Australia's Science Forum

Any ideas on how to make it safe for me to open the flasks after this experiment? Previously I've thoughtlessly opened the flasks without doing anything to kill the microbes. The flasks are too big to fit in the pressure cooker and i guess i'll just put them in a water bath and boil them, unless anyone knows an easier way.

I open them in a bucket of bleach .
You could wear gloves when you do it , I don't .
Hold them under with one hand , pull out the stopper with the other .
If you do it slowly , Bleach fills the inside ,and the air inside has to bubble up through the bleach to get out .

Then I just wash them as normal.

That's excellent, bigmack, THANKS!