Public Function CleanText(ByVal str As String) As String
'removes HTML tags and other characters that title tags and descriptions don't like
	If Not String.IsNullOrEmpty(str) Then
		'mini db of extended tags to get rid of
		Dim indexChars() As String = {"<a", "<img", "<input type=""hidden"" name=""tax""", "<input type=""hidden"" name=""handling""", "<span", "<p", "<ul", "<div", "<embed", "<object", "<param"}

		For i As Integer = 0 To indexChars.GetUpperBound(0)	'loop through indexchars array
			Dim indexOfInput As Integer = 0
			Do 'get rid of links
				indexOfInput = str.IndexOf(indexChars(i)) 'find instance of indexChar
				If indexOfInput <> -1 Then
					Dim indexNextLeftBracket As Integer = str.IndexOf("<", indexOfInput) + 1
					Dim indexRightBracket As Integer = str.IndexOf(">", indexOfInput) + 1
					'check to make sure a right bracket hasn't been left off a tag
					If indexNextLeftBracket > indexRightBracket Then 'normal case
						str = str.Remove(indexOfInput, indexRightBracket - indexOfInput)
					Else
						'add the right bracket right before the next left bracket, just remove everything
						'in the bad tag
						str = str.Insert(indexNextLeftBracket - 1, ">")
						indexRightBracket = str.IndexOf(">", indexOfInput) + 1
						str = str.Remove(indexOfInput, indexRightBracket - indexOfInput)
					End If
				End If
			Loop Until indexOfInput = -1
		Next
	End If
	Return str
End Function

public string StripHTMLTags(string text)
{
    return Regex.Replace(text, @"<(.|n)*?>", string.Empty);
}

@"<(?:.|n)*?>"

Dim indexNextLeftBracket As Integer = str.IndexOf("<", indexOfInput) + 1

Dim indexNextLeftBracket As Integer = str.IndexOf("<", indexOfInput+1) + 1

public static string RemoveTags( string html, params string[] allowList )
{
    if( html == null ) return null;
    Regex regex = new Regex( @"(?<Tag><(?<TagName>[a-z/]+)S*?[^<]*?>)",
                             RegexOptions.Compiled |
                             RegexOptions.IgnoreCase |
                             RegexOptions.Multiline );
    return regex.Replace(
                   html,
                   new MatchEvaluator(
                       new TagMatchEvaluator( allowList ).Replace ) );
}

private class TagMatchEvaluator
{
    private readonly ArrayList _allowed = null;

    public TagMatchEvaluator( string[] allowList )
    {
        _allowed = new ArrayList( allowList );
    }

    public string Replace( Match match )
    {
        if( _allowed.Contains( match.Groups[ "TagName" ].Value ) )
            return match.Value;
        return "";
    }
}