Articles / Expert tips
5 Ways To Maintain Your Windscreen Wipers For A Clearer Windscreen and Safer Driving
12 November 2021
Windscreen wipers are one of life’s easily forgotten things. They’re there on your car every day and you don’t pay them much attention – until it rains. Suddenly, you’re struggling to see as you’re driving, wishing you had have taken better care of them.
During bad weather conditions, those rubber wiper blades do wonders to remove moisture and debris from your windscreen, so you always have a clear view of the road ahead. That’s why it’s so important to understand how to look after your windscreen wipers so they can look after you.
Let’s discuss some simple tips about maintaining your windscreen wipers so you can prolong their life and maximise your visibility while driving.
The role of the humble windscreen wiper
Just like your headlights, taillights, side mirrors and seatbelts, windscreen wipers help to keep drivers safe by providing clear road vision, especially during weather conditions such as rain and snow.
Since the majority of driving decisions are based on what a driver can see, it’s important to have a good set of wiper blades that can easily wipe away any dirt, water and marks that may block your sight and distract you while you’re driving.
5 tips to take care of your windscreen wipers.
Old wiper blades may not properly remove debris and moisture since they can no longer come in close contact with the surface of your windscreen.
Damaged or cracked wiper blades can also scratch your glass, costing you more on repairs than simply replacing them once or twice a year.
Here are some of our top windscreen wiper care tips to keep them in good condition:
1. Keep their surfaces clean.
If your wipers are leaving streaks on your windscreen, it’s time to give them a good cleaning. Wet a cloth, lift the wiper and very gently run the cloth along the edge of the blades to remove any dirt and grime that has built up over time.
Keeping them clean from any debris will help keep your wiper blades working well.
2. Stay out of the sun’s direct heat.
Hot weather is just one factor that can cause your wiper blades to deteriorate over time.
You can help extend their life by finding a shady place to park your car rather than leaving it out in the sun for long periods of time, where possible.
3. Clear the ice.
Hard ice on your windscreen can damage the rubber on your wiper blades. We always recommend clearing the ice before getting into your car and operating your wipers. Often people will turn on their heater and blast the windscreen with hot air. It’s a great way to heat your car and warm up the windscreen to remove the ice. But, we advise doing this with caution. Should your windscreen have a small stone chip, the changes in temperature could cause your chip to turn into a crack, and then you could be up for the cost of a new windscreen.
If you do find yourself parking your car overnight in icing or snowy weather we recommend you raise your front and rear wipers in the upward position, away from the car, to avoid contact and therefore damage to your wipers from resting against the glass.
4. Never run the wiper blades on a dry windscreen
Windscreen wipers are made to be used for wet surfaces.
So, press your water spray button first before running your wiper blades across the windscreen to ensure the rubber will not get damaged moving across the dry surface. This is also a good reminder to always top up your wiper fluid.
5. Consider replacing your windscreen wiper blades once a year.
Their lifespan can vary due to a variety of factors including cleaning frequency, environmental conditions and exposure to sunlight. Replacing your wiper blades as soon as you notice a change in their performance will ensure you can always be prepared for optimising your visibility during adverse driving conditions.
Windscreen wiper blades that aren’t replaced regularly could make them ineffective in wet weather, which will decrease visibility. So, make sure to constantly check their condition especially if you’re frequently driving in harsh conditions.
Knowing when to replace your windscreen wiper blades
While most wiper blades are fairly easy to replace, most drivers often forget to maintain them, causing bigger problems down the road.
When your wiper blades don’t make enough contact on your windscreen you may start to see stripes, streaks and smears impacting your vision as well as those annoying sounds as your wipers flutter and rattle across your windscreen,
To see what some of these signs look like, check out our windscreen wiper page.
At O'Brien®, we recommend replacing windscreen wipers with a trusted brand, like Bosch, which has a wide range of wipers with inbuilt technology such as aerodynamics and a patented rubber coating for optimum wiper performance.
We can recommend which windscreen wiper blades sets are right for you and your car and can even replace them for you!
Need help with your wipers? Trust your local experts at O'Brien® AutoGlass
If you know you need new windscreen wipers we can help. Or, if you’re perhaps are a little unsure we can check them for you and advise.
While you may not use your windscreen wiper blades often, it’s still important to have them checked and replaced regularly to help ensure you always have clear vision when driving in adverse weather conditions.
You can purchase your new wiper blades when booking in your repair or replacement, or at any of our O'Brien® AutoGlass branches. For more information about our services, call us on 1800 059 829 or visit our website.
