diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 7a02c71..ed8af29 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -5,3 +5,7 @@
 .bundle
 Gemfile.lock
 .gem
+*.bak
+*~
+*.old
+*.tar.gz
diff --git a/lib/street_address.rb b/lib/street_address.rb
index 75189d3..159c567 100644
--- a/lib/street_address.rb
+++ b/lib/street_address.rb
@@ -877,9 +877,10 @@ def parse_intersection(intersection, args)
       end
 
       private def to_address(input, args)
-        # strip off some punctuation
+        # strip off some punctuation and whitespace
         input.values.each { |string|
-          string.gsub!(/^\s+|\s+$|[^\w\s\-\#\&]/)
+          string.strip!
+          string.gsub!(/[^\w\s\-\#\&]/, '')
         }
 
         if( input['street'] && !input['street_type'] )
diff --git a/test/test_street_address.rb b/test/test_street_address.rb
index 823b545..453b69b 100644
--- a/test/test_street_address.rb
+++ b/test/test_street_address.rb
@@ -198,14 +198,14 @@ class StreetAddressUsTest < MiniTest::Test
       :city => 'Philadelphia',
       :street_type => 'St',
     },
-    # "100 S.E. Washington Ave, Minneapolis, MN" => {
-    #   :number => '100',
-    #   :street => 'Washington',
-    #   :state => 'MN',
-    #   :city => 'Minneapolis',
-    #   :street_type => 'Ave',
-    #   :prefix => 'SE'
-    # },
+    "100 S.E. Washington Ave, Minneapolis, MN" => {
+      :number => '100',
+      :street => 'Washington',
+      :state => 'MN',
+      :city => 'Minneapolis',
+      :street_type => 'Ave',
+      :prefix => 'SE'
+    },
     "3813 1/2 Some Road, Los Angeles, CA" => {
       :number => '3813',
       :street => 'Some',