A Liverpool business owner says she suffered severe burns when a hot water bottle she had bought six months earlier exploded while she was using it to soothe period pains. Megan Shannon, 30, was wrapping the long bottle around her waist when she heard a 'pop' and felt boiling water scorch her skin.
The incident happened in June 2025, about 10 minutes after she started using the £7.99 Home Collections long hot water bottle, which she had purchased from Home Bargains in December 2024. As she stood up, the hot water trickled down her legs, and her boyfriend rushed to help as she screamed in pain.
Immediate Response and Hospital Treatment
Megan got into a cold shower while her boyfriend called an ambulance. She was taken to Whiston Hospital in Prescot, where plastic surgeons assessed her injuries. She had second-degree burns on her thighs, lower stomach and groin.
Three days later, she underwent a skin graft procedure called Recell, in which clinicians create a spray from a patient's own skin cells. She was discharged nine days after the surgery.
Sharing Her Story as a Warning
Megan, from Liverpool, said she used hot water bottles because she did not want to rely on medicine for her period pains. She described the pain as "the worst physical pain I've ever been in, it's like having my skin unpeeled multiple times in the same area."
Paramedics told her that if she had not applied cold water, she would have suffered third-degree burns. She had painful blisters that doctors had to 'peel off', and her burns left her unable to walk normally for weeks. While her burns have mostly healed, she said there are still 'shadows' that have made her self-conscious.
Response from Home Bargains
Megan says she will never use a hot water bottle again and advises others to "just bin them." Doctors recommended a microwaveable wheat bag instead.
A Home Bargains spokesperson said: "We take the safety of our customers extremely seriously, which is why all our hot water bottles are stringently tested to ensure they meet the relevant safety standards and are labelled with appropriate safety warnings. Hot water bottles can pose a risk of burns if they are not cared for or used correctly, which is why it is important that customers follow the safety instructions provided."
The spokesperson added: "We are very sorry to hear about Megan's experience and wish her well in her recovery. We take all reports of this nature seriously and we would be happy to work directly with Megan to better understand the circumstances surrounding the incident and would encourage her to get in touch with us to enable us to look into this matter further."
