Question about hotwater bottles

ok I feel really stupid asking this but its got to that time of year again and we have had our hotwater bottles for a couple of years now and i just thought i dont know if you are supposed to store them with the stopper in or out
or doesnt it make any difference, I am just concerned that the rubber might rot since i keep the stoppers in (i know i will loose them if i dont) and therefore it will keep in any water left inside it in and stay damp
I have filled and checked them and they are ok but i was just wondering if anyone knows the best way to store them for future
now totally

eeee I don't know lollyfin.

I always keep the stoppers in and I seem to remember my mum keeping ours in the airing cupboard when we were little, with the stoppers in.

Don't take my word for it though

i store mine with the stopper out.

Does yours have a cover?

Mine doesnt but the kids ones do
ah getting where you are going put the stopper inside the cover
now im thinking Doh so simple why didnt i think of that all over again

you and me both! lol so simple yet I appear to be a dunce

Time to get them out isnt it?

I always keep stopper in and so far there has been no damage to bottles.

I havent used mine this yet. The other day i bought a mini one to go with my bigger one.

I keep mine with the stopper in. No problems so far although I am not spoilt as we were given an electric blanket last year

Stoppers out here, only because I am afraid they might get smelly inside with the stopper in!

Rubber has a shelf life and that can be prelonged by keeping it well lubricated.

Don't allow it to dry out and crack beware if you're waterbottle is old and not been used for months and left someplace very dry.

It might look safe to use but test it first underpressure ie

Over fill it with cold water if it doesn't leak or show the tell tell signs of cracks then it's fine and to use. But don't forget to screw in the stopper properly then turn it upside down preferably in your kitchen sink to test it the seal is still tight and not leaking water.

I know you can use cheap moisturer on the outside of the hot water bottle to keep it from drying out and cracking and it's a good idea to every few months swish water around the inside of the hot water bottle to keep the inside of the water bottle from dying out and cracking on the inside.

I do this with my two hotwater bottles after one looked fine but as soon as I poured water into it the cracks became visible and water started to leak out of it.

stopper in, but with air in to separate the layers.

used mine first time this winter last night.

TP wrote:used mine first time this winter last night.

I was frosty last night. We'd been sleeping in the other bedroom because it was soooo windy in our bedroom (bedroom gets all the wind coming off the sea, front is more protected). Moved back into our bedroom last night and it was so much colder! Blanket as well as the flannel sheet tonight I think.

alec eiffel wrote:

TP wrote:used mine first time this winter last night.

I was frosty last night. We'd been sleeping in the other bedroom because it was soooo windy in our bedroom (bedroom gets all the wind coming off the sea, front is more protected). Moved back into our bedroom last night and it was so much colder! Blanket as well as the flannel sheet tonight I think.

Along with hot water bottles and thicker heavy curtains and using that draught excluder stuff that come's on a roll and you sticks around your window frames and door frames.

ive lost my stopper

TP wrote:ive lost my stopper

Oh no

I think you can buy a pack of 3 hot water bottle stoppers but for the life of me I can't remember where I saw them on sale.

are they all the same sizes though. Ive been using mine the last couple of nights.

TP wrote:are they all the same sizes though. Ive been using mine the last couple of nights.

You get a standard size and a new mini size hot water bottle

oh has had a hot water bottle recently. Its the first time in all the time i have known him for him to do that.