String cleaning refers to the process of removing unwanted characters or whitespace from a string of text in programming. This is often necessary to ensure that data is formatted correctly and is free from errors that could affect processing or analysis. Common operations include trimming spaces, removing punctuation, and converting text to a consistent case. In many programming languages, such as Python or JavaScript, built-in functions are available to facilitate string cleaning. These functions help developers maintain data integrity and improve the overall quality of the information being handled, making it easier to work with and analyze.