Hey Frost, thanks for the advice. I realized my mistake after I did it, but the deed was done
I took your advice and used some really thin flimsy paper that couldn't do much damage (aka typical white printer paper), and got the dust out of there. I tested the kobo by running water over it (very gentle trickle) and it seemed alright so maybe the needle didn't damage too much. Either way I'll keep it away from water just to stay safe. Thanks for your tips!