Quite often the issue is a non-breaking space - CHAR(160) - especially from Web text sources -that CLEAN can't remove, so I would go a step further than this and try a formula like this which replaces any non-breaking spaces with a standard one

=TRIM(CLEAN(SUBSTITUTE(A1,CHAR(160)," ")))

Ron de Bruin has an excellent post on tips for cleaning data here

You can also remove the CHAR(160) directly without a workaround formula by

  • Edit .... Replace your selected data,
  • in Find What hold ALT and type 0160 using the numeric keypad
  • Leave Replace With as blank and select Replace All
Answer from brettdj on Stack Overflow
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Microsoft Support
support.microsoft.com › en-us › excel › trim-function
TRIM function | Microsoft Support
Example 3: =TRIM(CLEAN(B5)) combines TRIM and CLEAN functions to remove spaces and clean string. Example 4: ​​​​​​​Copy the example data in the following table and paste it in cell A1 of a new Excel worksheet. For formulas to show results, select them, press F2, and then press Enter.
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Ablebits
ablebits.com › ablebits blog › excel › excel formulas › excel trim function - quick way to remove extra spaces
Excel TRIM function - quick way to remove extra spaces
March 20, 2023 - With Ultimate Suite installed in your Excel, removing spaces in Excel is as simple as this: Select the cell(s) where you want to delete spaces. Click the Trim Spaces button on the ribbon.
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Dashboards Excel
dashboardsexcel.com › blogs › blog › excel-tutorial-trim-spaces-button
Excel Tutorial: Where Is The Trim Spaces Button In Excel – DashboardsEXCEL.com
December 14, 2023 - Once you are in the ribbon, locate the data tab. The data tab contains tools for managing and analyzing data in your spreadsheet. It is where you will find the trim spaces button. Click on the data tab to access the data tools in Excel.
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Ablebits
ablebits.com › docs › excel-trim-spaces
How to use Trim Spaces tool for Excel
Here you will learn how to remove spaces in Excel. We care about your data. The add-in will back up your worksheet if you select the corresponding option. To run the tool, click the Trim Spaces icon in the Text group on the Ablebits Data tab:
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Acuity Training
acuitytraining.co.uk › news-tips › trim-function-excel
Excel's TRIM Function [inc 2 Examples & Troubleshooting] - Acuity Training
February 2, 2026 - It’s especially handy when cleaning data imported from other sources. To find the TRIM function, go to the top of the ribbon on your screen. Click Formulas > Text, and scroll down to the TRIM function button.
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ExcelDemy
exceldemy.com › home › excel functions › how to trim spaces in excel (8 methods)
How to Trim Spaces in Excel (8 Methods) - ExcelDemy
July 28, 2024 - The code uses the VBA TRIM function to remove trailing spaces. Save the code and return to your worksheet. Go to the Developer tab, click Insert, and select Button from Form Controls.
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YouTube
youtube.com › watch
Using the Trim Function in Excel - YouTube
Here's my entire playlist of Excel tutorials: http://bit.ly/tech4excel Learn how to use the Trim function in Excel to clean up extra spaces in spreadsheets. ...
Published   May 13, 2019
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Ablebits
ablebits.com › ablebits blog › excel › excel formulas › how to remove blank spaces in excel - leading, trailing, non-breaking
How to remove blank spaces in Excel - leading, trailing, non-breaking
March 20, 2023 - Whenever you want to remove blank spaces in your Excel sheets, perform these 4 quick steps: Select the cells (range, entire column or row) where you want to delete extra spaces. Click the Trim Spaces button on the Ablebits Data tab.
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MakeUseOf
makeuseof.com › home › productivity › how to remove spaces in excel
How to Remove Spaces in Excel
October 22, 2021 - Select the range in your table, or press CTRL+A to select all cells. Next, go to the Ablebits Data tab that's right next to the Data tab. Click on the Trim Spaces icon. You'll see the add-in's pane open on the left side of your worksheet.
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W3Schools
w3schools.com › excel › excel_trim.php
Excel TRIM Function
The TRIM function is premade in Excel and used to remove irregular text spacing and keep single spaces between words.
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ExcelTips (ribbon)
excelribbon.tips.net › T012471_Getting_Rid_of_Spaces_in_Cells.html
Getting Rid of Spaces in Cells (Microsoft Excel)
Continue clicking on Replace All until Excel finds no more matches. Repeat steps 2 through 5, but this time use only one space in step 2. Close the Find and Replace dialog box. Another option is to use the Trim worksheet function. This approach is handy if the cells you want to modify are all in a particular area of the worksheet, such as a single column.
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Macabacus
macabacus.com › home › how to trim cells in excel
How to Trim Cells in Excel (Downloadable Template)
November 18, 2025 - Excel’s TRIM function aims to throw out extra spaces in your text, leaving just one space between words. It is quite helpful, especially when working with data that’s been imported or entered manually and where there could be unintentional spaces.
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TechOnTheNet
techonthenet.com › excel › formulas › trim.php
MS Excel: How to use the TRIM Function (WS, VBA)
You can also use the TRIM function to remove unnecessary spaces between words in a string. The TRIM function is a built-in function in Excel that is categorized as a String/Text Function. It can be used as a worksheet function (WS) and a VBA function (VBA) in Excel.
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Wall Street Mojo
wallstreetmojo.com › home › all blogs › excel resources › trim in excel
TRIM in Excel - How To Use? Formula, Errors, Examples, Template
December 20, 2024 - For example, suppose we have a name in cell A1 containing some whitespace before and after the text, and more than one space between the words, as “ John Wright ”. The output is “John Wright” after applying the TRIM formula as =TRIM(A1), as shown above in cell B1. ... The TRIM in Excel removes extra spaces from the text, leaving no extra space between words and at the beginning and end of the string.
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Lifewire
lifewire.com › remove-extra-spaces-between-data-3123367
Do You Know the Short Cut to Remove Extra Spaces in Excel?
May 5, 2022 - Type =TRIM(B2) and press Enter. Hold down the Shift key, and hover your mouse at the bottom of cell B2 until the cursor changes to two horizontal lines with an arrow above and below them.
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Corporate Finance Institute
corporatefinanceinstitute.com › home › resources › trim function
TRIM Function - Formula, Examples, How to Use TRIM in Excel
May 11, 2026 - Text (required argument) – This is the text from which we wish to remove spaces. TRIM is a built-in function that can be used as a worksheet function in Excel.
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Trump Excel
trumpexcel.com › home › excel functions › trim function in excel (7 examples)
TRIM Function in Excel (7 Examples)
2 weeks ago - It removes every leading and trailing space, and reduces multiple spaces between words to a single space. TRIM works in every version of Excel, including Microsoft 365, Excel 2024, 2021, 2019, 2016, and older, plus Excel on the web.
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Indeed
uk.indeed.com › career-advice › career-development › trim-function-excel
How to use the trim function in Excel (With benefits) | Indeed.com UK
March 3, 2025 - Then, select the adjacent cell reference where you will apply the function. With the adjacent cell highlighted, click on the 'fx' button located under the toolbar's 'Font' section.