A Quick Look Inside

• These familiar countertop storage containers -- usually called a breadbox in the U.S., or a bread bin in the U.K. -- predate the modern era of industrial baking and plastic bags. They were intended primarily to protect the household's loaves from rodents and insect pests, and they also helped slow bread-drying evaporation by restricting the flow of air around the loaf. That restriction of air flow has its down side, however. If you've ever emptied a closet and found mold in its deepest corners, you already know that moist, still air provides a favorable climate for mold spores.

Taking Up Residence

• That can be a problem if you live in a humid climate, because every time you open the bread bin you're letting in moist air and -- inevitably -- a quantity of mold spores. Even in arid climates, the bread itself supplies enough moisture for mold to grow. The spores begin by extending root-like filaments, called hyphae, into the bread. Then the visible blue-green mold forms and produces a cloud of microscopic spores to restart the whole cycle. Once mold has taken up residence in your bread bin, you'll need to take stern measures to counter it.

This Means War

• Start by removing and discarding the bread that's in your breadbox and by shaking out all the visible crumbs. Sweep out the corners with a stiff brush, then wipe out any remaining crumb fragments with a damp cloth. Mold spores will survive in the corners and seams of a metal bread bin, and in a wooden bin they can find refuge in the wood's own pores and fissures. To combat this, you must scrub the interior of the bin thoroughly with soapy water and bleach or with a fungicidal soap. Once it's thoroughly dried, you can begin using the bin again.

Taking Steps

• You'll still need to take steps to prevent a recurrence. One option is keeping a desiccant gel pack -- available at craft stores -- inside the bread bin to absorb surplus moisture. An open box of baking soda has the same effect. Wrap a crusty loaf in a clean kitchen towel to minimize its exposure to spores, but to retain its crust and extend its freshness. Soft loaves require a wrapping of wax paper or a plastic bag, to keep moisture in the loaf and preserve its tender crust. Mold can develop inside those wrappings, so your best defense is to only keep one to two days' bread in the bin. The remainder should be wrapped in airtight packaging and frozen for later use.