Removing Dirt and Debris
Prop your wipers up by lifting them up from the windshield. Put the key in the ignition and turn the electrical systems on by turning the key halfway. Turn the wipers on low and turn the key back to the “off” position once the wipers are pointing straight up. This will unlock the wipers and make them easier to clean.Tip: Clean your wiper blades every 3-6 weeks if you aren’t having any problems just to keep them clean. However, you may need to clean them earlier if water streaks in both directions when you turn the wipers on or if your wipers start sticking or scraping when it’s raining and you turn the wipers on. If you prefer, you can just leave the vehicle off and lift the blades up from the base of the windshield. Some vehicles lock the blades in the down position when the vehicle is off, though. You can also clean the wipers by gently lifting them up and reaching under the blades without propping them up.
Pour a little water, white vinegar, or denatured alcohol on a microfiber cloth. If your blades look relatively clean, just pour ⁄2 cup (120 mL) of water into your cloth. However, if the blades look fairly dirty, pour or spray some white vinegar or denatured alcohol on to the cloth instead. You can also use mineral spirits instead of water, if you prefer. Dishwashing soap is another option as well. If you go this route, add 2-3 squirts of the soap to the cloth and soak it in water to lather it up. You can use a shop towel instead of a microfiber cloth if you prefer.
Rub the cloth up and down the rubber blade to clean it. Brace the wiper to keep it from moving with your nondominant hand. Take your cloth and wrap it around the rubber or silicone wiper blade on the underside of the wiper. Slide the cloth up and down the entire length of the wiper blade to pull the gunk, dirt, and dust off of the wiper. It doesn’t take much pressure to clean the blades. Just running the cloth along the rubber or silicone is usually enough to remove all of the debris on it. If you use white vinegar, keep the cloth or towel off of the body of the vehicle. Some paint jobs may be damaged by vinegar.
Continue wiping the blade down until the cloth is clean after you wipe it. After wiping the blade 4-5 times, flip the cloth over to a clean section and wipe the blade again. If it’s clean, you’re all done! If it’s dirty, reload your cloth with more water, vinegar, or alcohol, and continue wiping the blade down until the cloth looks clean after wiping it. Repeat this process on your other wiper blade. Put the key back in the ignition and turn the electrical on let your wipers back down to their original position if that’s how you started this process.
Wash the hinge area with warm soapy water if the wipers start sticking. If your windshield wipers tend to stick or stutter when they’re on, your hinges may be dirty. Load a sponge up with soap and water. Then, gently wipe around the hinges where your wipers connect to the brackets on the windshield. Repeat this process as needed until your wipers move smoothly whenever you turn them on. Rinse the brackets off with clean water when you’re done to keep soap residue from drying out on the brackets. If your wipers still stutter, there may be something stuck under the joint where the bracket connects to the wiper. You can blow some compressed air on the joint to try to clean it out if this is the case.
Maintaining and Protecting Your Wipers
Remove debris from the base of the windshield whenever you see it. Dead leaves, twigs, and random junk tends to build up in the base of your windshield where your wipers rest when they’re off. Whenever you see something resting at the base of the windshield, take it out and throw it out. This is important when it comes to snow, too. Whenever you clean snow off of the windshield, don’t leave a layer of dirty snow at the bottom! When the snow melts, you’ll have a nasty layer of dried residue on the bottom of your windshield.
Clean your windshield with a glass cleaner once a month. Your wipers will stay cleaner for much longer if you keep your windshield glass clean. Once a month, grab a bottle of glass cleaner and spray down every portion of the windshield. Then, grab a paper towel and wipe your glass dry. Use soft, circular strokes to avoid odd streaks or patterns on the glass. Then, run your wiper with the built-in cleaner fluid to wipe off any residue.Alternative: You can do this with the glass cleaner and squeegee you find at your local gas station if you prefer.
Spray your windshield with water repellent to keep your wipers clean. One way to keep your wipers clean is to add a protective layer between the glass and the wipers. To do this, pick up a spray bottle of water repellent designed for windshields. Spray your windshield down thoroughly and work the water repellent into the glass using a paper towel or microfiber cloth. Let the windshield air dry for 4-8 hours before getting it wet. This water repellent will cause water to bead up on your windshield. The difference is quite remarkable and you’ll have a much easier time seeing in the rain. Reapply the water repellent whenever it starts wearing off and the water no longer beads up. This typically happens after 2-4 months.
Park your vehicle out of the sun to prolong the life of your wipers. The rubber or silicone wiper blades will dry out in the sun. If they get too dry, they may crack and you’ll need to replace them earlier than you normally would. Keep your vehicle in a garage or under an awning whenever you can to keep it out of the sun. This will dramatically increase the lifespan of your windshield wipers.Tip: Even if you don’t have a personal garage, parking your vehicle under a shady tree whenever you can will really help prolong your wipers.
Scrape ice and snow off before using your wipers to prevent damage. As tempting as it can be to just use your wipers to push that thick layer of snow off of your windshield, it’s really not good for your wiper blades. Use your handheld brush to push snow off and use the flat blade on the scraper to remove any ice that’s sticking to your windshield before using your wipers. Turn your vehicle on and let it defrost for 10-15 minutes if you can’t get the ice off with the scraper.
Replace your wipers every 2-3 years once they start cracking. Even if you take perfect care of your wipers, you’ll still need to replace them every 2-3 years. If you feel any cracks in the rubber or silicone when you’re cleaning or if the wipers just don’t work correctly, it’s time for a new set. To replace your wipers, lift the blades up from them windshield and find the tab located under the bracket in the middle of the blade. Pull the blade down and unhook this tab to release your wipers. Then, slide your new wiper on to the bracket and hook it to this tab to install your new set. Silicone wiper blades tend to last a little longer than rubber. They tend to be $5-15 more expensive than the standard rubber wipers, though. Beam blades last even longer since they have a metal frame running through the silicone, but they cost roughly $40-50 a pair.
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