed to prevent accidents or injuries.
By following manufacturer recommendations and replacing them every few years, you can enjoy the risk-free benefits of a reliable and efficient source of warmth and comfort. However, if you are more of a daredevil, you can wait for the inevitable leak on your counter/couch/bed and get a new one then!
Recommendation: Make sure you ask any retailer selling hot water bottles (especially if it's online) to see the ‘flower wheel’ before you buy so you know you are not being sold one which is already or nearly out of date.