A Welsh mum has gone viral explaining hidden safety codes on hot water bottles. Mum-of-two Kaylee Whormsley, from Buckley in Flintshire, has had more than 71,000 shares on Facebook and almost 30,000 comments after her warnings to other parents.
After seeing consumer expert Alice Beer sharing safety tips on ITV’s This Morning, Kaylee told NorthWalesLive how she realised her own hot water bottles were out of date and posing a threat to her and her children.
Kaylee posted the photograph of her bottle, which - like others - has a flower icon on the top with a number in the centre. The number represents the year that the bottle was made, and the pebbles within the segment show the month of the year. Hot water bottles can be used for around three years before they need replacing, and Kaylee had been using her bottle since June 2019.
Read more: Hidden code on your hot water bottle will tell you if it's dangerous
“I thought that with the cost of living, people are probably using hot water bottles more often to keep warm – my family is,” said Kaylee, who works in finance and has two young girls aged five and six. “I thought many people wouldn’t know what to look out for.”
Kaylee’s post prompted an indignant response from many social media users with “ancient” bottles they’ve been using without problems for years. “Never heard anything so ridiculous in my life” said one woman. “My nannie had hers for at least a lifetime.”
But hundreds of people thanked Kaylee for her post and shared stories of accidents and near-misses. “I had one fall apart in my hands a couple of years ago,” said a woman. “The neck felt fine but the sides had disintegrated. Luckily it was fine, it burst when the water was cold. That was an eye-opener and good lesson!"
On ITV's This Morning, Alice Beer said hot water bottles should not be filled with boiling water. People should always remove its fluffy cover when filling it up so that its condition can be checked, she added.
Safety experts say bottles should be filled to no more than two-thirds capacity. Boiled water from a kettle, left to cool for a minute or two, is advised as this extends the life of rubber bottles. Hot tap water contains minerals and impurities that build up inside bottles, causing them to degrade prematurely.
Kaylee is delighted her tip has reached such a wide audience. “Obviously my post was intended for my few hundred friends and family on Facebook,” she said. “I’m shocked it has reached as many people as it has.
“I’m so glad it has though because it’s clear that, like me, many people didn’t know about this. Who knows, maybe it’s saved a few people from getting burned?”
Read next:
- Trapdoor leads to huge surprise beneath beautiful five-bed home in Cardiff
- Jeweller says he handed over thousands in cash for 'gold' that turned out to be worthless
- Luke Evans shares emotional moment he sang to his nan for the last time on Facetime during pandemic
- ITV Loose Women's Nadia Sawalha in tears as she shares 'life-changing' diagnosis
