diff --git a/bridge/discord/discord.go b/bridge/discord/discord.go
index cd3c86e2..40e92829 100644
--- a/bridge/discord/discord.go
+++ b/bridge/discord/discord.go
@@ -4,7 +4,6 @@ import (
 	"bytes"
 	"errors"
 	"fmt"
-	"regexp"
 	"strings"
 	"sync"
 
@@ -189,8 +188,7 @@ func (b *Bdiscord) Send(msg config.Message) (string, error) {
 	}
 
 	// Strip IRC colors sent to Discord
-	re := regexp.MustCompile(`\x03(?:\d{1,2}(?:,\d{1,2})?)?|[[:cntrl:]]`)
-	msg.Text = re.ReplaceAllString(msg.Text, "")
+	msg.Text = helper.StripIRCColors.ReplaceAllString(msg.Text, "")
 
 	// Make a action /me of the message
 	if msg.Event == config.EventUserAction {
diff --git a/bridge/gitter/gitter.go b/bridge/gitter/gitter.go
index 7508df5a..6373182f 100644
--- a/bridge/gitter/gitter.go
+++ b/bridge/gitter/gitter.go
@@ -2,7 +2,6 @@ package bgitter
 
 import (
 	"fmt"
-	"regexp"
 	"strings"
 
 	"github.com/42wim/go-gitter"
@@ -101,8 +100,7 @@ func (b *Bgitter) Send(msg config.Message) (string, error) {
 	}
 
 	// Strip IRC colors sent to Gitter
-	re := regexp.MustCompile(`\x03(?:\d{1,2}(?:,\d{1,2})?)?|[[:cntrl:]]`)
-	msg.Text = re.ReplaceAllString(msg.Text, "")
+	msg.Text = helper.StripIRCColors.ReplaceAllString(msg.Text, "")
 
 	// Delete message
 	if msg.Event == config.EventMsgDelete {
diff --git a/bridge/helper/helper.go b/bridge/helper/helper.go
index dceb4848..1e7ef82c 100644
--- a/bridge/helper/helper.go
+++ b/bridge/helper/helper.go
@@ -199,3 +199,6 @@ func ConvertWebPToPNG(data *[]byte) error {
 	*data = w.Bytes()
 	return nil
 }
+
+// Strip IRC colors
+var StripIRCColors = regexp.MustCompile(`\x03(?:\d{1,2}(?:,\d{1,2})?)?|[[:cntrl:]]`)
diff --git a/bridge/matrix/matrix.go b/bridge/matrix/matrix.go
index 3aa0e174..92473755 100644
--- a/bridge/matrix/matrix.go
+++ b/bridge/matrix/matrix.go
@@ -75,8 +75,7 @@ func (b *Bmatrix) Send(msg config.Message) (string, error) {
 	b.Log.Debugf("Channel %s maps to channel id %s", msg.Channel, channel)
 
 	// Strip IRC colors sent to Matrix
-	re := regexp.MustCompile(`\x03(?:\d{1,2}(?:,\d{1,2})?)?|[[:cntrl:]]`)
-	msg.Text = re.ReplaceAllString(msg.Text, "")
+	msg.Text = helper.StripIRCColors.ReplaceAllString(msg.Text, "")
 
 	// Make a action /me of the message
 	if msg.Event == config.EventUserAction {
diff --git a/bridge/mattermost/mattermost.go b/bridge/mattermost/mattermost.go
index cdc62810..55ed0842 100644
--- a/bridge/mattermost/mattermost.go
+++ b/bridge/mattermost/mattermost.go
@@ -3,7 +3,6 @@ package bmattermost
 import (
 	"errors"
 	"fmt"
-	"regexp"
 
 	"github.com/42wim/matterbridge/bridge"
 	"github.com/42wim/matterbridge/bridge/config"
@@ -100,8 +99,7 @@ func (b *Bmattermost) Send(msg config.Message) (string, error) {
 	b.Log.Debugf("=> Receiving %#v", msg)
 
