private void doClear(button[][] mineButtons, int x, int y) throws Exception {
		System.out.println("x:" + x + " y:" + y);
		if (x < 0 || x >= 10 || y < 0 || y >= 10) {
			return;
		}
		button currButton = mineButtons[x][y];
		if (!currButton.isEnabled()) {
			return;
		}

		currButton.setBackground(Color.lightGray);
		currButton.setEnabled(false);

		if (mineButtons[x][y].getIsBomb() == true) {
			// end game in this if statement
			time.stop();
			currButton.setText("X");
			// currButton.setIconImage("mineRed.png");

			endGame(0, true);

			System.out.println("clicked on button with bomb, exiting...");
			// end game
		} else {
			// every time when a button is "cleared", increment variable
			mines.incCleared();
			// check if player has won the game if 90 buttons are cleared
			System.out.println("currently, number of buttosn cleared: "
					+ mines.getCleared());
			if (mines.getCleared() == 90) {
				System.out.println("commencing end game check");
				endGameCheck();
			}

			if (mineButtons[x][y].getAdjacentBombs() != 0) {
				// if (mineButtons[x][y].getAdjacentBombs() == 1) {
				// currButton.setForeground(Color.BLUE);
				// }
				// else if (mineButtons[x][y].getAdjacentBombs() == 2) {
				// currButton.setForeground(Color.GREEN);
				// }
				// else if (mineButtons[x][y].getAdjacentBombs() == 3) {
				// currButton.setForeground(Color.RED);
				// }
				mineButtons[x][y].setText(mineButtons[x][y]
						.getAdjacentBombsString());
			} else {
				mineButtons[x][y].setText("");
			}
			if (currButton.getAdjacentBombs() == 0) {
				doClear(mineButtons, x - 1, y - 1); // top left
				doClear(mineButtons, x, y - 1); // top middle
				doClear(mineButtons, x + 1, y - 1); // top right
				doClear(mineButtons, x - 1, y); // mid left
				doClear(mineButtons, x + 1, y); // mid right
				doClear(mineButtons, x - 1, y + 1); // bot left
				doClear(mineButtons, x, y + 1); // bot middle
				doClear(mineButtons, x + 1, y + 1); // bot right
			}
		}
	}