|DICASTIO|

How to Stop Clearing Your Throat
How to Buff Floors
How to Hold a Butterfly

Posted: 02 Mar 2019 12:00 AM PST

Throat clearing ranges from a minor annoying habit to a sign of a deeper medical issue. Try several easy techniques when throat clearing becomes a distraction in your life to try to relieve yourself of the urge or implement some lifestyle changes before it becomes a habit. Visit a doctor to see if there is a bigger issue that is causing the irritating sensations in your throat if you can't stop your throat clearing with common techniques.

EditSteps

EditTaking Immediate Actions

Take a sip of water every time you feel the urge to clear your throat. This is the first step towards breaking the habit of chronic throat clearing. Take a small sip of water and swallow normally anytime you want to clear your throat and see if it stops the desire.^[1]
- Keep a water bottle with you throughout the day so that you always have water available.
Use a harder sip if the first sip of water doesn't relieve your throat. Take a little sip of water but don't swallow it right away. Keep it in your mouth, press a hand gently against your chest, lower your chin to your chest, and forcefully swallow the water.^[2]
- Imagine you are trying to forcefully swallow a pill as you swallow the water to force it down.
- Once you master this technique, it usually works well to remove the urge to clear your throat.
Force a "silent cough" if sipping water doesn't work. Take a deep breath, place a hand on your chest, and exhale with force. Think of the sound you make when you say the letter "H" and force out your breath with the same sound.^[3]
- It's important not to let yourself actually cough as you force out your breath for this technique to work.
- This technique might dry out your throat, so you can take a sip of water immediately after to moisten it.
Try laughing, humming, or talking as an alternative relief technique. Hum lightly, laugh gently, or start talking whenever you feel the urge to clear your throat. This will distract you and also use your vocal cords which helps to vibrate away mucus and remove the desire to clear your throat.^[4]
- You can try following this up with a sip of water to keep your throat moist and further relieve the sensations that make you want to clear it.

EditMaking Lifestyle Changes

Drink at least 6-8 glasses of water a day to keep your throat moist. Drink up to 8 glasses a day in order to thin the mucus in your throat. This will cut down on the tingling, sore, or irritating feeling you get that makes you want to clear your throat.^[5]
- You should also avoid beverages that dehydrate you, especially alcohol and soda pop, for example.
- Drinking up to 8 glasses of water a day also has loads of other health benefits, such as boosting your energy level, strengthening the immune system, flushing out toxins, and many more.
Eat and drink less dairy products. Experiment with avoiding dairy products such as milk, cheese, and yogurt for a few days and see if you clear your throat less. Dairy products increase the amount of mucus in your throat which makes you want to clear your throat more.^[6]
- Do this in addition to drinking more water and see if that helps you stop clearing your throat.
Let your vocal cords rest if your voice is hoarse from being sick. Hoarseness is due to inflammation and swelling after the flu, a cold, or laryngitis. Avoid talking when you don't need to and talk at low volumes. Rest your voice as much as possible until your throat is healed so you don't make the problem worse, which can lead to chronic throat clearing.^[7]
- You should avoid talking in situations where you have to talk loudly over background noise, get close to people you are talking to so you don't have to raise your voice, and use an amplification system (or take a few days off) if you have a job like teaching that requires a lot of talking.

EditSeeking Medical Treatment

Visit a doctor if you cannot stop clearing your throat after a few months. A doctor will be able to determine if there are any underlying conditions that are causing the chronic throat clearing. They will be able to prescribe treatment that will help you resolve the problem.^[8]
- Excessive chronic throat clearing can lead to vocal cord damage, so it is important to get checked by a medical professional when you can't resolve the problem on your own to avoid further complications.
- Some possible medical causes of chronic throat clearing are asthma, chronic sinus infections, acid reflux, side effects from blood pressure medication, laryngeal sensory neuropathy, seasonal allergic rhinitis, and other allergies.
- In very rare cases, surgery may be required to correct anatomic abnormalities that cause chronic throat clearing.
Get an allergy test to see if you are allergic to any foods that irritate your throat. Go to an allergy specialist and have them perform a comprehensive allergy test to see if you are allergic to anything you didn't know about. Avoid any foods that show up positive as an allergy.^[9]
- Chronic throat clearing is mainly caused by allergies to dairy products, however it can also be triggered by allergies to other foods like eggs, rice, soy, and wheat.
Don't take ACE inhibitors or angiotensin receptor blocker medications. These two types of medication, used to treat high blood pressure, can potentially cause an irritating feeling that makes you want to clear your throat as a side effect. Ask your doctor to prescribe you a different type of medication and wait 3 months to see if the chronic throat clearing subsides.
- Beta blockers or calcium blockers are some examples of alternative blood pressure medications.