 	// Strip IRC colors sent to Mattermost
-	re := regexp.MustCompile(`\x03(?:\d{1,2}(?:,\d{1,2})?)?|[[:cntrl:]]`)
-	msg.Text = re.ReplaceAllString(msg.Text, "")
+	msg.Text = helper.StripIRCColors.ReplaceAllString(msg.Text, "")
 
 	// Make a action /me of the message
 	if msg.Event == config.EventUserAction {
diff --git a/bridge/rocketchat/rocketchat.go b/bridge/rocketchat/rocketchat.go
index 4bc4955f..3dcd0afe 100644
--- a/bridge/rocketchat/rocketchat.go
+++ b/bridge/rocketchat/rocketchat.go
@@ -2,7 +2,6 @@ package brocketchat
 
 import (
 	"errors"
-	"regexp"
 	"strings"
 	"sync"
 
@@ -110,8 +109,7 @@ func (b *Brocketchat) Send(msg config.Message) (string, error) {
 	channel := &models.Channel{ID: b.getChannelID(msg.Channel), Name: msg.Channel}
 
 	// Strip IRC colors sent to Rocketchat
-	re := regexp.MustCompile(`\x03(?:\d{1,2}(?:,\d{1,2})?)?|[[:cntrl:]]`)
-	msg.Text = re.ReplaceAllString(msg.Text, "")
+	msg.Text = helper.StripIRCColors.ReplaceAllString(msg.Text, "")
 
 	// Make a action /me of the message
 	if msg.Event == config.EventUserAction {
diff --git a/bridge/slack/slack.go b/bridge/slack/slack.go
index b4ba3ea7..ed51e352 100644
--- a/bridge/slack/slack.go
+++ b/bridge/slack/slack.go
@@ -4,7 +4,6 @@ import (
 	"bytes"
 	"errors"
 	"fmt"
-	"regexp"
 	"strings"
 	"sync"
 	"time"
@@ -183,8 +182,7 @@ func (b *Bslack) Send(msg config.Message) (string, error) {
 	msg.Text = b.replaceCodeFence(msg.Text)
 
 	// Strip IRC colors sent to Slack
-	re := regexp.MustCompile(`\x03(?:\d{1,2}(?:,\d{1,2})?)?|[[:cntrl:]]`)
-	msg.Text = re.ReplaceAllString(msg.Text, "")
+	msg.Text = helper.StripIRCColors.ReplaceAllString(msg.Text, "")
 
 	// Make a action /me of the message
 	if msg.Event == config.EventUserAction {
diff --git a/bridge/sshchat/sshchat.go b/bridge/sshchat/sshchat.go
index 9d4cf2f0..a8ecd68b 100644
--- a/bridge/sshchat/sshchat.go
+++ b/bridge/sshchat/sshchat.go
@@ -3,7 +3,6 @@ package bsshchat
 import (
 	"bufio"
 	"io"
-	"regexp"
 	"strings"
 
 	"github.com/42wim/matterbridge/bridge"
@@ -83,8 +82,7 @@ func (b *Bsshchat) Send(msg config.Message) (string, error) {
 	}
 
 	// Strip IRC colors sent to SSHChat
-	re := regexp.MustCompile(`\x03(?:\d{1,2}(?:,\d{1,2})?)?|[[:cntrl:]]`)
-	msg.Text = re.ReplaceAllString(msg.Text, "")
+	msg.Text = helper.StripIRCColors.ReplaceAllString(msg.Text, "")
 
 	_, err := b.w.Write([]byte(msg.Username + msg.Text + "\r\n"))
 	return "", err
diff --git a/bridge/steam/steam.go b/bridge/steam/steam.go
index 9731f587..6ab143a7 100644
--- a/bridge/steam/steam.go
+++ b/bridge/steam/steam.go
@@ -2,7 +2,6 @@ package bsteam
 
 import (
 	"fmt"
-	"regexp"
 	"sync"
 	"time"
 
@@ -69,8 +68,7 @@ func (b *Bsteam) Send(msg config.Message) (string, error) {
 	}
 
 	// Strip IRC colors sent to Steam
-	re := regexp.MustCompile(`\x03(?:\d{1,2}(?:,\d{1,2})?)?|[[:cntrl:]]`)
-	msg.Text = re.ReplaceAllString(msg.Text, "")
+	msg.Text = helper.StripIRCColors.ReplaceAllString(msg.Text, "")
 
