Those things which render the Salaah invalid

Performing Salaah with a sweet taste in the mouth

Q: If your mucus/phlegm has become sweet because of something sweet you ate then will it be okay to pray in that condition? Like in Ramadan when everyone drinks milkshake and eats dates when they break their fast and then they just wash their mouth out with water and stand up for Maghrib Salah even though their mucus is still sweet and the back of their throat is still sweet. Sometimes your mucus remains pink even after you wash your mouth out. What happens if you swallow this pink mucus during salah? Is it sufficient to quickly rinse out your mouth with water before salah or should you wait until the sweet mucus goes away? Sometimes I only break fast with water then eat after I pray to avoid this problem. What is the best way to deal with this?

Crying in Salaah

Q: My father passed away 20 days ago. Alhamdollilah Allah Ta'ala gave me a lot of saber and I did not cry in front of anyone. But every time I pray namaz I just automatically cry. I don't know why this happens. I try so hard to control myself because I am scared that shaitan maybe making me cry. Is it ok to cry in namaaz?

Holding a hanky in one's hand and performing Salaah

Q: If a person is holding a handkerchief in his hand and performing salaah due to his nose running, his postures in salaah will be slightly changed, e.g. in sajdah he will hold his hand sideways or upside down so the hanky doesn't touch the floor, and in qadah his hand will be slightly lifted off his thigh with the hanky in between. Is it permissible to do so? What other options are there?