But if you get wood wet, it will cause the fibers to swell and feel rough. This is called "popping the grain," and you'll need to sand it down again to make it smooth to the touch. This is a common practice when making cutting boards and other items that will get wet with use. Some people will use good old-fashioned soap and water before painting. And this can work for smooth, water-resistant surfaces like plastic or PVC.

A microfiber cloth can work well removing unseen bits of dust. The nice thing about microfiber is that it won’t leave behind any residue – the cloth itself does all the grabbing. And microfiber cloths can be cleaned and reused! Second, water has a tendency to attract more dust. So even if you clean everything off, the moisture left behind will attract more dust!