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Excel

CLEAN function in Excel

Removes all nonprintable characters from text

=CLEAN(text)

CLEAN syntax and parameters

One argument, one required.

  • textstringRequired

    Any worksheet information from which you want to remove nonprintable characters.

CLEAN examples

Formulas you'll actually reuse.

  1. Strip non-printing characters from text pasted out of a PDF:

    =CLEAN(A2)

  2. The full cleanup: non-breaking spaces, then control characters, then extra spaces:

    =TRIM(CLEAN(SUBSTITUTE(A2, CHAR(160), " ")))

    Result"Maria Lopez"

CLEAN in Google Sheets

Same name — your formula ports as-is.

Try CLEAN in the playground

Edit the example — nothing to install.

Preloaded with the CLEAN formula from Example 1 — change anything and watch it respond.

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Related functions

More ways Excel gets this done.