← Excel Data Cleanup
Lesson 4 of 4
Standardize dates and whitespace
Normalize declared date formats without guessing.
Do the work
- The input dates use YYYY/MM/DD; convert separators to YYYY-MM-DD.
- Trim outer whitespace and repeated spaces in names.
- Never infer whether 03/04 means March 4 or April 3.
See the method
2026/09/03 becomes 2026-09-03.
Read every demonstration step
- 2026/09/03 becomes 2026-09-03.
- TRIM removes leading and trailing spaces.
- Validate the calendar date before handing it off.
Practice independently
Take it further
Store an error log for ambiguous or invalid dates; do not make a silent choice.