Poppy Bilderbeck
A mum has taken to TikTok after her daughter went through a harrowing experience with a hot water bottle.
As we descend into a cold and harsh winter - with money flowing down the drain even quicker than Liz Truss making her way out of Downing Street if we so much as turn the heating on for a second - many are looking for alternatives to stay warm.
A popular and comforting source of heat is often found in the trusty hot water bottle - there's nothing better than slipping into your sheets to warm your tootsies against a water-filled fluffy oval of heat - or, if you're single like me, a hot water bottle is the perfect smaller spoon.
Alas, a mum has spoken out on social media about the dangers of using such a heating device after an incident involving her daughter left the family 'traumatised'.
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Sarita explained how her daughter had a cold and despite the heating being on, was 'still shivering' so she gave her a hot water bottle.
Sarita continues: "Last weekend my hot water bottle burst on my daughter and she got burns injuries from it."
The mum goes on to note how 'common' and 'seasonal' the injury is according to the nurse who looked after her daughter.
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She explains how she wanted to create a video to show how to check a bottle is safe - such as checking when the bottle was made.
"What I found out after the event was too late for my girl (who is recovering well, thankfully). We've all been traumatised by it, but we could've prevented it had we taken the necessary precautions," she reflects.
In the video, the mum shows the neck at the top of the hot water bottle, pointing out the British Standard numbers on the bottle as well as the year it was manufactured - 3 June, 2014 - on the other side.
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"So my hot water bottle is eight years old. I guess I was in a false sense of security that it was okay because the cover was still beautiful," she said.
The burst occurred along the side of the hot water bottle and Sarita reveals the inside lining which has been slowly melted away over the years.
The mum resolved: "So please, please, please check your hot water bottles and check they're okay. [...] I hope this helps somebody and please share it because everyone's using these."