When I work on stuff with tiny parts, it helps to do it on a towel. If you drop something, it tends not to bounce too far, things don't roll as much, etc., and it's easy to see stuff on a white towel.

They don't want to scratch up their desk with the solder joints on the back of it? I'd normally use cardboard, but a towel probably works too 🤷

Or maybe it just has muddy paws that need toweling off 😜

OP is a hoopy frood.