People Warned Over Hot Water Bottle Hack To Stay Cool During Heatwave
It's absolutely roasting outside - and inside - so understandably people are trying all manner of things to keep cool.
However, a warning has been issued around one such trick, which has been branded as potentially dangerous after it began to do the rounds on social media. Have a look for yourself:
In a clip posted to TikTok, a man explains how a water bottle can in fact be used to take the edge off the heat at night.
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Demonstrating his theory, he fills the bottle up with cold water and places it in the freezer.
When he takes the bottle out, he then wraps it up in in a tea towel and puts it in his bed, cooling the sheets and allowing him to get some sleep in the heat.
Sharing the video, the user captioned it: "How to sleep with no A/C in the heatwave."
However, since it was posted, some have advised people to be careful if they do attempt it themselves.
One user warned that they should never re-fill their bottle with boiling water after having put them in the freezer.
They said: "Do not reuse with hot water in the winter as the rubber can stretch and pop."
Speaking previously about the danger, a spokesperson for fabric retailer Jasmine Silk said the frozen water damages the integrity of material - meaning it could burst the next time it's used for keeping you warm.
The firm told Ideal Home: "It is, however, perfectly safe to fill your hot water bottle with cold water. It's a great way to cool down in a heatwave.
"Just make sure you don't fill the bottle more than halfway (and the same goes for hot water) to prevent it bursting."
Rebecca Challinor, from Terrys, added: "Whilst freezing your hot water bottle can be an effective way to have a better night’s sleep in hot weather, it’s advisable once you’ve done this to no longer use the same water bottle during the winter."
This comes after the Met Office issued an extremely rare red heat warning for England between today (18 July) and tomorrow (19 July) - with record temperatures expected.
This is the first time that a red heat warning has ever been issued and it carries a health risk to everyone affected, not just those who are normally more vulnerable to heat or have an existing medical condition.
The warning is alerting people that they face 'population-wide adverse health effects' and a 'high risk of failure of heat-sensitive systems and equipment', potentially meaning power cuts and loss of other vital services such as water.
A heatwave of this magnitude is going to require 'substantial changes in working practices and daily routines' to avoid exposing people to health risks in the hot weather.
It also means delays on the roads and possible cancellations to public transport and some flights, while the people making those journeys will have to endure incredibly tough conditions.
Dominic Smithers