diff --git a/lib/validates_timeliness/attribute_methods.rb b/lib/validates_timeliness/attribute_methods.rb
index ca13b76..526f88b 100644
--- a/lib/validates_timeliness/attribute_methods.rb
+++ b/lib/validates_timeliness/attribute_methods.rb
@@ -1,32 +1,32 @@
 module ValidatesTimeliness
 
-  # The crux of the plugin is being able to store raw user entered values, 
+  # The crux of the plugin is being able to store raw user entered values,
   # while not interferring with the Rails 2.1 automatic timezone handling. This
-  # requires us to distinguish a user entered value from a value read from the 
-  # database. Both maybe in string form, but only the database value should be 
+  # requires us to distinguish a user entered value from a value read from the
+  # database. Both maybe in string form, but only the database value should be
   # interpreted as being in the default timezone which is normally UTC. The user
   # entered value should be interpreted as being in the current zone as indicated
   # by Time.zone.
   #
-  # To do this we must cache the user entered values on write and store the raw 
-  # value in the attributes hash for later retrieval and possibly validation. 
+  # To do this we must cache the user entered values on write and store the raw
+  # value in the attributes hash for later retrieval and possibly validation.
   # Any value from the database will not be in the attribute cache on first
   # read so will be considered in default timezone and converted to local time.
   # It is then stored back in the attributes hash and cached to avoid the need
   # for any subsequent differentiation.
   #
-  # The wholesale replacement of the Rails time type casting is not done to 
+  # The wholesale replacement of the Rails time type casting is not done to
   # preserve the quickest conversion for timestamp columns and also any value
   # which is never changed during the life of the record object.
   #
-  # Dates are also handled but only write to cache value converted by plugin 
+  # Dates are also handled but only write to cache value converted by plugin
   # parser. Default read method will retrieve from cache or do default
   # conversion
   module AttributeMethods
-    
+
     def self.included(base)
       base.extend ClassMethods
-      
+
       if Rails::VERSION::STRING < '2.1'
         base.class_eval do
           class << self
@@ -37,9 +37,9 @@ module ValidatesTimeliness
         end
       end
     end
-    
-    # Adds check for cached time attributes which have been type cast already
-    # and value can be used from cache. This prevents the raw time value from 
+
+    # Adds check for cached date/time attributes which have been type cast already
+    # and value can be used from cache. This prevents the raw date/time value from
     # being type cast using default Rails type casting when writing values
     # to the database.
     def read_attribute(attr_name)
@@ -60,11 +60,36 @@ module ValidatesTimeliness
         nil
       end
     end
-    
+
+    # Writes attribute value by storing raw value in attributes hash,
+    # then convert it with parser and cache it.
+    #
+    # If Rails 2.1 dirty attributes is enabled then the value is added to
+    # changed attributes if changed. Can't use the default dirty checking
+    # implementation as it chains the write_attribute method which deletes
+    # the attribute from the cache.
+    def write_date_time_attribute(attr_name, value)
+      attr_name = attr_name.to_s
+      column = column_for_attribute(attr_name)
+
+      old = read_attribute('#{attr_name}') if defined?(ActiveRecord::Dirty)
+      new = self.class.parse_date_time(value, column.type)
+
+      if self.class.send(:create_time_zone_conversion_attribute?, attr_name, column)
+        new = new.in_time_zone rescue nil
+      end
+      @attributes_cache[attr_name] = new
+
+      if defined?(ActiveRecord::Dirty) && !changed_attributes.include?(attr_name) && old != new
+        changed_attributes[attr_name] = (old.duplicable? ? old.clone : old)
+      end
+      @attributes[attr_name] = value
+    end
+
     module ClassMethods
-    
-      # Modified from AR to define Date and Time attribute reader and writer
-      # methods with strict time type casting.
+
+      # Override AR method to define attribute reader and writer method for
+      # date, time and datetime attributes to use plugin parser.
       def define_attribute_methods
         return if generated_methods?
         columns_hash.each do |name, column|
@@ -79,10 +104,8 @@ module ValidatesTimeliness
           end
 
           unless instance_method_already_implemented?("#{name}=")
-            if create_time_zone_conversion_attribute?(name, column)
-              define_write_method_for_time_zone_conversion(name.to_sym)
-            elsif [:date, :time, :datetime].include?(column.type)
-              define_write_method_for_dates_and_times(name.to_sym, column.type)
+            if [:date, :time, :datetime].include?(column.type)
+              define_write_method_for_dates_and_times(name.to_sym)
             else
               define_write_method(name.to_sym)
             end
@@ -93,36 +116,21 @@ module ValidatesTimeliness
           end
         end
       end
-      
-      # Define time attribute write method to store raw time value in 
-      # attributes hash, then convert it with parser and cache it.
-      #
-      # If Rails 2.1 dirty attributes is enabled then the value is added to 
-      # changed attributes if changed. Can't use the default dirty checking
-      # implementation as it chains the write_attribute method which deletes
-      # the attribute from the cache.
-      def define_write_method_for_time_zone_conversion(attr_name)
+
+      # Define write method for date, time and datetime columns
+      def define_write_method_for_dates_and_times(attr_name)
         method_body = <<-EOV
-          def #{attr_name}=(time)
-            old = read_attribute('#{attr_name}')
-            @attributes['#{attr_name}'] = time
-            unless time.acts_like?(:time)
-              time = self.class.parse_date_time(time, :datetime)
-            end
-            time = time.in_time_zone rescue nil
-            if !changed_attributes.include?('#{attr_name}') && old != time
-              changed_attributes['#{attr_name}'] = (old.duplicable? ? old.clone : old)
-            end
-            @attributes_cache['#{attr_name}'] = time
+          def #{attr_name}=(value)
+             write_date_time_attribute('#{attr_name}', value)
           end
         EOV
-        evaluate_attribute_method attr_name, method_body, "#{attr_name}="
-      end        
-      
-      # Define time attribute reader. If reloading then check if cached, 
-      # which means its in local time. If local, convert with parser as local 
-      # timezone, otherwise use read_attribute method for quick default type 
-      # cast of values from database using default timezone. 
+        evaluate_attribute_method attr_name, method_body
+      end
+
+      # Define time attribute reader. If reloading then check if cached,
+      # which means its in local time. If local, convert with parser as local
+      # timezone, otherwise use read_attribute method for quick default type
+      # cast of values from database using default timezone.
       def define_read_method_for_time_zone_conversion(attr_name)
         method_body = <<-EOV
           def #{attr_name}(reload = false)
@@ -140,24 +148,7 @@ module ValidatesTimeliness
         EOV
         evaluate_attribute_method attr_name, method_body
       end
-      
-      # Define write for date and time columns or when time zone conversion is 
-      # off. This is the default for Rails 2.0
-      def define_write_method_for_dates_and_times(attr_name, type)
-        method_body = <<-EOV
-          def #{attr_name}=(value)
-            old = read_attribute('#{attr_name}') if defined?(ActiveRecord::Dirty)
-            new = self.class.parse_date_time(value, :#{type})
-            @attributes_cache['#{attr_name}'] = new
-            if defined?(ActiveRecord::Dirty) && !changed_attributes.include?('#{attr_name}') && old != new
-              changed_attributes['#{attr_name}'] = (old.duplicable? ? old.clone : old)
-            end
-            @attributes['#{attr_name}'] = value
-          end
-        EOV
-        evaluate_attribute_method attr_name, method_body
-      end
-      
+
     end
 
   end