The UK is basking in a heatwave, and many of us are struggling to get to sleep, but there’s a hot water bottle trick you can use that is guaranteed to cool you down
If you’re struggling to cope in the roasting temperatures the UK is facing this weekend, then you might want to seek comfort in an unlikely place – your hot water bottle. Many parts of the UK have already been feeling the heatwave this week, and the balmy weather is continuing this weekend with the Met Office predicting scorching highs of 32C.
While you might be spending your weekend soaking up the sun and making the most of the nice weather outside, it can soon become suffocating once darkness falls and it’s time for bed. Trying to get to sleep when you’re sweating and uncomfortable is a nightmare, and many of us will experience fragmented sleep as we toss and turn.
But there are some hacks you can use to help keep you cool this summer, including one that bizarrely turns your hot water bottle into an invaluable tool you won’t want to put down.
You might think using a hot water bottle in the summer is counterintuitive, given that, as the name suggests, you put hot water in it to keep you warm. However, if you fill them with the unlikely alternative of cold water, they can be used to cool you down.
The hack was shared on TikTok by Noah Da Boa, who actually suggested filling the hot water bottle with cold water and then popping it in the freezer for “a couple of hours”.
While this will provide you with a colder hot water bottle when you remove it from the freezer, you should never do this if you plan on using the same bottle for hot water in the winter.
Putting it in the freezer can weaken the integrity of the rubber, making it more likely to split when hot water is added, which could be very dangerous.
Instead, it’s recommended to just use cold water from the tap or fridge-chilled water. You can also add ice cubes to cold water inside the bottle without having to put the rubber itself in the freezer.
In either case, it’s still recommended to have two separate bottles – one for cold water and one for hot – to minimise the risk of the rubber degrading and splitting at any point.
Hot Water Bottle Shop previously said of the trick: “A cold water bottle is great for cooling down your bed before you enter or for just keeping you cool whilst you sit down.
“You probably didn’t know, but you can easily use your hot water bottle as a cold water bottle too by filling it with freezing cold water instead of hot water. Simply use ice cubes from the ice moulds in your freezer.
“The bottle acts in more or less the same way, but instead of releasing warm heat, it emits refreshing cold. Contrary to hot water, which will gradually cool down, the ice-cold water will eventually warm up until it is the same temperature as the surrounding room.
“A cold water bottle is great for cooling down your bed before you enter, or for just keeping you cool whilst you sit down. It is advisable to wrap your water bottle in a towel if it doesn’t already have a cover to prevent overexposure to the cold and to have a continuous supply of ice cubes by refilling empty moulds.”
Meanwhile, Noah’s TikTok video also shared several other hacks for staying cool during a heatwave. He recommended putting a bowl of water in the freezer for a couple of hours and then placing it in front of a fan so that the fan circulates the cool air from the bowl rather than pushing around hot air.
He also suggested closing your curtains during the day to prevent the sun from warming your house and opening your windows in the evening once it’s cooled down outside. You can also hang a damp towel or bedsheet in front of an open window to circulate even cooler air through your home.
Finally, if you come inside and find yourself “really overheating” from the hot weather, running your wrists under cold water can help cool you down instantly. This is because your wrists have pulse points where blood vessels are close to the skin’s surface, allowing for efficient heat transfer.
Use these tips to help you stay cool this weekend!