This is pretty much how I’ve always done it, I prefer to at least partly dry the soil before rescaping as (unlike FAAO) it always takes me awhile and a few do-overs - I slope the soil dramatically, leaving a few inches glass at the front, siphon away all possible water, then leave a towel in place overnight ... by morning much of the soil is damp-dry
(note I use 7th Generation laundry detergent (sparingly) which rinses out well, also double rinse all fish towels, and never use any “fabric softeners”)
Note that Tropica Soil retains its structure very well compared to some other aquarium soils, but any water saturated AS particle crushes much more easily than its dry counterpart
I usually add new soil at the front of the tank for dense carpet plants as I prefer very shallow substrate here, and it’s just easier than working with root tabs.
In his recent home tank rescapes, Filipe Oliveira mentions the importance of capping the used soil with new (more important if you don’t dry soil between scapes)