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I purchased a Sentry Safe from Costco last year. I use it to store some gold coins but more importantly for important papers.

Shortly afterward I noticed that mold and fungus was growing on my papers. I emailed Sentry Safe and was told to dry out the safe 1) leave the door open and with a fan directing air into it or 2) place outside in the sun to help it dry out. It seems the high humidity within the safe comes from the manufacturing process. Taking the safe outside is not possible since it took three people to get it upstairs, so I have had the door open with fans on it off and on for the past year.

I also purchase some additional dehumidifiers from Home Depot, and I still have the same problem.

Essentially I have a safe that does nothing to protect my papers. Will never buy another from Sentry Safe but unfortunately no real alternatives to fall back on.

Location: Los Angeles, California

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Guest

Mine too! Stinks after supposedly dried out.

Hung my documents on lines with dehumidifiers and fans going for a month - dried them out but the smell remains. Added desiccant packets, but then it's just perfume on top of mold stink. Bagged my most valuable documents with separate desiccant packs, which I have to regularly change. I still have to open the safe every month with dehumidfiers and fans...Was told by a firefighter that when this happens to a safe it will never be "dry" and buy a new one.

But, why? It will apparently happen again.

So I compare cost of desiccant vs cost of safe. Wonder if the safe manufacturers own the desiccant companies, too.

Guest

Mine did the same thing โ€ฆ they fireproof safes they make are defective. The material used to make the safe fireproof causes it to rust from inside out.

The mold and mildew is from their defective manufacturing. When I called they didnโ€™t do anything for me. I three the big, heavy, NEW piece of garbage in the trash.

Never going to buy their products again. Total waste of money and time.

Guest

We have the same problem

Guest

I cant believe there has not been a major class action suit against Sentry safe and Costco. Costco has sold thousands of these and will do nothing but refer you to Sentry.

Sentry will not acknowledge that there is a problem but ask you to keep the safe open and air it out. I lost valuable papers and had several pistols damaged by the yellow mold.

Guest

I have the same problem. I am FURIOUS.

They ruined my jewelry and my documents. I hate this safe. Worst 450$ of my life. I would gladly pay them if my things were not destroyed.

Ugh.

HATE THIS SAFE. I regret leaving the safety deposit box at the bank.

Sherrie A Odm

Go to dollar tree or dollar store or even walmart. For a dollar get a disposable moisture absorber.

Its a two layer see thru plastic 3x5 x3. Peel top foil top off and replace plastic top and place inside safe. The top layer of balls absorb the humidity and it falls into bottom section. I was told this 10 yrs ago after my safe sweated inside.

Change with new one when balls are all gone and bottom full of water. About twice a year.

Guest

I have the same issue, I cleaned it out and spray antifungal Lysol in it but to no avail. It still grows molds.

I have an old Brinks Safe for 30 years and never had this issue. I have a bunch of watches and they are all covered with mold.

Sherrie A Odm
reply icon Replying to comment of Guest-1902766

Go to dollar tree or dollar store or even walmart. For a dollar get a disposable moisture absorber.

Its a two layer see thru plastic 3x5 x3. Peel top foil top off and replace plastic top and place inside safe. The top layer of balls absorb the humidity and it falls into bottom section. I was told this 10 yrs ago after my safe sweated inside.

Change with new one when balls are all gone and bottom full of water. About twice a year.

Guest

Yall mad at a product manufacturer for something that is common not only to safes, but any time you lock stuff up in a closed enviroment that cant breath. Unless you live in an incredibly arrid environment, mildew will happen.

Circulate air, dry out the air, clean surfaces and dry completely. Store documents in drybags. Check on the contents quarterly to ensure cleanliness, Etc. Living in the southeast USA, there is no escaping the humidity, so this is an ongoing issue.

Use dehumidifiers. Store the safe in air conditioned environment preferably with an exterior dehumidify as well. But youre probably still going to have these moisture related issues. And its common in ALL safes.

Every. Single. One.

So dont just hate on sentry safe. They are not the best, but this is not a problem they created with their product.

