The hot and muggy weather has made a few aspects of home life a bit more uncomfortable than they normally would be - from trying to sleep in the heat to working in suffocating conditions.
With this weather, you may find that some food that isn’t kept cool in the fridge goes mouldy long before its use-by date, as the warm air creates a distinct lack of "cool, dry places" to store your perishables.
A loaf of bread falls victim to this the most. While some of us may keep bread in a dedicated bread bin, these containers are not good at keeping bread fresh when warm.
READ MORE: The foods and drinks you should avoid during heatwaves as Ireland's scorching summer continues
According to nutrition expert Birgit Brendel, a traditional wooden bread bin is actually one of the worst places to store your loaf in a heatwave, however, there is an alternative storage solution you can use instead.
While you may think that a bread bin isn’t the best option but the nice cool air of the fridge might be the next best. Birgit has warned against this also, given fridges are often damp and bread needs a dry area to thrive without going mouldy.
Birgit also explained that storing bread in the fridge can be "detrimental" to the loaf's "texture and flavour".
The expert said: "When the bread is kept at low temperatures, around 0C or below, the moisture rises to the surface of the crust where it evaporates, leading to changes in the weight and flavour."
Instead, the expert told The Express that we should all be storing our bread in ceramic or pottery containers in the summer. This is because they are breathable and will "allow for the exchange of air and humidity", keeping your bread fresher for longer.
As well as this, you should try to avoid keeping your bread in a paper or plastic bag in warm weather - as these do not allow for the essential air circulation bread needs.
Birgit explained: "Plastic bags slow down how quickly the bread dries out, which increases the risk of moisture accumulating and mould setting in."
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