Rinsing sterilized seeds for home orchid flasking

[ang709]

For home orchid flasking, I have read that after seeds from the dry pod are sterilized in a bleach solution, they should be rinsed with sterile distilled water. Is the distilled water in an unopened bottle already sterile? If not, how do I sterilize it and then get it into my homemade glove box without any dust or contaminants getting in?

This will be my second time trying flasking. The first time I just grew mold, so I'm hoping to get it right this time. Thanks!

[ang709]

Would it be safe to put a jar with some distilled water in it into a pressure cooker? If so would I only put an inch or two per jar? I'm not too familiar with pressure cookers. I've only used one once--when I tried flasking the first time.

[catasetum-ian]

i had been using boiled water several times without any contamination issue. (boiled water are left overnight in the pot overnight to ccol off and the lid are not open until needed)
if you are using pressure cooker to sterilized the water in the jar, just make sure the lid are NOT close tightly. just the same when you sterilized your flasking medium using the pressure cooker.
i am too a beginner, not much advice to offer you, so far had tried three times.

[Robert]

Angie, the water can be filled up to 1/2 or 3/4 of the jar. The cap, as Ian mentioned shouldn't be tightly closed. 20 mins was sufficient to make sterile water ( Start counting only when the pressure build up ).

In some countries distiled water can be bought from supermarket but check the date, else sterilise again to be sure.

Jars with sterile water and any utensils should be sterilised inside the glove box before you begin work. The interior of glove box should also be sprayed with 70% ethanol or sodium hypochlorite ( bleach ).

[Moosecakes]

Guys and gals, I would suggest using standard generic Hydrogen Peroxide (H2O2) in stead of bleach.
It creates extremely reactive peroxides that kill any and all bacteria upon nearly immediate contact and the best part is it decomposes simply to water and oxygen! That means you have no need to rinse the seed after sterilization because it will just decompose to useful molecules in the media. That also means you get to skip a step that can often lead to contamination!