Wood – Ok to use Denatured Alcohol to clean wood before applying oil-based primer

primersandingstainingwoodwoodworking

I'm preparing crown molding for painting. The molding is pre-primed with pine core. I hand-sanded the molding and vacuumed to remove as much dust as possible. The surface still has dust, and I'm not sure what's the best way to remove it. If the pieces were flat I'd use a tack cloth and be done with it, but the molding is "fancy" and using a tack cloth to clean the profile will be tedious and time-consuming, also, I don't want wax residue ending up in corners and hard to clean areas.

If I'm using an oil-based primer (Benjamin Moore Enamel 217), can I clean the surface with denatured alcohol instead of a tack cloth? I suppose mineral spirits would work too but the alcohol dries much faster.

Best Answer

Denatured alcohol will be fine to use it will dry quickly and will be fine for any type of paint once dried.