How to filter form data efficiently?

I'm a noob to CF and I need to figure out how to filter form data efficiently. I'm making a simple guestbook, but want to be able to apply a TRIM to each element, plus it would be nice if I could run each through a custom function to filter as well, to remove any nasty HTML characters and the like.

    Here is my form page

<cfif IsDefined("form.submit") AND IsDefined("form.comment") AND IsDefined("form.name") AND IsDefined("form.location")><!---these should be sent regardless if they are blank--->
     <cfif Trim(form.comment) NEQ "">
          <cfset form.comment = Trim(form.comment)>
          <cfif Trim(form.name) NEQ "">
               <cfset form.name = Trim(form.name)>
          <cfelse>
               <cfset form.name = "Anonymous">
          </cfif>
          <cfset form.location = Trim(form.location)>
          <!---leave it blank if empty---><!---THERE SHOULD BE AN EASIER WAY TO FILTER EACH FORM ELEMENT, FOR INSTANCE TO DO A TRIM ON ALL OF THEM---><!---
                    THIS DIDNT WORK
                    <cfparam name="form.name" default="Anonymous">
                    <cfparam name="form.location" default="">
                    --->
          <cfinvoke
          component="guestbook.cfc.db"
          method="insert_comment">
          <cfinvokeargument name="form_data" value="#form#"/>
          </cfinvoke>
     <cfelse>
          <cfset message="Comment is required!">
     </cfif>
</cfif>


<cfform method="post" name="guestbook">
<label>Name <cfinput type="text" name="name" size="50" maxlength="50"></label>
<label>Location <cfinput type="text" name="location" size="50" maxlength="50"></label>
<label>Comment <textarea name="comment" cols="65" rows="10" wrap="virtual"></textarea></label>
<button type="submit" name="submit" value="Submit">Submit</button>
</cfform>

     Here is my CFC

     <cfcomponent>
     <!--- INSERT COMMENT --->
     <cffunction name="insert_comment" access="public" returntype="void">
          <cfargument name="form_data" type="struct" required="yes">
          <cfquery datasource="guestbook">
               INSERT INTO comments
               (name, location, comment)
               VALUES
               ('#form_data.name#', '#form_data.location#', '#form_data.comment#')
          </cfquery>
     </cffunction>
</cfcomponent>