Oliver mentioned the tiny fibers in the grain... that was my exact problem. I used to think old t-shirts were the perfect free option. Then I saw those little bits stuck in a pine tabletop after wiping stain, just like a shadow under the finish. It made me switch to the blue shop towels for anything that needs a smooth wipe. The lint-free thing is real.

That's actually so frustrating, sorry that happened! My cat did the same thing to my mint plant and it never really grew back right. Maybe try putting some citrus peels around the base, cats usually hate that smell.

True, but sometimes the cheap stuff works fine too lol.

I mean, it's wild how much time is just sitting there waiting for stuff to dry or cure. I've seen this with a dehumidifier in my workshop. It felt like a splurge, but it cut the dry time for wood glue and paint by more than half. It makes you realize how much of our time is just dead space built into old ways of doing things. Getting that time back feels like you broke some hidden rule. Your infrared thing sounds like the same kind of win.

Whoa, that's a wild fact. Makes me feel a bit better about my own messy life, honestly. If a teaspoon of dirt can host that much chaos and still grow things, maybe there's hope for my desk. I'm basically a walking ecosystem of unfinished projects and old coffee cups.