PDF Cleanup & Text Extraction

I have a batch of normal, selectable-text PDFs that must be converted to clean .txt files. During extraction I need every extra space, blank line, and page number stripped out so the result reads as continuous prose. Headings and bulleted or numbered lists should stay intact for readability, while any tables can be flattened into simple text lines (one row per line, columns separated by a clear delimiter such as a tab or pipe).

Each source PDF must map to its own .txt file, keeping the original filename for easy cross-reference. The final text should be UTF-8 and open without formatting glitches on any basic editor.

Tools are your choice—Python with pdfminer.six, Tika, pdftotext, even a well-tested script of your own—as long as they handle the cleanup rules above reliably and repeatably.

Deliverables
• Cleaned .txt file for every PDF supplied
• Brief note on the method or script used so I can reproduce results if the PDF set grows

Acceptance criteria
• No page headers/footers or page numbers remain
• No double spaces or stray blank lines
• Headings and lists preserved; tables appear as single-line text rows
• Word order and spelling match the original PDF text exactly

Once the cleaned files pass these checks, the milestone is complete.