 	// Handle files
 	if msg.Extra != nil {
diff --git a/bridge/telegram/telegram.go b/bridge/telegram/telegram.go
index eb5cc405..63edb1aa 100644
--- a/bridge/telegram/telegram.go
+++ b/bridge/telegram/telegram.go
@@ -2,7 +2,6 @@ package btelegram
 
 import (
 	"html"
-	"regexp"
 	"strconv"
 	"strings"
 
@@ -93,8 +92,7 @@ func (b *Btelegram) Send(msg config.Message) (string, error) {
 	}
 
 	// Strip IRC colors sent to Telegram
-	re := regexp.MustCompile(`\x03(?:\d{1,2}(?:,\d{1,2})?)?|[[:cntrl:]]`)
-	msg.Text = re.ReplaceAllString(msg.Text, "")
+	msg.Text = helper.StripIRCColors.ReplaceAllString(msg.Text, "")
 
 	// edit the message if we have a msg ID
 	if msg.ID != "" {
diff --git a/bridge/whatsapp/whatsapp.go b/bridge/whatsapp/whatsapp.go
index 842e1529..ed362faa 100644
--- a/bridge/whatsapp/whatsapp.go
+++ b/bridge/whatsapp/whatsapp.go
@@ -6,7 +6,6 @@ import (
 	"errors"
 	"fmt"
 	"os"
-	"regexp"
 	"strings"
 	"time"
 
@@ -245,8 +244,7 @@ func (b *Bwhatsapp) Send(msg config.Message) (string, error) {
 	b.Log.Debugf("=> Receiving %#v", msg)
 
 	// Strip IRC colors sent to Whatsapp
-	re := regexp.MustCompile(`\x03(?:\d{1,2}(?:,\d{1,2})?)?|[[:cntrl:]]`)
-	msg.Text = re.ReplaceAllString(msg.Text, "")
+	msg.Text = helper.StripIRCColors.ReplaceAllString(msg.Text, "")
 
 	// Delete message
 	if msg.Event == config.EventMsgDelete {
diff --git a/bridge/xmpp/xmpp.go b/bridge/xmpp/xmpp.go
index 71596d19..93f5c411 100644
--- a/bridge/xmpp/xmpp.go
+++ b/bridge/xmpp/xmpp.go
@@ -2,7 +2,6 @@ package bxmpp
 
 import (
 	"crypto/tls"
-	"regexp"
 	"strings"
 	"time"
 
@@ -84,8 +83,7 @@ func (b *Bxmpp) Send(msg config.Message) (string, error) {
 	b.Log.Debugf("=> Receiving %#v", msg)
 
 	// Strip IRC colors sent to XMPP
-	re := regexp.MustCompile(`\x03(?:\d{1,2}(?:,\d{1,2})?)?|[[:cntrl:]]`)
-	msg.Text = re.ReplaceAllString(msg.Text, "")
+	msg.Text = helper.StripIRCColors.ReplaceAllString(msg.Text, "")
 
 	// Upload a file (in xmpp case send the upload URL because xmpp has no native upload support)
 	if msg.Extra != nil {
diff --git a/bridge/zulip/zulip.go b/bridge/zulip/zulip.go
index 088167bc..d73e96d7 100644
--- a/bridge/zulip/zulip.go
+++ b/bridge/zulip/zulip.go
@@ -3,7 +3,6 @@ package bzulip
 import (
 	"encoding/json"
 	"io/ioutil"
-	"regexp"
 	"strconv"
 	"strings"
 	"sync"
@@ -65,8 +64,7 @@ func (b *Bzulip) Send(msg config.Message) (string, error) {
 	}
 
 	// Strip IRC colors sent to Zulip
-	re := regexp.MustCompile(`\x03(?:\d{1,2}(?:,\d{1,2})?)?|[[:cntrl:]]`)
-	msg.Text = re.ReplaceAllString(msg.Text, "")
+	msg.Text = helper.StripIRCColors.ReplaceAllString(msg.Text, "")
 
 	// Upload a file if it exists
 	if msg.Extra != nil {