Systems and methods for removing particles from a surface of a substrate without damage to the substrate are provided. The disclosed systems/methods use polymeric microstructures, e.g., microfibrils, to remove micrometric and sub-micrometric particles from a substrate surface by establishing interfacial interactions with the particles that effectively debond the particles from the surface of the substrate. The disclosed systems/methods have wide ranging applications, including particle removal in art conservation processes, microelectronic applications, optical applications and any other field that stands to benefit from precise removal of particles/dust from a surface without damage to the surface.