diff --git a/benedict/utils/parse_util.py b/benedict/utils/parse_util.py
index 4977b8b..68e2db0 100644
--- a/benedict/utils/parse_util.py
+++ b/benedict/utils/parse_util.py
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ from dateutil import parser as date_parser
 from decimal import Decimal, DecimalException
 from MailChecker import MailChecker
 from phonenumbers import phonenumberutil, PhoneNumberFormat
+from six import string_types
 from slugify import slugify
 
 import ftfy
@@ -164,10 +165,14 @@ def parse_slug(val):
 
 
 def parse_str(val):
-    val = str(val).strip()
-    try:
-        val = ftfy.fix_text(val)
-    except UnicodeError:
-        pass
+    if (isinstance(val, string_types)):
+        try:
+            val = ftfy.fix_text(val)
+        except UnicodeError:
+            pass
+    else:
+        val = str(val)
+    val = val.strip()
+    val = ' '.join(val.split())
     return val
 
diff --git a/tests/test_parse_dict.py b/tests/test_parse_dict.py
index 855af16..21561dd 100644
--- a/tests/test_parse_dict.py
+++ b/tests/test_parse_dict.py
@@ -433,19 +433,23 @@ class ParseDictTestCase(unittest.TestCase):
     def test_get_str(self):
         d = {
             'a': 'Hello World',
-            'b': 1,
+            'b': 'Hello  World',
+            'c': 1,
         }
         b = ParseDict(d)
         self.assertEqual(b.get_str('a'), 'Hello World')
-        self.assertEqual(b.get_str('b'), '1')
+        self.assertEqual(b.get_str('b'), 'Hello World')
+        self.assertEqual(b.get_str('c'), '1')
 
     # # only python 3
     # def test_get_str_fix_encoding(self):
     #     d = {
     #         'a': 'Sexâ\x80\x99n Drug',
+    #         'b': 'Localit\xe0',
     #     }
     #     b = ParseDict(d)
-    #     self.assertEqual(b.get_str('a'), 'Sex\'n Drug')
+    #     # self.assertEqual(b.get_str('a'), 'Sex\'n Drug')
+    #     # self.assertEqual(b.get_str('b'), 'Località')
 
     def test_get_str_list(self):
         d = {