Dare I open this?

[VeggieSausageRoll]

In sorting out the boot of the car, I've just found DC's Thermos King food flask (about £25 to buy so not cheap) that had rolled into a storage compartment bit.

From memory, it was last used on a day trip to the zoo. My camera roll tells me this was 7th March. I'm pretty sure it had jacket potato, cheese and beans in it, most of which was uneaten so it's still relatively full 😳

So MN - do I open it or do I cut my losses and chuck it?

Wonder if it's still warm? 😁

I’d have to open it. But I’m a bit gruesome like that!
Don’t know if you’d ever get it clean again though. Had the same with a thermos flask always had a smell, chucked it in the end.

id open it and empty it outside so it is stinky then the smell wont be in the house

@Tlollj

I’d have to open it. But I’m a bit gruesome like that! Don’t know if you’d ever get it clean again though. Had the same with a thermos flask always had a smell, chucked it in the end.

I admit I'm curious!

I'd take a boiled kettle, bottle of bleach and carrier bag outside, open thermos, tip contents into bag then quickly pour the hot water and squirt some bleach in and replace the lid and then perhaps repeat an hour later. Should be fine after that.

Or get the kids around with magnifying lenses and admire the new ecosystem you've created.

I think that even though I would gag (am gagging even at the thought) I would have to open it just to see if I could get it clean.
I would have a hose ready,a mask on ,bleach at the ready and one of those long reach grabby sticks to hold it at arms length.
Once empty I would blast the hose into it and then plunge into bleachy water.

Chuck contents on compost heap & try to clean & keep, I hate things being binned that can be reused with a little effort.

I once left an opened bottle of Ribena in a rucksack for several months and when I found it, it had fermented.

It seems wrong to throw the flask away, but I don't know whether you could ever really get the smell out?

Open it and report back.

Haha, I wouldnt have thought twice.
I would have opened it by now.
Gagged.

Cleaned it up, and continued.

I couldnt bear to throw it away.....

Good luck op.

Might be not as bad as you fear, if was quite full and airtight?

But then again, it would probably have been at optimum rotting temperature for a few days initially and then during the hot spell.

The thing with the bag, boiling water and bleach sounds good, and a run through the dishwasher if you have one.

I'd also take a deep breath before opening it and use a mask or other face covering. Try not to breathe again until the flask is safely submerged in bleachy water.

I'm really not that squeamish that I require bags and masks and bleach. More wondering if whatever little festering process that's gone on may have affected the metal inside?

I'll open it tomorrow (didn't get round to it today, figured another day wouldn't make much difference!) and report back...with photos

I would take it outside, hold my breath and release the lid so it opened to let the smell out then run away and leave it to air a bit, then come back and tip out into a spare jar, then bin the jar.

Soak the thermos in diluted biological washing powder, then hot rinse. Then dishwasher.

Then probably throw it away

I have a very strong gag reflex-would not open-not worth £25 to me.
I would chuck and move on

I’m here for the photos

Omg OP we need to see pics, lol.

Open it and post a pic

Don't bother with a mask - if it's that bad, it will just make things worse!

TBH I'd not tell DH how long it had been there and get him to empty it - but then, I'm evil

@GingerFluffycat

Don't bother with a mask - if it's that bad, it will just make things worse!

TBH I'd not tell DH how long it had been there and get him to empty it - but then, I'm evil

My husband is a big girls blouse when it comes to things like this!

I'd open it and take a photo now but I'm working a night shift so it'll have to wait until the morning

Is it weird I really want to see a pic? Your own home school experiment!

My suggestion is that you empty the flask in a well-ventilated kitchen/in the open air, then clean it out with just-boiled water and a teaspoon or two of bicarbonate of soda. That should have the effect of removing any remaining aroma. Good luck!

I need pics...😂

Photo or it didn’t happen 😆

Oh lord, I think I'd cut my losses with 3month old+ cheese and beans. It would never smell the same again