petri plates and sampling bottles

[michimichi]

is it necessary for petri plates to be dried after autoclaving and prior to testing?
And so with the sampling bottles prior to water sampling?

[sachin]

Ya! drying avoids any type of contamination possibility.

[threegirlmom]

Even though the condensed water is sterile it significantly contributes to contamination. I find using plastic, pre-sterilized dishes works the best for me. It costs me more in time and money to have to replate contaminated samples and therefore the pre-sterilized dishes work better.

As far as the bottles are concerned, if you place them on a rack upside down in the autoclave the inside of the bottle stays relatively dry.