What should I do?

[jayellell]

I'm cold tonight and I'm sat cuddling my hot water bottle, but when I emptied it earlier, little bits of rubber came out into the sink. I don't want to throw it away cos it's not leaking but is it still safe to use? What should I do? what would you do if it were yours?

[stokemaveric]

it probably is...but a friend of mine once used 1 and it leaked onto his calf it blistered like hell...and he still has the scar some 20 years later...how he slept through that i dont know....just be careful jayellell.....

[Rosetta]

Dont fill it with very hot water just in case. It may be past its best

[Aprilis]

It sounds like the rubber inside has perished. As rubber ages it can harden and start to crumble. That explains the little bits that came out. In my opinion it won't be long before it starts leaking. If it were mine I'd bin it. Time to get a new one I'd say.

[clio57]

Bin it now and hopefully it will be an omen for the weather to get warmer. You can ask Santa to bring you a new one next year.

As another option you can heat up a house brick in the oven and wrap it in a towel. It's lovely and if you have a tummy ache the weight of the brick is good for reducing the pain!

[Buenchico]

You should tell yourself that British Summer Time starts in a few hours time, and sleep out (in your bikini - or even less!) in your back garden.

Oh, if you wanted a serious answer (which don't exactly fill the pages of CB at this time of night), I'd carry on using the HWB unless it's really old.

[stokemaveric]

good answer buenchico.....and will you feel bad if this person suffers 3rd degree burns????

[growlybear]

Depends how old the hot water bottle is.

Sometimes there are spare bits of rubber from the making of it that take their time in coming out.

If the hot water bottle has a smooth feel where it should be patterned then do not use it. Plus do not ever over-fill as it should be able to be folded in half and no water come out of the opened stopper.

Wishing you warmth in other ways. Try putting on your socks but do not pull over your heel ie put your toes in place but stop unfurling it at your instep.

I had this advice on a camping trip and for some reason it made our feet feel warmer than having the sock on in the usual way.

[Buenchico]

Stokey:
No HWB should ever be regarded as completely safe (even if it's brand new, certified to British Standards, from a reputable manufacturer and costing three times as much as the competition). So nobody should ever put boiling water into it. (Apart from safety issues, boiling water will cause the HWB to perish much quicker). If a HWB is used correctly, it should be impossible to suffer any type of scalding if it bursts. (You just end up with a soggy bed).

[terambulan]

carry on using it till you can buy an electric blanket.

[jayellell]

Thanks for all your advice. Summertime might have started but summer certainly hasn�t. We had frost here last night. I�m definitely not going to get rid of my hot water bottle just yet - I still need it - and it seems such a waste binning it if it hasn�t burst. Yes, it�s a bit old but there�s no danger of scalding as I always fill it from the hot tap not the kettle, so even if it leaks all I will get is a soggy bed!