diff --git a/lib/dump_cleaner/cleanup/cleaning.rb b/lib/dump_cleaner/cleanup/cleaning.rb
index 70a0567..bc33bc2 100644
--- a/lib/dump_cleaner/cleanup/cleaning.rb
+++ b/lib/dump_cleaner/cleanup/cleaning.rb
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ def initialize(config:)
         @config = config
       end
 
-      def clean_value_for(orig_value, type:, cleanup_data:, column_config:, record: {}, keep_record: false)
+      def clean_value_for(orig_value, type:, cleanup_data:, column_config:, record: {}, keep_record: false) # rubocop:disable Metrics/ParameterLists
         step_context = StepContext.new(orig_value:, type:, cleanup_data:, record:)
 
         # return orig_value if keep_same conditions are met
diff --git a/spec/lib/dump_cleaner/cleanup/cleaning_spec.rb b/spec/lib/dump_cleaner/cleanup/cleaning_spec.rb
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..4ba7b72
--- /dev/null
+++ b/spec/lib/dump_cleaner/cleanup/cleaning_spec.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,158 @@
+# frozen_string_literal: true
+
+require "spec_helper"
+
+RSpec.describe DumpCleaner::Cleanup::Cleaning do
+  def step_context(current_value:)
+    DumpCleaner::Cleanup::StepContext.new(type: "some_type", cleanup_data: %w[], orig_value: current_value) # this will also set current_value
+  end
+
+  def column_config(unique: false)
+    DumpCleaner::Config::CleanupTableColumnConfig.new(name: "column", cleanup_type: "type", unique:)
+  end
+
+  def config_double(steps: [], ignore_keep_same_record_conditions: false, keep_same_conditions: [], type: "some_type")
+    config_double = instance_double(DumpCleaner::Config)
+    allow(config_double).to receive(:steps_for).and_return(steps)
+    allow(config_double).to receive(:ignore_keep_same_record_conditions?).with(type)
+                                                                         .and_return(ignore_keep_same_record_conditions)
+    allow(config_double).to receive(:keep_same_conditions).with(type).and_return(keep_same_conditions)
+    config_double
+  end
+
+  def cleaning_workflow
+    cleaning_workflow = instance_double(DumpCleaner::Cleanup::Workflow)
+    expect(DumpCleaner::Cleanup::Workflow).to receive(:new).with(phase: :cleaning).and_return(cleaning_workflow)
+    cleaning_workflow
+  end
+
+  def failure_workflow
+    failure_workflow = instance_double(DumpCleaner::Cleanup::Workflow)
+    expect(DumpCleaner::Cleanup::Workflow).to receive(:new).with(phase: :failure).and_return(failure_workflow)
+    failure_workflow
+  end
+
+  before do
+    DumpCleaner::Cleanup::Uniqueness::CaseInsensitiveCache.instance.clear
+  end
+
+  describe "#clean_value_for" do
+    it "creates an initial step_context and runs the cleaning workflow" do
+      expect(cleaning_workflow).to receive(:run).and_return(step_context(current_value: "xyz"))
+      failure_workflow
+
+      result = described_class.new(config: config_double).clean_value_for("abc", type: "some_type",
+                                                                                 cleanup_data: [], column_config:)
+      expect(result).to eq("xyz")
+    end
+
+    it "runs also the failure workflow when the cleaning phase returns nil" do
+      expect(cleaning_workflow).to receive(:run).and_return(step_context(current_value: nil))
+      expect(failure_workflow).to receive(:run).and_return(step_context(current_value: "xyz"))
+
+      result = described_class.new(config: config_double).clean_value_for("abc", type: "some_type",
+                                                                                 cleanup_data: [], column_config:)
+      expect(result).to eq("xyz")
+    end
+
+    it "keeps the original value when keep_same conditions are met" do
+      expect(cleaning_workflow).not_to receive(:run)
+      expect(failure_workflow).not_to receive(:run)
+
+      keep_same_conditions = [DumpCleaner::Config::ConditionConfig.new(condition: "eq", value: "abc", column: nil)]
+      result = described_class.new(config: config_double(keep_same_conditions:))
+                              .clean_value_for("abc", type: "some_type", cleanup_data: [], column_config:)
+      expect(result).to eq("abc")
+    end
+
+    it "but does not keeps the original value when keep_same conditions are not met" do
+      expect(cleaning_workflow).to receive(:run).and_return(step_context(current_value: nil))
+      expect(failure_workflow).to receive(:run).and_return(step_context(current_value: "xyz"))
+
+      keep_same_conditions = [DumpCleaner::Config::ConditionConfig.new(condition: "eq", value: "foo", column: nil)]
+      result = described_class.new(config: config_double(keep_same_conditions:))
