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READ MORE: Why going gray may save you from CANCER By ELEN JOHNSTON, HEALTH REPORTER Published: 11:41 GMT, 27 October 2025 | Updated: 11:41 GMT, 27 October 2025 A woman left severely scalded after a hot water bottle 'exploded' over her has urged people to be aware of the risks of using the chilly weather staple—including a huge mistake millions of people are guilty of. Savannah Baker, 27, from High Wycombe in Buckinghamshire reached for her trusty hot water bottle on October 8, when painkillers provided no relief for period pain. She said: 'I've had the hot water bottle for around six years. I had bad period cramps, and I use the hot water bottle every month if I'm in pain.' As usual, she filled it up halfway with water from the kettle before releasing the air from it and sealing it closed. 'I tucked the hot water bottle in between my trousers and my skin as I was doing stuff in the kitchen with my partner, and I needed my hands,' she said. But after only having it there for 'three or four minutes, the left bottom corner of the bottle exploded' as she bent over to pick up her cat's bowl. In a panic, after it sent scalding water onto her lower body, Ms Baker rushed into the shower to douse herself in cold water. Ms Baker, who works as a loans and mortgage administrator, thinks that the incident happened because at six years old, her hot water bottle was out-of-date. Savannah Baker, 27, has urged people to not use out of date hot water bottles after hers exploded potentially leaving her 'scarred for life' Her leg was wrapped in clingfilm by the first aider to stop the burns getting infected on the way to the hospital The NHS states the typical lifespan of a hot water bottle is around two years and that beyond this, the risk of damage increases. This is because the rubber deteriorates over time and can cause the hot water bottle to crack, split, or leak. It's not just due to the decomposition of the rubber itself, but also because of regular use and heat exposure. To check the age of your hot water bottle, look for a 'daisy' shaped stamp on the outer body of the hot water bottle, inside will be a number, e.g. 24. which is the year of manufacture. Other signs that your hot water bottle needs to be replaced is that it feels less supple than before, feels dry to the touch, or you notice visible cracks beginning to form. Another learning Ms Baker has taken from the incident is that she shouldn't have filled the hot water bottle straight from the kettle, and instead used hot water from the tap, which usually has a peak temperature of 50 - 55 degrees C. She said: 'My hot water bottle was out of date, but I didn't even know they had a lifespan. I don't think people check the dates on their water bottles. 'Everyone needs to read the warning labels and [know] you're meant to put warm tap water in them. In the TikTok video she warned others of the dangers of out of date hot water bottles 'I've been using boiling hot water since I was young and have always done this so I don't know why I would have questioned this. 'I put the hot water bottle in the bin. I didn't know hot water bottle etiquette but now I do.' Following the ordeal, which may leave her scarred for life, Ms Baker posted on TikTok to warn others about hot water bottle warning labels and their expiry dates. She also shared horrific photos of painful-looking second degree burns on her legs, as well as burns on her stomach and groin area. Recalling the ordeal, Ms Baker said: 'The pain was excruciating. I was in 10 out of 10 pain. I screamed a lot and then I told my partner to put the shower on. 'I jumped in the shower for about 30 minutes under cold water. When I got out of the shower the pain was 11 out of 10. 'It was a burning shooting sensation and a pain I had never experienced in my life. That is when I noticed my skin was starting to peel away from my body.' A first responder was dispatched to her house, who wrapped her peeling leg in cling film to stop any infection. Her leg after the medics popped her blisters in the hospital exposing her raw skin She was then rushed to Stoke Mandeville Hospital in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire because her 'whole leg was a blister'. 20 years of tinnitus ruined my life... until I tried a daring treatment most doctors are afraid of There, medics lanced her burns to get rid of dead skin - which involves inserting a needle to drain the fluid from the blisters. 'I was on painkillers, but I could still feel everything, so I just had to take deep breaths,' she said. After having her burns bandaged, she was told to come back in 48 hours for a second examination. When she returned, they removed even more dead skin, and doctors told her she may need a skin graft. Thankfully, as her skin has been healing well, she no longer needs surgery, and her bandages were removed on October 21. Ms Baker has been told that she needs to to moisturise her burns up to four times a day for the next year. She said: 'They had to use tweezers to remove the rest of the dead skin that had to come away as 25% of my lower body had been burnt. Ms Baker is convinced she was using an out of date hot water bottle 'There is potential to be left scarred for life, we just now need to wait to see how it heals.' Worryingly, in the comment section of her post, social media users shared they didn't realise that hot water bottles go out of date, or that you shouldn't put boiling water in them. One user commented: 'I always thought you put boiling water straight in from the kettle.' A second user commented: 'Girl my mom still has one that's older than me, I'm 28.' Meanwhile, a third wrote: 'I didn't know they went out of date and I had the hot bottle I had when I was pregnant until last year... daughter is 19 now!' Share or comment on this article: Woman issues stark warning about 'out of date' hot water bottles - and shares major mistake millions make every winter Add comment
