diff --git a/contact.go b/contact.go
index 8a5ce17..a56402d 100644
--- a/contact.go
+++ b/contact.go
@@ -7,10 +7,7 @@ import (
 	"net/http"
 	"net/smtp"
 	"strconv"
-	"strings"
 	"time"
-
-	"github.com/microcosm-cc/bluemonday"
 )
 
 const defaultContactPath = "/contact"
@@ -30,15 +27,14 @@ func (a *goBlog) serveContactForm(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
 
 func (a *goBlog) sendContactSubmission(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
 	// Get form values
-	strict := bluemonday.StrictPolicy()
 	// Name
-	formName := strings.TrimSpace(strict.Sanitize(r.FormValue("name")))
+	formName := cleanHTMLText(r.FormValue("name"))
 	// Email
-	formEmail := strings.TrimSpace(strict.Sanitize(r.FormValue("email")))
+	formEmail := cleanHTMLText(r.FormValue("email"))
 	// Website
-	formWebsite := strings.TrimSpace(strict.Sanitize(r.FormValue("website")))
+	formWebsite := cleanHTMLText(r.FormValue("website"))
 	// Message
-	formMessage := strings.TrimSpace(strict.Sanitize(r.FormValue("message")))
+	formMessage := cleanHTMLText(r.FormValue("message"))
 	if formMessage == "" {
 		a.serveError(w, r, "Message is empty", http.StatusBadRequest)
 		return
diff --git a/markdown.go b/markdown.go
index b9f1d8d..52eafe6 100644
--- a/markdown.go
+++ b/markdown.go
@@ -90,7 +90,7 @@ func (a *goBlog) renderText(s string) string {
 	if err != nil {
 		return ""
 	}
-	return htmlText(h)
+	return htmlText(string(h))
 }
 
 func (a *goBlog) renderMdTitle(s string) string {
@@ -99,7 +99,7 @@ func (a *goBlog) renderMdTitle(s string) string {
 	if err != nil {
 		return ""
 	}
-	return htmlText(buffer.Bytes())
+	return htmlText(buffer.String())
 }
 
 // Extensions etc...
diff --git a/posts.go b/posts.go
index 0a8b7e1..cd9f3f2 100644
--- a/posts.go
+++ b/posts.go
@@ -12,7 +12,6 @@ import (
 	"sync"
 
 	"github.com/go-chi/chi/v5"
-	"github.com/microcosm-cc/bluemonday"
 	"github.com/vcraescu/go-paginator"
 )
 
@@ -220,7 +219,7 @@ func (a *goBlog) serveIndex(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
 	search := chi.URLParam(r, "search")
 	if search != "" {
 		// Decode and sanitize search
-		search = htmlText([]byte(bluemonday.StrictPolicy().Sanitize(searchDecode(search))))
+		search = cleanHTMLText(searchDecode(search))
 	}
 	pageNoString := chi.URLParam(r, "page")
 	pageNo, _ := strconv.Atoi(pageNoString)
diff --git a/search.go b/search.go
index bb761df..cbca0fc 100644
--- a/search.go
+++ b/search.go
@@ -7,8 +7,6 @@ import (
 	"net/url"
 	"path"
 	"strings"
-
-	"github.com/microcosm-cc/bluemonday"
 )
 
 const defaultSearchPath = "/search"
@@ -24,7 +22,7 @@ func (a *goBlog) serveSearch(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
 	}
 	if q := r.Form.Get("q"); q != "" {
 		// Clean query
-		q = htmlText([]byte(bluemonday.StrictPolicy().Sanitize(q)))
+		q = cleanHTMLText(q)
 		// Redirect to results
 		http.Redirect(w, r, path.Join(servePath, searchEncode(q)), http.StatusFound)
 		return
diff --git a/utils.go b/utils.go
index 9351cf4..8fd4261 100644
--- a/utils.go
+++ b/utils.go
@@ -1,7 +1,6 @@
 package main
 
 import (
-	"bytes"
 	"crypto/sha256"
 	"fmt"
 	"html/template"
@@ -16,6 +15,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/PuerkitoBio/goquery"
 	"github.com/araddon/dateparse"
 	"github.com/c2h5oh/datasize"
+	"github.com/microcosm-cc/bluemonday"
 	"github.com/thoas/go-funk"
 )
 
@@ -233,14 +233,18 @@ func mBytesString(size int64) string {
 	return fmt.Sprintf("%.2f MB", datasize.ByteSize(size).MBytes())
 }
 
-func htmlText(b []byte) string {
-	d, err := goquery.NewDocumentFromReader(bytes.NewReader(b))
+func htmlText(s string) string {
+	d, err := goquery.NewDocumentFromReader(strings.NewReader(s))
 	if err != nil {
 		return ""
 	}
 	return strings.TrimSpace(d.Text())
 }
 
+func cleanHTMLText(s string) string {
+	return htmlText(bluemonday.StrictPolicy().Sanitize(s))
+}
+
 func defaultIfEmpty(s, d string) string {
 	if s != "" {
 		return s
diff --git a/utils_test.go b/utils_test.go
index b9d8e8e..4f27dda 100644
--- a/utils_test.go
+++ b/utils_test.go
@@ -72,3 +72,8 @@ func Test_urlHasExt(t *testing.T) {
 		assert.Equal(t, "jpg", ext)
 	})
 }
+
+func Test_cleanHTMLText(t *testing.T) {
+	assert.Equal(t, `"This is a 'test'" 😁`, cleanHTMLText(`"This is a 'test'" 😁`))
+	assert.Equal(t, `Test`, cleanHTMLText(`<b>Test</b>`))
+}