+                              .clean_value_for("abc", type: "some_type", cleanup_data: [], column_config:)
+      expect(result).to eq("xyz")
+    end
+
+    context "when keep_record is set to true" do
+      it "keeps the original value and runs no workflows" do
+        expect(cleaning_workflow).not_to receive(:run)
+        expect(failure_workflow).not_to receive(:run)
+
+        result = described_class.new(config: config_double).clean_value_for("abc", type: "some_type", cleanup_data: [],
+                                                                                   column_config:, keep_record: true)
+
+        expect(result).to eq("abc")
+      end
+
+      it "but does not keep the original value and runs workflows when ignore_keep_same_record_conditions is true" do
+        expect(cleaning_workflow).to receive(:run).and_return(step_context(current_value: nil))
+        expect(failure_workflow).to receive(:run).and_return(step_context(current_value: "xyz"))
+
+        result = described_class.new(config: config_double(ignore_keep_same_record_conditions: true))
+                                .clean_value_for("abc", type: "some_type", cleanup_data: [],
+                                                        column_config:, keep_record: true)
+
+        expect(result).to eq("xyz")
+      end
+    end
+
+    context "when uniqueness desired" do
+      it "runs the cleaning workflow repeatedly until a unique value is found" do
+        expect(cleaning_workflow).to receive(:run).twice.and_return(step_context(current_value: "def"),
+                                                                    step_context(current_value: "xyz"))
+        expect(failure_workflow).not_to receive(:run)
+
+        DumpCleaner::Cleanup::Uniqueness::CaseInsensitiveCache.instance.push(type: "some_type", value: "def")
+
+        result = described_class.new(config: config_double)
+                                .clean_value_for("abc", type: "some_type", cleanup_data: [],
+                                                        column_config: column_config(unique: true))
+        expect(result).to eq("xyz")
+      end
+
+      it "runs both workflows repeatedly until a unique value is found" do
+        expect(cleaning_workflow).to receive(:run).twice.and_return(step_context(current_value: nil))
+        expect(failure_workflow).to receive(:run).twice.and_return(step_context(current_value: "def"),
+                                                                   step_context(current_value: "xyz"))
+
+        DumpCleaner::Cleanup::Uniqueness::CaseInsensitiveCache.instance.push(type: "some_type", value: "def")
+
+        result = described_class.new(config: config_double)
+                                .clean_value_for("abc", type: "some_type", cleanup_data: [],
+                                                        column_config: column_config(unique: true))
+        expect(result).to eq("xyz")
+      end
+
+      it "runs the failure workflow repeatedly until a unique value is found when max retries reached" do
+        expect(cleaning_workflow).to receive(:run).at_least(:once).and_return(step_context(current_value: "def"))
+        expect(failure_workflow).to receive(:run).twice.and_return(step_context(current_value: "def"),
+                                                                   step_context(current_value: "xyz"))
+
+        DumpCleaner::Cleanup::Uniqueness::CaseInsensitiveCache.instance.push(type: "some_type", value: "def")
+
+        result = described_class.new(config: config_double)
+                                .clean_value_for("abc", type: "some_type", cleanup_data: [],
+                                                        column_config: column_config(unique: true))
+        expect(result).to eq("xyz")
+      end
+
+      context "when keep_record is set to true" do
+        it "adds a suffix to the original value and runs no workflows until a unique value is found" do
+          expect(cleaning_workflow).not_to receive(:run)
+          expect(failure_workflow).not_to receive(:run)
+
+          DumpCleaner::Cleanup::Uniqueness::CaseInsensitiveCache.instance.push(type: "some_type", value: "abc")
+
+          result = described_class.new(config: config_double)
+                                  .clean_value_for("abc", type: "some_type", cleanup_data: [],
+                                                          column_config: column_config(unique: true),
+                                                          keep_record: true)
+
+          expect(result).to eq("ab1")
+        end
+      end
+    end
+  end
+end