There’s a hidden symbol every hot water bottle owner should check now (Image: Getty)
The autumn chill has officially set in, with winter not too far away, bringing with it a sharp dip in temperatures across the country. If turning on the heating isn’t quite cutting it, households may be tempted to take out their hot water bottles as an alternative method of keeping warm, while saving money on energy bills.
Hot water bottles can keep you nice and toasty, even when in bed. However, it’s important to make sure that the product is in good condition, otherwise you could risk burning yourself. The consumer experts from Which? warned that your hot water bottle may have already passed its expiry date without you realising it.
Double check the daisy wheel to know when the product was made (Image: Getty)
They explained that there’s one symbol you need to be on the lookout for, especially if you’re planning to use your hot water bottle soon. In a recent post, Which? said: “This symbol means that I should have thrown away this hot water bottle years ago. See, hot water bottles have a short lifespan. The older they get, the more likely they are to burst or leak.”
On many hot water bottles there’s a hidden symbol which can tell you how long a hot water bottle can last. Many people aren’t aware, but hot water bottles have a short lifespan, as the older they get, the more likely they are to break, burst or leak.
Which? recently highlighted the expiry issue, urging hot water bottle owners to give their water bottles a thorough examination. You need to be on the lookout for the “daisy wheel”.
Which? said: “According to the Children’s Burns Trust, if yours is more than two years old, it’s too old. To make sure, you can check your bottle’s date of manufacture, just look out for this handy daisy wheel symbol.”
What is the daisy wheel?
The daisy-like symbol will have a central number in the middle, which indicates the year the bottle was made. They continued: “And if you want to be more specific, the petals represent the twelve months of the year and the dots are the weeks in those months.”
In an example symbol, the daisy showed a central number of 25, meaning it was made in 2025, and if it shows a 26, it means the bottle was made this year, and so on. You’ll also notice that the daisy has 12 petals with a number of small dots inside them.
If two of the petals had dots, seven in total, meaning it was made in the third week of February. The daisy wheel is not an explicit expiration date, as the lifespan of the item depends on how it’s used and cared for.
According to MoneySavingExpert, the general recommendation is to replace hot water bottles every two to three years. MSE explained: “This is the advice from manufacturers (reiterated by accident prevention charities and medical professionals) and it’s likely for safety reasons.
“Most hot water bottles are made out of rubber (some are made from polyvinyl chloride, commonly called PVC), and rubber does degrade over time and with usage.”
If you don’t replace your hot water bottle regularly, you can risk it bursting and potentially burning yourself or others. Hot water bottles that have cracks or rips should also be replaced immediately.
Which? said: “Remember to always check your hot water bottle before you use it for signs of wear and tear, like split seams, perished rubber and a poorly fitting stopper.”
How to dispose of hot water bottles
If you need to throw away a hot water bottle, many of them can be recycled, all you need to do is check with your local council. Which? said: “Old rubber hot water bottles can be recycled, but double check with your local council to see if they can go in your household recycling bin.”
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