As the temperatures drop and and we all look for ways to keep ourselves warm this winter, experts are now warning us to check the ‘hidden code’ on hot water bottles to make sure they’re safe enough to use.
With the days getting colder as time goes on, but the rising cost of living crisis sadly continuing to make its impact felt nationwide, reaching to turn the heating on is something a lot of us will unfortunately be thinking twice about this year, which means that hot water bottles are likely to become a go-to accessory for many.
But now, experts are warning of the importance of knowing the ‘hidden code’ each hot water bottle has that indicates when it was made and how safe it will be to use.
Old hot water bottles are more likely to be damaged and rip open when they come into contact with boiling water, which means there is a higher risk of them splitting and subsequently scolding people, resulting in serious injury.
After being contacted by a parent whose child suffered third-degree burns from a burst hot water bottle, and after hospitals warning this type of injury is a regular occurrence, consumer expert Alice Beer appeared on ITV This Morning this week to explain the hot water bottle ‘hidden code’ system and why it’s so important.
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People urged to check ‘hidden code’ on hot water bottles to see if they’re dangerous / Credit: The Manc Group
It’s all to do with the year the hot water bottle was made and the month within that year in which it was manufactured.
Explaining in more depth with an example hot water bottle on set, Beer said: “You don’t know about it because this is a brand new hot water bottle in a fluffy cover. Why would you ever take it off unless it got dirty? I’m sorry, but I think this is the worst system for printing a date because it’s so confusing.
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“Inside you have got a daisy wheel date. It’s got 12 segments and in the middle of this one you have got a 22. This one was made in 2022. Then you have 12 segments around the outside and those are the months.
“You can tell the month it was manufactured from when the dots end. It’s got dots in eight segments so it was made in August.”
Beer added that the number of dots on a hot water bottle indicates the week it was made.
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On top of this, Beer also recommended that hot water bottles be replaced every two years, or whenever they stop smelling like rubber, and that people shouldn’t pour boiling water into their bottle and wait for it to cool down slightly first.
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Home Bargains has announced a special two-day closure of all UK stores
Emily Sergeant
Home Bargains has, once again, announced it’ll be closing all its UK stores on both Boxing Day and New Year’s Day this year.
And it’s to make sure staff get a ‘well deserved break’.
After what has been yet another busy year for the retail industry, many workers have been left feeling like they could do with a little extra time off, which is why Home Bargains is following on with what has become a now-annual tradition by shutting up shop on two bank holidays.
All of our stores will be closing for Boxing Day & New Years Day.
Announcing the move in a post on social media, the discount retailer confirmed: “All of our stores will be closing for Boxing Day and New Years Day. We would like to thank all our colleagues for how hard you have worked this past year, and want you to relax and enjoy the Christmas break with your loved ones.”
Of course, this isn’t the first time the retailer has kept its doors shut on bank holidays.
Many shoppers will recall it has made the same decision to give hardworking staff a break every year since 2019.
Explaining a little more about the decision taken to close all its stores, Home Bargains said: “As a family-run business, we know the importance of being together at Christmas with those we care about most, now more than ever.
“This is our way of saying thank you to our colleagues for their continued hard work and dedication.”
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Two Greggs in Manchester will be serving their breakfast menu in the evening next week
Emily Sergeant
Who says breakfast has to end at 11am?
In news that’s set to be music to the ears of breakfast lovers in Manchester, Greggs is giving them exactly what they want.
We all know that brunch is a ‘thing’ by now, so now it’s time for brinner to make a name for itself instead, as Greggs has teamed up with Heinz to bring its much-loved breakfast menu back for tea time, kicking off from 4pm onwards.
The move comes as a new survey has found that the majority of Mancs (69%) admit to enjoying eating breakfast food in the evening, saying it’s ‘convenient and comforting’ – even ranking breakfast as a ‘more important’ meal than tea, as well (38% vs 36%).
Two Greggs in Manchester will be serving their breakfast menu in the evening next week / Credit: Greggs (Supplied)
Greggs says it has ‘lost count’ of the amount of customers that have tried to order breakfast items after the usual cut-off time, especially in Greater Manchester.
But luckily for those breakfast-loving Mancs, they can finally get their favourite breakfast and sauce pairing long after the morning rush is over next… but only at two Greggs branches, and only for a very limited time.
On Wednesday 14 and Thursday 15 October, the Heinz x Greggs Brinner collab will be available at Greggs St Mary’s Gate and Greggs Oxford Road, from 4-7pm only.
“We’ve lost count of the number of customers who have tried their luck ordering breakfast after 11am, so when Heinz came to us with the idea of making Brinner a reality, it felt like the perfect excuse to give the people what they want,” explained Zoe Harris, who is the Customer Director at Greggs.
“And let’s be honest, a Greggs Bacon Roll just wouldn’t be the same without a squeeze of Heinz Tomato Ketchup.”
Emily Sergeant -
24th November 2022 
