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A mum has issued a warning on Facebook after discovering that hot water bottles have expiry dates, with an expert also explaining just how serious injuries can be.
With winter well and truly on the way, many of us are looking for cost-effective ways to stay warm, whether it's investing in a heated blanket or the much simpler, old school method of just throwing on a few extra layers.
And when it comes to bedtime, we often turn to our trusty hot water bottle to keep our toes nice and toasty - something that always seems like a reliable shout.
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But one mum has urged others to proceed with caution, revealing how there are key dates to look out for to check yours is still in good nick.
Posting photos on the Family Lowdown Tips and Ideas Facebook group, she wrote: “So it was only this year from this group that I learnt about dates in hot water bottles, we just ordered a hot water [bottle] for one of our daughter’s Christmas gifts from Amazon and I checked.
“I’m assuming it’s definitely not checked at all, and I shouldn’t worry too much? (I also got one from Home Bargains, that was 2018-2022).”
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In an edit, she added: ”Thanks everyone, I now know you go by the date on the flower and get rid after 2 yrs! Everyday is a school day.”
Of course, knowing where to look is only really half the battle, as the flower will just be a series of dots and numbers to those who aren't sure what it means.
In a recent segment on This Morning, consumer expert Alice Beer provided a little more detail, explaining how a mum had reached out on Instagram after her child suffered third degree burns when a hot water bottle split.
Revealing how people are hospitalised at least once a week at Chelsea and Westminster hospital due to the issue, Beer said: "Half of hot water bottle injuries need skin grafts and surgeries.
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"These are not surface burns, these go really deep."
Beer said hot water bottles usually last up to three years with normal usage before they should ideally be replaced.
She added that you can find out when a hot water bottle was made by looking at a 'daisy wheel' on the product, with dots indicating the week of manufacture.
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Holding up an example, Beer continued: "You don't know about it because this is a brand new hot water bottle in a fluffy cover. Why would you ever take it off unless it got dirty. I'm sorry, but I think this is the worst system for printing a date because it's so confusing.
"Inside you have got a daisy wheel date. It's got 12 segments and in the middle of this one you have got a 22. This one was made in 2022. Then you have 12 segments around the outside and those are the months.
"You can tell the month it was manufactured from when the dots end. It's got dots in eight segments so it was made in August."
The one Beer had in the studio had three dots in the segment, meaning it was made in the third week of August 2022.
Jess Hardiman