excel functions

MS Excel: CLEAN Function (WS)

This Excel tutorial explains how to use the Excel CLEAN function with syntax and examples.


The Microsoft Excel CLEAN function removes all nonprintable characters from a string.


The syntax for the CLEAN function in Microsoft Excel is:

CLEAN( text )

Parameters or Arguments

The value that has all nonprintable characters removed from.

Applies To

The CLEAN function can be used in the following versions of Microsoft Excel:


Type of Excel Function

The CLEAN function can be used in Microsoft Excel as the following type of function:

  • Worksheet function (WS)

Example (as Worksheet Function)

Let's look at some Excel CLEAN function examples and explore how to use the CLEAN function as a worksheet function in Microsoft Excel:

Microsoft Excel

Based on the Excel spreadsheet above, the following CLEAN examples would return:

Result: "hi there"

Result: "this is a test"