diff --git a/test/test_utils.py b/test/test_utils.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..3e8868e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/test_utils.py
@@ -0,0 +1,45 @@
+"""
+Test cases for utils.py
+"""
+
+import unittest
+from pylinkirc import utils
+
+class UtilsTestCase(unittest.TestCase):
+
+    def test_strip_irc_formatting(self):
+        # Some messages from http://modern.ircdocs.horse/formatting.html#examples
+        self.assertEqual(utils.strip_irc_formatting(
+            "I love \x033IRC! \x03It is the \x037best protocol ever!"),
+            "I love IRC! It is the best protocol ever!")
+
+        self.assertEqual(utils.strip_irc_formatting(
+            "This is a \x1d\x0313,9cool \x03message"),
+            "This is a cool message")
+
+        self.assertEqual(utils.strip_irc_formatting(
+            "Don't spam 5\x0313,8,6\x03,7,8, and especially not \x029\x02\x1d!"),
+            "Don't spam 5,6,7,8, and especially not 9!")
+
+        # Should not remove the ,
+        self.assertEqual(utils.strip_irc_formatting(
+            "\x0305,"),
+            ",")
+        self.assertEqual(utils.strip_irc_formatting(
+            "\x038,,,,."),
+            ",,,,.")
+
+        # Numbers are preserved
+        self.assertEqual(utils.strip_irc_formatting(
+            "\x031234 "),
+            "34 ")
+        self.assertEqual(utils.strip_irc_formatting(
+            "\x03\x1f12"),
+            "12")
+
+        self.assertEqual(utils.strip_irc_formatting(
+            "\x0305t\x030,1h\x0307,02e\x0308,06 \x0309,13q\x0303,15u\x0311,14i\x0310,05c\x0312,04k\x0302,07 \x0306,08b\x0313,09r\x0305,10o\x0304,12w\x0307,02n\x0308,06 \x0309,13f\x0303,15o\x0311,14x\x0310,05 \x0312,04j\x0302,07u\x0306,08m\x0313,09p\x0305,10s\x0304,12 \x0307,02o\x0308,06v\x0309,13e\x0303,15r\x0311,14 \x0310,05t\x0312,04h\x0302,07e\x0306,08 \x0313,09l\x0305,10a\x0304,12z\x0307,02y\x0308,06 \x0309,13d\x0303,15o\x0311,14g\x0f"),
+            "the quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog")
+
+if __name__ == '__main__':
+    unittest.main()
diff --git a/utils.py b/utils.py
index f49de24..d099c4c 100644
--- a/utils.py
+++ b/utils.py
@@ -724,3 +724,14 @@ class IRCParser(argparse.ArgumentParser):
 
     def exit(self, *args):
         return
+
+# From http://modern.ircdocs.horse/formatting.html
+_strip_color_regex = re.compile(r'\x03(\d{1,2}(,\d{1,2})?)?')
+_irc_formatting_chars = "\x02\x1D\x1F\x1E\x11\x16\x0F\x03"
+
+def strip_irc_formatting(text):
+    """Returns text with IRC formatting (colors, underlines, bold, italics, reverse) removed."""
+    text = _strip_color_regex.sub('', text)
+    for char in _irc_formatting_chars:
+        text = text.replace(char, '')
+    return text