EditSources and Citations

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How to Buff Floors

Posted: 01 Mar 2019 04:00 PM PST

If you have scratched or scuffed floors, buffing them can refresh their shine. You can improve the look of your floors by buffing them by hand, but it's best to buy or rent a floor buffer, which uses slow speeds and high pressure to remove and replace the top layer of finish on your flooring. You can buff any type of floor, whether it's wood, vinyl, concrete, or tile. Before you buff your floor, make sure you secure the area and clean the floor to remove any grime. Then, use a microfiber cloth or a spray buffing machine to restore your floor's shine.

EditSteps

EditSecuring the Area

Remove movable items from the floor being buffed. Place these items in a separate room or hallway. Moving these items allows you to buff the area under and around them. Otherwise, it will be very difficult for you to get an even shine.^[1]
- Keep in mind that the buffer is a bulky machine that can easily damage items that it bumps into, and that it'll be harder for you to buff the area around the items in the room if you don't remove them.
Block off the area to prevent people from slipping on the wet floor. This will also help protect your freshly buffed floor from getting dirty while you're still working. Tell other people living in your home or those who are in your place of business that the floor will be wet for the next several hours.^[2]
- If you moved large items from the room, you can always use these as a blockade to help keep people out. Simply position them along the entrance to the room.
- If you're cleaning a commercial floor, put up "Caution" or "Wet Floor" signs for added safety.
Place your pets in a safe location, if you're buffing the floor of a home. Pets can get in the way of the buffer and may dirty your floor. You don't want to accidentally buff pet fur into your floor, as you won't be able to remove it once it's buffed into the finish. Put your pets in a separate room and shut the door.
- Alternatively, you can place your pets in their kennel if they already use one.
- Your pets will likely be afraid of the buffer, so keeping them out of the way will save them a lot of stress!

EditCleaning the Floor

Use a broom or dust mop to remove any debris. Start in the corner of the room and slowly sweep the entire room. Make sure you get the floor as clean as possible. Otherwise, you risk buffing dirt into the finish.^[3]
- Over time, buffing a dirty floor can permanently alter the color of your floor finish, turning it a dingy yellow color.
Wash the floor with a wet mop to ensure it's completely clean. For best results, dip the mop into a bucket of soapy warm water. Then, start in the corner of the room and slowly work your way back toward the entrance. As you mop, make short, even strokes to clean the floor.^[4]
- Rinse your mop when it starts to look dirty.
- Use a floor cleaner that's formulated for the type of flooring in your home.
Allow the floor to dry for 2 hours or use a fan to dry it faster. Touch the floor to make sure it's dry before you move on to buffing. Don't try to buff a wet floor because you will be applying a buffing solution, which is also a liquid. If the floor is already wet, there will be too much liquid, which will make you need to change your buffing pad more often.^[5]
- Turning on a fan will help you dry the floor more quickly. A ceiling fan or box fan will work best.

EditBuffing Your Floor by Hand

Start in the far corner of the room. Then, work your way backwards toward the entrance to the room. Don't pass back over areas you've already buffed, as they need time to dry.^[6]
Work in by sections until you finish buffing. Focusing on small sections will help you achieve better results. Plus, it will keep you from getting overwhelmed during the process.^[7]
- If you don't like the results of your first few sections, you might decide to stop hand buffing the floor and switch to a machine. Some floors won't show much improvement from hand buffing.
- Depending on the size of your room, it can take awhile to finish buffing. It's a good idea to take regular breaks, if necessary.
Spray a buffing solution onto your floor for extra shine. When you're buffing by hand, spray the solution onto just the area where you're working so the solution won't be dry by the time you get across the room. It's best to use a bottle with a spray nozzle to evenly distribute the solution.
- If your solution doesn't have a spray nozzle, use a clean cloth to wipe it onto the floor.
- Make sure you choose a buffing solution that's formulated for your type of flooring material.
- If you prefer a natural option, create a white vinegar solution by adding of white vinegar to of water. Put the solution into a spray bottle, then spritz it onto your floor.^[8]
Use a microfiber cloth to buff the floor using tight, circular motions. Move your cloth slowly from side to side as you work each section. When you complete each pass, start the next one with some overlap with the previous pass. As you buff, apply as much pressure to the cloth as you can.^[9]
- The microfiber cloth shouldn't damage your floor, no matter what material it is.
- Keep in mind that buffing a floor typically requires a lot of pressure, so you may not see much difference if you don't press down very hard.

