Hot water bottles are a must during winter, especially as many are trying to keep their heating bills down due to the cost of living crisis.
The UK is currently in the midst of a cold snap, and many people are looking for alternative ways to heat themselves, rather than their homes.
Hot water bottles are extremely useful for this, and with most having a capacity of 1.5 litres, or six cups, there's enough to help you stay warm for hours.
Although they are a great alternative to heating the home, you have to be careful when you use them to avoid injury risk. Hot water bottle injuries are actually relatively common, with Swansea Bay University Health Board treating burns around 30 times per year.
Many people think you should be pouring boiling water straight into the hot water bottle, because this will keep you warm for longer.
But the reality is that that can lead to burns, or "hot water bottle rash", which is a skin condition caused by long-term exposure to heat.
The boiling water can also cause damage to the inside of the bottle, which could cause it to tear or leak out onto you.
Instead, you should wait for a few minutes after your kettle has boiled before pouring it in. Then you should fill it almost all the way up, but leave space so you can add a bit of cold water to cool it down slightly, before sealing it.
Dr Deborah Lee, from Dr Fox Online Pharmacy, previously told The Mirror that if used incorrectly, hot water bottles can lead to second or third-degree burns.
Injuries can cause nerve and muscle damage, with in turn can affect the ability to walk.
Prolonged use of hot water bottles can also lead to a rash known as erythema ab igne – which is characterised by redness, hyperpigmentation, and scarring at the site of the heat.
In order to avoid burns it's crucial to have a good-quality water bottle that isn't "past its use-by date".
Many people are unaware that if your hot water bottle is older than three years, you should throw it out.
The British Standards Institution (BSI) explained that there is a symbol on hot water bottles that help you work out when they are made.
A spokesperson from BSI said: "The date daisy is a symbol in the shape of a daisy, with 12 petals.
"The year is shown in the middle, and the petals are filled in according to which month the bottle was manufactured.
"So a petal with 22 in the middle and the first 8 petals filled with dots indicate a bottle that was manufactured in August 2022."
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