wet sponge wipe to get lather and whiskers off, then "strop" on a micro fiber towel to dry the blade before continuing. when the shave is done I strop on the micro fiber, go over the blade with a tissue, strop 10 linen 10 leather, and use the tissue to hold the razor when placing it in its place to avoid leaving skin oils on it. used to get water spots before I started Microfiber stropping during the shave, but not anymore...