House and Home

How to Fill Hot Water Bottles Safely ~ Top Tips

House and Home
How to fill hot water bottles safely

Hot water bottles are a cheap and easy way to keep warm on cold winter nights. Snuggling in bed with a hot bottle at your feet or clutched to your belly is a wonderful way to sleep. But to avoid the danger of burns and scalds, it is essential to know how to fill hot water bottles safely.

I am horrified by the bad advice commonly given about how to fill hot water bottles. No wonder so many people are injured using hotties!

Here’s common mistakes to avoid when filling hot water bottles if you want to keep your family safe throughout winter. Plus my personal instructions and top tips on how to fill how water bottles safely.

If you follow my advice you’ll see how easy it is to avoid burns and scalds from hot water bottles. Whether you’re a long time or a first time hot water bottle user, here’s what you should know.

 

Accidental Burns from Hot Water Bottles

Every winter, hospitals are busy with burns victims – many of them resulting from accidents with hot water bottles.

  • Spills when filling hot water bottles
  • Scalds from hot water bottles exploding / leaking
  • Burns from pressure or exposure to the heat in a hot water bottle for long periods

All these potential problems are avoidable.

You can reduce – and even eliminate – the danger of burns and scalds from hot water bottles. Plus when you fill hot water bottles the way I do, you’ll discover your hot water bottle becomes much more of a friend than its been in the past.

 

Biggest Fears When Using Hot Water Bottles

  • Accidental burns when filling the hot water bottle
  • Hot water bottle exploding or leaking
  • Falling asleep with the hot water bottle too hot and too close to your skin
  • Hot water bottle not staying warm enough all night
  • Some people fear more than one thing on this list!

 

Which are the Safest Hot Water Bottles?

Choose a hot water bottle with the following qualities:

  • a large opening. (A small opening is likely to splash water on you while you fill it.)
  • thick rubber. (Thin rubber can decay quickly, or split.)
  • well sealed at all edges. (Look for a thick, sturdy join. You don’t want your hot water bottle to split if you accidentally lie on it.)

Australia has quality standards for hot water bottles. Check if your country’s government monitors the manufacture and sale of hot water bottles.

If not, you’ll need to be even more cautious. Or buy hot water bottles approved for use in Australia. They might be available online.

 

Common Hot Water Bottle Mistakes

Hot Water Bottle Mistakes
Bad advice people give
How to avoid the problem
Overfilling your hot water bottle.
‘Fill your hot water bottle 2/3 full.’ Wrong!!
There’s no need to fill a hot water bottle any more than 50% – or less! (See ‘Step 2’ below.)
Leaving air in the hot water bottle.
‘Squeeze the water up near the top.’ Wrong!!
Any air left in the bottle can expand with the heat, increasing the risk of splitting the exterior. (See ‘Step 3’ below.)
Water too hot.
‘Wrap a towel or cloth around your hot water bottle to protect your skin from heat.’ Wrong!!
The only way to avoid burns is to make sure your water is not too hot. (See Steps 1 and 4.)

 

Step 1: Preheat Hot Water Bottles

Nobody ever suggests this, but try it for yourself … preheating a hot water bottle before its final fill will prevent so many potential problems!

Please note: I will write a separate post about pre-heating hot water bottles. There’s a lot to explain. I want you to understand how to preheat your hot water bottle safely. So keep an eye out for my next post.

 

Step 2: Safely Fill Hot Water Bottles

Here’s some common questions about how to safely fill hot water bottles, and my answers. (I have explained this process to dozens of friends and family members over the years.)

Q: When is a hot water bottle ‘full’?

A: Using my method, a hot water bottle is ‘full’ when it is only 50% or less of its capacity.

There’s no need to 3/4 fill your hottie. Stop at half full. As you’ll soon discover, there’s lots of advantages to remembering less is more. Using less water makes your hot water bottle more safe and manageable!

  • A half-filled hot water bottle (that has been appropriately pre-heated) will retain its heat long into the night. You might be surprised to discover it is still warm in the morning – particularly if you keep it under the covers close to you, instead of kicking it out as happens when a bottle is too hot, or too full and uncomfortable.
  • The bottle is flatter … and therefore comfortably slides between your knees or your feet.
  • Far more manageable than an over-filled hottie, it can be clutched to your belly, or rested against your back when lying on your side. Filled to half or less capacity, the entire surface of the hot water bottle can warm your skin … instead of the small part that projects out in an over-filled bottle.

 

Q: How do I safely pour water to fill hot water bottles?

A: Here’s the key points in my method …

  • Firmly grasp the neck of the hot water bottle (see photo)
  • Carefully pour a ‘thin’ stream of hot water from a jug or saucepan with an open spout.
  • Never fill hot water bottles with water directly from taps. Too hard to control the flow. Danger of splashing.

I have taken photos to illustrate my instructions. However if anything remains unclear, ask me your questions in the comments section at the bottom of this post.

