The hot water bottle is a very useful accessory to counteract localized pain due to exposure to low temperatures, but also to warm ourselves while we are on the sofa on these winter evenings in the company of a book or a film.
There are mistakes that you too could make when using this very useful object this season and which could turn into a useless waste of energy and water (very precious resources, now more than ever). Let’s see them together.
Putting water that is too hot
Putting too hot water inside our bag can pose a threat to our skin, especially if the bag is in direct contact with our body. Excessive heat on the skin could cause blemishes, irritation or even burns, and could damage the functioning of the blood vessels under the skin.
Better to fill the bag with hot but not boiling water, so as to take advantage of the benefits of the heat without hurting ourselves. A temperature of 50°C is ideal for this purpose.
Ignore the expiration date
Even if the hot water bottle is in perfect condition, the rubber or plastic can deteriorate over time. The production date is indicated on the packaging and the lifespan of a bag is generally between 2 and 5 years. If the bag shows cracks, leaks or signs of wear, it is best to replace it. Furthermore, always choose bags with the GS mark, which guarantees compliance with safety standards.
Heat the water in the pan
As we have already explained to you in another article, the gas stove is not the most energy efficient strategy for heating water: the traditional stove has an energy efficiency of around 70%, considering that 30% of the heat is lost in heating the pot. If we have one at home, we use an electric kettle, which has a higher energy efficiency (80%) and which takes less time to bring the water to the desired temperature.
Heat too much water
Too often we heat much more water than necessary – water that, after absorbing energy in the form of heat, ends up thrown down the sink. This translates into a double waste: on the one hand we waste water that we don’t need, on the other we use more energy than necessary.
To avoid this waste of resources, we first fill the bag with water from the sink and then pour the right amount into the pot or kettle. The ideal would be to fill the bag three-quarters, so as not to make it swell too much.
Leave the bag full
After we have benefited from the warmth of the bag, let’s remember to empty it. Leaving water inside unnecessarily stresses the material of which the bag is made – as well as leaving space for the proliferation of bad odors, due to the presence of stagnating water.
Throw away the water
This last tip might be obvious, but it isn’t. Even if our bag contains only a few liters of water, throwing them away represents an unnecessary waste that we can avoid with a little attention.
Before putting the bag away, let’s empty it into a bucket and use this water to replace the toilet flush: this way it won’t be wasted.
Do you throw away fruit seeds and stones? I’ll explain how I reuse them to make a warming bag (very useful for winter)