Guest
reply icon Replying to comment of Guest-1795810

Ok i understand what you are saying but why is it only gentry safes? My other safes have been closed for more then 6 months at a time and never any issues but its only been a few months that i have had the safe opened.

Do you work for the company?

That is who ic like th o contact. But yhanks for the information.

Guest
reply icon Replying to comment of Guest-1796589

same here, only my sentry safe is getting mildew

Melanie S Qwc
reply icon Replying to comment of Guest-1796589

Itโ€™s NOT just Sentry safes. I have two different brands and as I type I have the contents from both airing out in my dining room.

Numerous family members have hugh ended guns safes and they all have dehumidifiers built-in to prevent the moisture issues. I just have small safes for documents and valuables. I thought putting silica packs in would remove the moisture but my mistake was not drying out the documents first. EVERYTHING I have read on this issue also points out to vacuum seal items before storing AND use a dehumidifier in the safeโ€ฆ especially if safe is fire and waterproof.

BOTTOM LINE: the safe is doing its jobโ€ฆ keeping fire and water out and LOCKING it what we put itโ€ฆ including moisture and mildew. PSโ€ฆ I do NOT work for any safe manufacture. I am a 68 year old retired teacher who researches MY problems for solutions and I don't just point a finger and say everyone and everthing is the problem but me. I own my problem.

That is why now my documents (including my youngest son's medals pesented upon his KIA in Iraq 2004) are spread out over half my house airing out. My fault.

Murdock Bri

My husband purchased a sentry safe for me about 8 months ago. I had all unrepeatable papers and photots in the safe with jewelry and its all molded.

Thought its supposed to be fire proof. How are they fire proof if its getting moisture to mold my stuff?

Guest
reply icon Replying to comment of Murdock Bri

drybags for documents are always recommended if your not going to access the safe very often. Moisture and fire and not the same thing.

A safe isnt a vacuum sealed environment. You have to control the humidity. Use internal and external dehumidifiers. Access the safe weekly to check on the mold/mildew status.

But if youve already got mildew or mold, you have to clean the spores. Use a product specifically designed to kill mold and mildew. I use Mold Control that I buy at Lowes or home depot. I do not recommend bleach.

Then you have to dry the interior of the safe out and dry the contents. Use moisture prevention. Silica, dehumidifiers internally and externally, etc.

Think about a safe like a gym bag with a sweaty shirt in it. Its okay for a short period of time, but if you leave it indefinatly, youre going to have issues.

Guest

I have the same problem is it only sentry

Hugh C Kjq

Yesterday I discovered the same problem (thick Yellow mold on everything in my safe) with my sentry safe. Now I have a huge mess.

I have two other safes before the sentry safe and they both still work fine and I have never have any problems with them. There is a problem with Sentry safe construction. What I have discovered is behind the plastic cap on the back side of the door there is an area that breeds the mold.

I believe that by the time these safes come from the factory to the warehouse, to the consumer mold is already growing in the area I described. It then takes a while for it to permeate the rest of the safe.

Guest

Just discovered the problem. I now have a moldy passport, and all my other paperwork is damp.

I live in the Phoenix Arizona area where the humidity is usually very low, like 7% so it has nothing to do with your location or weather.

I wonder where the dampness comes from but this safe was a waste of my money. I think I got my papers out before it was too late, but now I have no protection.

Guest
reply icon Replying to comment of Guest-1719773

Me also, all my birth certificates and pass ports all mold coverd

Dierdra Fmy

Its an issue with all safes. they dont breathe.

Look at expensive safes with great reputations; they always come with recommendation of silica packs or dehumidifier rods. Since these safes are sealed, they dont allow air movement. when you open it up, whatever moisture gets in there just stays there, condenses on the cooler contents inside. This is also why bags dont help.

You're just trapping the moisture INSIDE the bag, and it condenses on the contents.

Consumer education is probably the best solution here. If you want a safe that "breathes", get a crap security box with pickable locks.

Guest

I have an easy solution! Go to Amazon and purchase "YUMQUA Clear Waterproof Bags".

You get an assortment of sizes and shapes. Less than $10! We use them for passports and other documents.

They've been in the safe for months. Bone dry upon checking!!

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