The cover is the part that touches your skin, day after day. It picks up sweat, skin cells and whatever cream you had on. Most people never wash it, then wonder why the pad smells.
It’s a five-minute job, and it matters more than people think.
The rule that protects the pad
The cover goes in the wash. The heating insert never does.
The insert contains wiring and a controller. Water gets into places it can’t leave, and the damage may not show until the next time you switch it on. Never submerge it, never machine wash it, never put it in a dryer. This is also why moist heat from an electric pad means a damp towel under the cover, never a damp pad.
Washing the cover
- Switch off and unplug at the wall. Let the pad cool completely.
- Slide the insert out of the cover. Note which way round it goes so you’re not puzzling over it later.
- Check the care label. A cotton cover usually takes a normal warm wash.
- Wash with similar colours. Skip fabric softener, which reduces how well cotton conducts heat.
- Dry it fully before putting the insert back. Air drying suits cotton better than a hot dryer.
Once a month covers ordinary home use. More often if you use it daily, if you’ve been unwell, or if more than one person in the house uses it. Clinics changing covers between patients have their own schedule: heat pack infection control.
Cleaning the insert
Unplugged and cool, wipe the surface with a barely damp cloth and let it air dry completely. No soaking, no spraying cleaner directly onto it, no bleach.
Storing it
- Roll it, don’t fold it sharply. Repeated creasing damages the heating wires, which is the most common way pads develop cold spots or fail. See what to check when a heat pad stops heating.
- Don’t put anything heavy on top of it in a cupboard.
- Don’t wrap the cord tightly around the pad. Coil it loosely. Same applies in a suitcase: travelling with a heat pad.
- Store it dry. Singapore humidity isn’t kind to anything left in a damp corner.
Looked after this way, a pad lasts years.
Check it every few months
Unplug it and look over the whole thing:
- Cord for cracks, fraying or exposed wire, especially where it meets the pad and the controller
- Plug and controller for cracks, browning or scorch marks
- Pad surface for creases, lumps, or any area that feels different
- Cover for thinning or holes
Stop using it if…
- The cord or plug is damaged, or the plug feels warm
- You smell burning or melting plastic
- One area gets noticeably hotter than the rest
- It cuts in and out when you move the cord
- There are scorch marks anywhere on the fabric
- It’s been soaked, dropped in water, or heavily creased
Replace it rather than repairing it. A heating pad with damaged wiring isn’t worth the risk of a burn or a fire. When you buy the next one, check it carries the Safety Mark; where to buy a heat pad in Singapore covers the rest.
More on plugs and electrical safety: using a 2-pin plug heat pad safely in Singapore.
The heat pad we use
We’ve supplied the Bremed BD7800 since 2010. It holds a steady temperature, covers a whole lower back and has a machine-washable cotton cover. Physiotherapy clinics in Singapore use it with their patients.
Clinically reviewed by: Nigel Chua (Hand Occupational Therapist) & Louise Yow (Physiotherapist). This article is general information, not a diagnosis. electricheatpad.com sells electric heat pads.
