diff --git a/lua/telekasten.lua b/lua/telekasten.lua
index 67d62c3..6491225 100644
--- a/lua/telekasten.lua
+++ b/lua/telekasten.lua
@@ -238,25 +238,6 @@ local function make_config_path_absolute(path)
     return ret
 end
 
--- sanitize strings
-local escape_chars = function(string)
-    return string.gsub(string, "[%(|%)|\\|%[|%]|%-|%{%}|%?|%+|%*|%^|%$|%/]", {
-        ["\\"] = "\\\\",
-        ["-"] = "\\-",
-        ["("] = "\\(",
-        [")"] = "\\)",
-        ["["] = "\\[",
-        ["]"] = "\\]",
-        ["{"] = "\\{",
-        ["}"] = "\\}",
-        ["?"] = "\\?",
-        ["+"] = "\\+",
-        ["*"] = "\\*",
-        ["^"] = "\\^",
-        ["$"] = "\\$",
-    })
-end
-
 local function recursive_substitution(dir, old, new)
     if not global_dir_check() then
         return
@@ -267,8 +248,8 @@ local function recursive_substitution(dir, old, new)
         return
     end
 
-    old = escape_chars(old)
-    new = escape_chars(new)
+    old = tkutils.grep_escape(old)
+    new = tkutils.grep_escape(new)
 
     local sedcommand = "sed -i"
     if vim.fn.has("mac") == 1 then
diff --git a/lua/telekasten/utils/init.lua b/lua/telekasten/utils/init.lua
index 5186cb1..01f10b2 100644
--- a/lua/telekasten/utils/init.lua
+++ b/lua/telekasten/utils/init.lua
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 local M = {}
 
 -- Prints a basic error message
-local function print_error(s)
+function M.print_error(s)
     vim.cmd("echohl ErrorMsg")
     vim.cmd("echomsg " .. '"' .. s .. '"')
     vim.cmd("echohl None")
@@ -18,4 +18,23 @@ function M.strip(s, chars_to_remove)
     return s:gsub("[" .. M.escape(chars_to_remove) .. "]", "")
 end
 
+-- Escapes for regex functions like grep or rg
+function M.grep_escape(s)
+    return s:gsub("[%(|%)|\\|%[|%]|%-|%{%}|%?|%+|%*|%^|%$|%/]", {
+        ["\\"] = "\\\\",
+        ["-"] = "\\-",
+        ["("] = "\\(",
+        [")"] = "\\)",
+        ["["] = "\\[",
+        ["]"] = "\\]",
+        ["{"] = "\\{",
+        ["}"] = "\\}",
+        ["?"] = "\\?",
+        ["+"] = "\\+",
+        ["*"] = "\\*",
+        ["^"] = "\\^",
+        ["$"] = "\\$",
+    })
+end
+
 return M