An ITV News investigation has uncovered confusion and inconsistencies surrounding how long hot water bottles are safe to use, as ITV News’ Consumer Editor Chris Choi reports
The number of serious burns caused by hot water bottles has almost doubled in the last five years, new data shared with ITV News shows.
In 2024, 968 people in England and Wales were admitted to burn units compared to 501 in 2020, according to the International Burn Injury Database.
While an NHS trust guidance states that hot water bottles have a two-year lifespan, ITV News found that some being sold by a variety of retailers were already older than that.
Researchers found that the older hot water bottles become, the more likely they are to split.
Dani Champion, 34, from Staffordshire, has a vascular disorder and used to regularly seek comfort in her hot water bottle to help cope with pain.
In January, Dani experienced pain that she described as “more painful than childbirth” when the hot bottle she was using burst while she was sitting on the sofa.
“Shock set in quickly when it first happened, I’ve never screamed like that in my life. I ran to the shower to cool down and my skin just started bubbling up,” she told ITV News.
“As part of the recovery process at the burns unit, every two days they would use a really rough scouring like cloth and the back of a razor blade to treat the wound.
“I was having nightmares about this happening to my kids. If something like this happened to a child there is no coming back. Their skin wouldn’t be able to heal like this.”
Dani had to stay at Birmingham Burns Unit for a week, where she was administered morphine and ketamine to manage her pain.
Once discharged, she had regular check-ups and used crutches for three weeks.
Fortunately Dani is no longer in pain and is hoping that her story can be a warning to others.
“There needs to be more talk about hot water bottle safety,” she added.
Ken Dunn, a retired consultant burns and plastic surgeon who is now the vice chair of The Children’s Burns Trust (CBT), said they have seen an increasing number of injuries because of hot water bottles.
He told ITV News: “We’ve identified an increasing number of injuries, particularly in children and the elderly, over the last few years and unfortunately this trend does not seem to be stopping.
“We’re keen to get the message across from the CBT and other involved charities that people can prevent these injuries happening in their own home and with their own family.
“These injuries tend to affect the hands, feet and shorts areas which are particularly difficult to treat.
“The major concern is damaged skin because it is an important organ that keeps out infection, so when skin becomes damaged it becomes a window for infection.”
Researchers from the University of Liverpool found that the older a hot water bottle gets, the more likely they are to split.
Dr Ahmed Abass, a lecturer in biomedical engineering, said: “Rubber degrades by time and by being subject to the atmosphere and oxygen. It also degrades by heat and light.”
Their research showed that the weak areas in the hot water bottles design are around the nicks and edges, and the “highest stress concentration areas exist in the internal boundary of hot water bottles near the neck and cap region.”
“The findings support the guidance that users should avoid sleeping with a hot water bottle as it may fail under compression if they lay on top of it,” the report said.
Last year, the British Standards Institute (BSI) guidance on hot water bottles was withdrawn because the national committee responsible for hot water bottle safety was disbanded.
Today, retailers continue to sell hot water bottles with reference to the historic guidance.
The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (ROSPA) and the CBT would like to see an updated BSI guideline published.
Since ITV News began this investigation, the BSI has confirmed that they will reinstate the hot water bottle safety committee and review the guidelines.
How to check the date of your hot water bottle
You can check the manufacturing date of your hot water bottle by looking at the daisy wheel that appears on the casing, like in the diagram above.
The central number indicates the year, for example 23 would mean the bottle was made in 2023.
The 12 segments around this represent the months.
The number of filled segments indicates the month it was manufactured, according to the Mid and South Essex Integrated Care System website.
So if three segments were filled with dots, as above, it would mean the hot water bottle was manufactured in March.
Within those segments, the number of dots represent weeks. So if the segment has three dots, it would mean it’s manufactured in the third week.
Ken Dunn, from the Children’s Burns Trust, gives advice on how to safely use a hot water bottle
How to safely use your hot water bottle:
- Inspect your hot water bottle for any faults or defects
- Use an oven glove when filling the bottle up
- Don’t use boiling water, let it cool
- Don’t overfill it and remove excess air before tightly fixing the stopper
- Don’t sleep with it or sit on it
- Store it empty in a dark, cool and dry place with the stopper undone
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