CLEAN
Supported, behaves as documentedCategory: Text · Last tested 2026-07-04
Support matrix
| Engine | Documented | Live-tested | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| Excel | Yes | Not yet | n/a |
| Google Sheets | Yes | Not yet | n/a |
| LibreOffice Calc | Yes | Yes (24.2.7.2, 2026-07-04) | Supported, behaves as documented |
Executed test cases
LibreOffice Calc 24.2.7.2 (tested 2026-07-04)
| Formula | Description | Result | Expected | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| =CLEAN("Hello"&CHAR(7)&"World") | CHAR(7) (BEL, a non-printable 7-bit ASCII control character) is stripped out | HelloWorld | HelloWorld | Matched |
| =CLEAN(CHAR(9)&"Hello") | CLEAN removes CHAR(9) (tab) because it's one of the first 32 non-printable ASCII codes -- contrast with TRIM, which leaves tabs completely untouched since TRIM only targets the space character (32), not control characters | Hello | Hello Source: https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/clean-function-26f3d7c5-475f-4a9c-90e5-4b8ba987ba41 - CLEAN "removes nonprintable characters from ASCII codes 0 through 31"; its own documented example uses CHAR(9)&"Monthly report"&CHAR(10) -> "Monthly report" |
Matched |
| =CLEAN(" Hello ") | Regular space characters (code 32) are left alone by CLEAN -- only non-printable control characters (codes 0-31) are removed | Hello | Hello | Matched |
| =CLEAN("Hello") | Text with no non-printable characters passes through unchanged | Hello | Hello | Matched |
Docs & syntax
- Excel: official documentation
- Google Sheets: official documentation
- LibreOffice Calc: official documentation