How to check your hot water bottle's expiry date

Watch: Dr Hilary Jones shares hack for checking if your hot water bottle is out of date

The cost of living crisis has everyone searching for economical ways to keep warm, which has seen many of us reaching for our trusty hot water bottles.

But Dr Hilary Jones has warned you shouldn't be dusting off any old hot water bottle from the back of the cupboard.

Believe it or not a hot water bottle can actually go out of date and there can be some pretty serious consequences if it has expired.

Dr Hilary told ITV’s Lorraine that hot water bottles are only designed to last up to three years from manufacture.

Although some manufacturers recommend that you use it for no more than two years, so it is important to check when you buy one.

Turns out old bottles can degrade over time and eventually split, which can be pretty nasty considering they are often filled with near boiling water.

Thankfully, Dr Hilary revealed a quick and easy tip for checking whether your hot water bottle is still in date, urging consumers to remove the cover to check the bottle itself.

"When it's really cold a hot water bottle is a good way of keeping warm in bed or on your lap," he told host Lorraine Kelly.

"Inside the funnel of your hot water bottle there's a little floral sign."

Read more: What temperature should my home be this winter?

Dr Hilary went on to point out that the number inside the floral sign is the year the hot water bottle was made.

"There's a number 19 in this one, so that hot water bottle was made in 2019 and is three year's old now, and that is what the manufacturers are saying is the expiry date for most hot water bottles."

The 12 "petals" round the edge of the floral symbol indicate the months of the year and give an even more accurate indication of the bottle's manufacture date.

You can tell the month the hot water bottle was manufactured from when the dots end, so, for example, if it has dots in eight segments it was made in August.

Dr Hilary went on to say how important it is to know the expiry date of your hot water bottle because the lid sucker can become loose and the rubber can perish and you can get scalded.

"So they're saying you need to check the date on your hot water bottle."

Read more: Woman says floorboard hack helps keep house warm: 'It's the small changes that count'

The warning comes after Alice Beer issued a similar call to action for hot water bottle fans.

Speaking on This Morning, the consumer expert revealed that she had been approached on Instagram by a mum of a 15-year-old who had been revising and cuddled close to a hot water bottle.

The teenager had put boiling water in it, which Beer strongly advises against, and as the hot water bottle had a cover over it, she didn’t notice that it had perished and received third degree burns on her stomach and legs, resulting in a hospital stay.

“Half of hot water bottle injuries need skin grafts and surgeries," Beer told hosts Philip Schofield and Holly Willoughby.

"These are not surface burns, these go really deep.”

Beer also went on to urge everyone to remove the cover of their hot water bottle and look out for the symbol which reveals the expiry date.

She had some other suggestions for staying safe while using a hot water bottle too.

“I’m going to say something really stupid here, but it’s relevant," she continued. "When you buy a hot water bottle, the point is that the rubber is insulating and it’s strong; so if it doesn’t smell rubbery and it doesn’t feel rubbery, then it’s got a higher proportion of additives to rubber.

"So actually what you want is a real rubbery hot water bottle because that will protect you more. If you’re buying a cheap one, it’ll have less rubber in it and is more prone to perishing.”

Beer went on to urge people not to put boiling water in the hot water bottle and to always take the cover off before you add the water so that you don’t miss the expiry date.

Read more: 23 ways to stay warm without turning on the heating this winter

Following a warning from one of its nurse's, who needed a skin graft after being burnt by a hot water bottle, NHS Wales has issued the following safety advice.

• Fill the bottle with hot, but not boiling water

• Make sure the stopper is securely screwed on

• Fill the bottle to a maximum of three-quarters full

• Wrap the bottle in a towel to prevent direct contact

• Avoid taking the bottle to bed

• Frequently examine the bottle for signs of wear and tear

• Make sure it has been tested to BS1970:2006 standards

• Expel all air above the water level before sealing carefully, to prevent injury from the escaping hot steam

• Replace the bottle after two years

• Special care should be taken when used by those with sensory deficits, the elderly and children