Ways to Extend the Life of your Wiper Blades

When it comes to car maintenance, a part that hardly gets any attention is the car wiper. If you’re wondering why you need to care for your car wipers, then ask yourself, can you imagine driving through heavy rain without them? Wiper blades keep your windshield spotless and increase visibility to help you drive through storms and rainfalls. Therefore, they may be a small element of the vehicle, but they make a huge impact on your driving and keep you safe by just pushing a button.

Although windshield wipers are an essential component of the car, they are also very fragile. The blades are in direct contact with dust, dirt, sunlight, bugs, and other airborne debris that can hamper their functionality. Car wipers have a short lifespan and sometimes need changing every six months as they can lose their flexibility and form. However, if taken good care of, then they can last for more than a year.

Here’s How You Can Extend the Life of Your Car Wipers

Even though wiper blades are not extremely expensive to replace, yet having to change them every six months can be annoying. These simple tips can help you prolong the life of your car wiper.

Park in the Shade

Exposure to extreme heat can damage the car wiper, which is why summers can be harsh for the wiper blades.  The heat exposure causes the rubber blades to soften and then harden, which leads to them getting cracked. While you cannot reduce the summer heat, you can still make sure that the car stays protected from direct sunlight, which contains harmful UV rays. Park your car in some shade or inside a garage to protect your wiper blades and prolong their life.

Keep the Windshield Clean

A smooth windshield means less friction for the car wiper as it will be free of dirt and debris. When the car wiper moves on a dirty windscreen, it drags the dust and grime with it and often spreads it around or leaves marks on it. For a habit of cleaning the windshield with a glass cleaner and a clean cloth or a sponge. Washing the whole car at least twice a month is essential as it keeps the exterior looking clean and new.

Refill the Washer Fluid

Most drivers don’t care about refilling the windscreen washer fluid reservoir that helps you wipe off dirt from the glass. However, if you wish to extend the life of your car wiper, then you must keep your washer fluid reservoir filled. Are you wondering why the washer fluid is important? The washer fluid is a specialised fluid meant to clean dirt, grime, and droppings from your windshield. It is a lot more effective than water as it contains chemicals and detergents that make it easier to clean stubborn messes. Thus, the blades should also be cleaned only with the washer fluid.

Do Not Wipe Dry Surfaces

A car wiper is designed to wipe off liquids and moisture from the windshield, and hence, they should not be operated when the shield is completely dry. You must have heard a screechy sound when you operate the wiper blades on the dry glass to wipe off dirt and grime. This is a clear indication of the added pressure on the rubber blades, which is wearing them down. Another drawback of operating the wipers on dry glass is that it could easily leave permanent scratches on the windshield by dragging whatever dirt is on the glass. If you need to clean the windscreen, spray some washer fluid on the glass first and then switch on the wipers.

Do Not Scrape Snow!

If you live in a place where it snows in winters, then you must have to deal with your windshield getting covered in snow in the cold months. In this case, it may seem like an easy solution to just scrape off the ice and snow with the car wiper, but you should never do that. The wiper blades are not meant to scrape anything solid, and the rubber could crack and break off by doing this. Use a scraper or some other tool to scrape off the snow from the windscreen before taking your car out.

The next time you take your car to a service centre, ask the technician to take a look at the wiper blades, and evaluate whether you need to replace them.

How Can Car Fit Experts Help you?

Since a car wiper does not have a long life span, you must get it changed if you see any wear-and-tear. Car Fit Experts provides the best-quality car wiper blades. You can walk into one of our closeby service centres or simply schedule an appointment and avail of our doorstep facilities. Our experts will check and replace your wiper blades instantly.

So, if you need wiper blade replacement or any other car-care service, get in touch with Car Fit Experts today!