EditUsing a Spray Buffer

Spray the buffing solution onto your floor, if you're using it. For best results, use a professional sprayer or a product that comes with a spray nozzle. Start in the far corner of the room and work your way toward the other side. Apply a light, even layer over the entire floor to be buffed.^[10]
- Use a buffing solution formulated for the type of floor material you have, such as wood, tile, or vinyl.
- If you don't have a sprayer, you can use a mop to apply the solution. However, it won't be as effective at distributing it. You can buy or rent a sprayer from most home improvement stores. Additionally, some buffing solutions come in a spray bottle.
Attach a red buffing pad if you're spray buffing your floor. This pad is intended for use on a wet floor, so it will soak up some of the buffing solution. Follow the instructions for your buffer to attach it correctly.^[11]
- Be sure to read all of the instructions that come with your buffer.
- It's best to have an extra pad handy if you're going to be buffing a large surface area. Although you'll be able to use both sides of the pad, it can get clogged up or dirty as you work.
- If you're spray buffing your floor, you'll need both a red pad and a gray or beige pad, for best results. Your floor will look better if you do a dry buffing after your spray buffing.
Work in by sections. Start in the far corner of the room and work your way back toward the entrance. As you buff the floor, mentally separate it into small sections to make it easier to buff the entire surface area of the floor.^[12]
- Overlap your passes to ensure every bit of flooring gets buffed.^[13]
Rotate your machine back and forth as you move across each section. Although the buffer is doing most of the work for you, rotating it will help you achieve a better result. Not only does it ensure the buffer covers all of the surface area, it will also help you really work areas where there are scratches or scuffs.^[14]
- Your motion should swing back and forth like a pendulum.
Move backwards as you work so you don't step on the buffed sections. This helps you avoid stepping on the parts of the floor you've already buffed. You don't want to step on the buffed areas because they will be very slippery. Also, you don't want to mess up the finish.^[15]
- Walk slowly so you don't accidentally trip over your own feet.
Hold the buffer over scratches and scuffs for a few extra seconds. As you work, look for visible scratches and buffs. It's okay to give these areas special attention by holding the buffer over them for a few extra seconds. Additionally, you can make several passes over them.^[16]
- If you still notice a scratch or scuff after you finish, you can try hand rubbing it with a soft cloth soaked in buffing solution.
Flip or change the buffing pad if it gets clogged or dirty. Stop and check the buffing pad every few minutes to see if it looks dirty or clogged. Additionally, you'll know the pad needs to be changed if the floor isn't getting as shiny as it was previously.^[17]
- Most buffing pads can be flipped once during cleaning. If your pad looks soaked through, just switch to a new one.
Follow spray buffing with a pass of dry buffing, for best results. Switch out your red buffing pad for a gray or beige one. Then, start buffing your floor in the far corner. Slowly work your way toward the other side of the room.^[18]
- Your buffing pad likely won't need changing on this pass. However, continue to check on it regularly to make sure it's not clogged or dirty.
- It's best to wait until your floor is dry before you start your dry buffing.
Use a clean dust mop to remove any dust created by the buffing process. Once your floor is dry, return to the corner of the room and begin making short, even passes with your dust mop. Continue working your way over the entire surface of the floor until you reach the other side of the room. This helps get your floor as clean and shiny as possible.^[19]
- Using a floor buffer can stir dust up into the air, which will then fall back down onto your freshly buffed floor. A clean dust mop can remove this debris.

EditTips

Clean your buffing machine, broom, mop, and buffer pads before putting them away.
Dust tends to blow around when a floor is being buffed, so it's helpful to wear goggles or safety glasses.

EditWarnings

Buffing machines are heavy so that the weight will help with the effectiveness of the polishing. Make sure you're able to push the heavy machine without straining, as you could injure yourself.
Never leave a damp pad on the buffing machine after cleaning it because the moisture can damage the machine.