Safe Charging of Lithium Batteries
Launch library · evergreen read
Lithium batteries power a genuinely wide range of everyday devices, from phones and laptops through to e-bikes and cordless vacuum cleaners, and while generally quite safe, they carry a small but real risk of overheating or fire if damaged, faulty or charged in the wrong way entirely.
Using the specific charger that originally came with a device, rather than a generic or mismatched replacement bought separately, and avoiding charging devices on soft surfaces such as a bed or sofa where heat genuinely cannot dissipate properly, reduces this particular risk quite considerably overall.
Avoiding leaving devices charging entirely unattended overnight, particularly larger battery packs used in e-bikes or electric scooters, and never charging a battery that appears visibly swollen, damaged or has recently been dropped, are all genuinely worthwhile precautions worth building into an everyday household charging routine.
If a lithium battery does ever begin to smoke or noticeably swell, moving it well away from flammable materials and outdoors if this can be done safely, rather than attempting to extinguish it directly with water, remains the considerably safer response for anyone standing nearby at the time.