Step 3: Remove All Air, and Seal the Hot Water Bottle

More questions and more of my answers.

Q: Why it is necessary to remove all air from hot water bottles?

A: Effectively removing all the air is a vital safety step when using a hot water bottle.

  • One of the main reasons why hot water bottles ‘explode’ is that hot water – given the chance – gives off steam.
  • Steam takes up space … and puts pressure on the seams of a hot water bottle.
  • If you use boiling water to fill hot water bottles and leave air within, you’re inviting disaster.
  • Your goal should be to contain ‘hot’ (not boiling) water within the hottie in a manner which forces the heat to escape through the walls of the hot water bottle – not as steam within it.

Q: How can I safely remove all air from hot water bottles?

A: The safest and easiest way is to gently lower your hot water bottle onto a flat surface, and watch as the water reaches the very top of the hottie’s neck. (See photo)

  • Start with the hot water bottle upright
  • Let the water travel slowly along the length of the hottie as you lower it into its natural horizontal position
  • Keep the neck of the hottie raised so air can easily escape … without spilling water.
Fill hot water bottles safely. Flat, to expel air.

Lay your hot water bottle flat on your kitchen sink. Use a small amount of pressure to expel all air before sealing it.

 

Q: How do I screw in the stopper to seal hot water bottles?

A: Most importantly, don’t screw in the stopper until you see water rise up through the opening.

  • We are only half-filling the hottie, so there’s no danger of lots of water gushing out.
  • You need to make sure there’s no air left in the ‘shoulders’ of the hot water bottle.
  • When the hot water bottle is fully outstretched on the flat surface (having been lowered from upright to horizontal in a gentle, single motion), push the neck of the hottie down a little to force water to the top of the metal where the stopper screws in.
  • Visually check the stopper has an undamaged rubber seal, then screw it in firmly.
  • Don’t use excessive force. It is not necessary to twist hard. Grasp the neck of the hot water bottle with one hand (this is not a finger-tip job), and turn the stopper with your other hand.

The final stage when you fill hot water bottles is to turn the hot water bottle upside down to dispose of any tiny drops that may remain on the outside after screwing in the stopper.

Check seal on screw for hot water bottle

Before using any screw to secure your hot water bottle, check the rubber seal.

Hot water bottle filled safely. Ready to use.

Safely insert and secure the stopper while the hot water bottle is still flat and free of air. Then shake off any remaining drips. Your hot water bottle is now ready to use.

Step 4: Check your Hot Water Bottle is Safe to Use

If you fill hot water bottles my way, you won’t need to obsess about checking you’ve done everything correctly.

You’ll find yourself filling your hottie on automatic pilot … knowing how much cold water to leave in the bottom and how much hot (or boiling) water to add when preheating … and again to reach your ideal temperature for active use. (My next post will explain the process of pre-heating.)

Until you reach that level of experience, here’s the things you need to check before jumping into bed with your hottie.

  • Lift your hot water bottle in the air. Let the water move to the bottom. Then fold the flat top half over. It should be obvious to you there’s no air in the hot water bottle – and it is not more full than ideal.
  • Clutch the hottie to your body. Hold it close with your bare hands on your skin. If you are still fully dressed on a cold night before jumping into bed, press it against your neck and the side of your face. You need to be confident the hot water bottle is hot enough, but not dangerously hot if you (or a child) fall asleep with it against bare skin.
  • It should be comfortably warming your skin. If its not hot enough, pour some of the water out (not all of it!) and repeat the steps for filling it and getting rid of all the air.
  • If it is too hot, add a little cold water – and again, safely expel all the air.

 

 10 More Top Tips

  • Throw out old hot water bottles showing signs of age or decay.
  • Check the stopper is in good condition, and can still seal the hot water bottle.
  • Never take a hot water bottle to bed with you if you don’t feel comfortable with its temperature two or three minutes after filling it! Many are surprised how hot (or cool) their hottie feels after they’ve been in bed for a while.
  • Never fill hot water bottles with boiling water. It can weaken the seams.
  • A pre-heated bottle will quickly settle to its active temperature. Pre-heating avoids the temperature fluctuations most people experience with their hot water bottles.
  • As soon as your hot water bottle is appropriately hot, put it in your bed under the covers.
  • Don’t carry your hottie exposed to the air as you check the back door is locked.
  • Don’t lay your freshly filled hot water bottle on the bathroom cabinet as you brush your teeth.
  • Hot water bottles lose heat quite rapidly when exposed to cool air. So …
  • Tuck your hot water bottle under your shirt if you aren’t putting it straight in your bed.

Don’t be lazy or take short-cuts. Now you know how to fill your hot water bottles safely. Remember, burns and scalds are avoidable. Don’t risk injury to yourself 0r your children. Simply follow my four steps to fill hot water bottles safely. Then rest easy all night, snuggling with your perfect hottie.

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