I have a formatting problem

I have cells with a general format so when i type something it comes out as
typed.

However...

If I type a % number in for example 50%. If I retype text into the same cell
afterwards it come out as text%, retaining the percentage format.

Even when I reapply the general format from the format cells dialog, or use
the format painter, the % doesnt go away. I have to manually select the text
and delete the % sign.

Can anyone offer help on how to revert the cells back to general format to
stop the percentage format dominating when it is used?

Thanks,

Roger