regex - PHP - Filter unwanted elements from database input and update -

i use below method strip away unwanted characters gets inserted or updated in database.

to honest want allow following characters other regular letters , numbers: ', -, ), :... , few others. pretty characters allow write regular phrase.

am going @ right way? preg_replace strips away spaces strings. how can make stop? how can add wanted characters preg_replace?

public function strip($arr = array()) {     if (!is_array($arr) || !count($arr))     {         return array();     }      $returnarray = array();      foreach($arr $key => $val)     {         $val = $this->db->mysqli->real_escape_string($val);         $val = strip_tags($val);         //$val = preg_replace("/[^a-za-z0-9]/", '', $val);          $returnarray[$key] =  $val;      }      return $returnarray;  } 

[^a-za-z0-9\s] allow characters a-z or a-z or numbers 0-9 , whitespaces. \s stands whitespaces if want add symbols need escape them \ if used in regex $ [^\$]

if need creating regex can use regex101.com