EDIT

    /**

     * Removes all non-word character (i.e. *, @, %, line breaks, etc.)

     * from the given string

     * @param string the string which should be trimmed

     * @return the trimmed string

     */

    static public String trimNonWordCharacters(String string){

        return replaceNonWordCharacters(string, "");

    }

    /**

     * Replaces all non-word character (i.e. *, @, %, line breaks, etc.)

     * with the given replacement string

     * @param string the string which should be trimmed

     * @param replacement the replacement for the non-word characters

     * @return the trimmed string

     */

    static public String replaceNonWordCharacters(String string, String replacement){

        return string.replaceAll("\\W", replacement);

    }