Summer brings hot, humid weather. Some people live forty-five minutes to an hour away from a grocery store. That drive home makes their dairy, meat, and frozen products get warm. Especially for milk, that warmness often leads to it going bad earlier than the best by date. Milk should not stay in the car longer than one hours when temperatures are higher than ninety degrees. With temperatures over one hundred degrees this week, here are five tips to keeping your milk, and other cold products, cool on a hot day during a shopping trip.
#1 Cooler
One way to keep your milk cold on a hot day is to bring a cooler when you shop. Bring some ice along or buy some ice to put in the cooler. If you don’t have a cooler, bring insulated bags or blankets.
#2 Get It Last
When you’re out shopping, avoid getting the milk until the last possible place. Or, if you only go to one store, put it in your cart as one of the last items you get.
#3 Pack Other Cold Items
If you get milk along with other cold items such as frozen foods, that’s great! Pack the cold items around the milk in the cooler or blankets. A good principle in general is to all the time pack your cold food together.
#4 Crank The AC
If your car has air conditioning, crank it on. Point the vents on the milk and other cold items to help keep them cold.
#5 Avoid Parking In Sun
If you do have to buy milk and leave it in the car, park the car in the shade. While it will still be hot, it won’t be as hot if you had parked it in the full sunlight.
