Is lingering stain smell toxic?

Q: Have I made my home toxic? We just bought a home with much of the master bedroom covered in cedar paneling. It looked outdated so I tried to finish the cedar in a gray stain (a water-based wood stain), but it turned bright blue!

So I ‘covered’ them with another coat of a walnut finish, water-based stain. And got a nice brownish gray. The stain is a bit thick due to the cover up, but no wrinkling or folding, seems to have dried nicely.

It has been about 3 weeks, but the smell lingers. I am worried about sleeping in the bedroom with the smell. I can’t find any information saying this would be unsafe (the stain is recommended for indoor cabinets, and I imagine the surface area on for example kitchen cabinets would be similar to the bedroom paneling). But the smell will not dissipate. I can live with the smell but am just wondering if you think it is toxic/harmful.

A: The only ingredient they mention as a possible skin irritant is titanium dioxide. You can go to their web site, bring up the product and select the SDS link. There are also phone numbers you can call. Can you open the window and perhaps with a fan vent the room? I wouldn’t have thought there would be any risk, but better safe than sorry.

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