Dirty windscreen wipers can cause all sorts of problems for drivers, like damaging the windscreen or smudging debris when the vehicle is in operation. To avoid making the problem worse or potentially having to repair your windscreen wipers, here’s a step-by-step guide on how to thoroughly clean them, plus some quick tips to keep them healthy all year round.
Steps To Clean Your Wiper Blades
Step 1: Wash your windscreen
To remove the dirt from your windscreen, fill a bucket or large container with soapy water, then begin to wipe down your windscreen with a cloth. Alternatively, to make things easier, you can use either a hose or jet washer for extra efficiency.
Step 2: Lift the windscreen wiper arms
To do this, you should gently pull back the windscreen wipers. This may feel unnatural at first, but they should lock into position, which will then allow you to properly wipe them down. The wipers should stay up on their own, however if they don’t, simply hold them in place as you continue to clean your wipers.
Step 3: Correctly wipe down the wipers
Use a cloth or sponge and soapy water to remove any contaminate in and around your wiper blades. Make sure to gently glide from one side of the wiper blade to the other, so that the entire blade is clean. It’s worth noting that the rubber underneath the wiper blade can be fragile, so be extra careful when cleaning this.
Pay close attention to your cloth or rag, so you can see in effect how much dirt is being removed. Continue to wipe until there’s no dirt left on your cloth or sponge.
Step 4: Clean the wiper arms and mechanism
Don’t forget to clean the lower half of the windscreen wipers too. Often, the mechanism further down the blade can cause a few problems, like streaks or sticking to the windscreen. So, to remedy this, use hot soapy water to clean the entire mechanism, making sure you remove any debris that’s getting in the way.
Step 5: Remove soapy water with surgical spirit
Once you’ve finished cleaning your windscreen wipers and you’re happy that you’ve removed all the contamination, then give them one final wipe to remove any soapy residue left behind. Use surgical spirit for maximum efficiency. We advise against using white spirit too.
Ways To Get The Most Out Of Your Wiper Blades
Lift wiper blades when it snows
Freezing conditions can have a detrimental impact to your wiper blades, especially when it snows, and temperatures drop. This is because when the snow lands on your blades, the water begins to infiltrate your blades and as a result, causes the blades to freeze in place. To avoid this headache, simply lift your wiper blades from your windscreen, it may feel odd at first, but it could save you from having to replace them.
Park your vehicle in the shade
During the summertime, the hot weather can affect your vehicle in all sorts of ways. When it comes to keeping your windscreen wipers healthy, the best course of action is to park in a shaded area when possible. This is because the high temperatures can dry out the rubber underneath the blades, meaning they won’t operate competently.
Regularly clean your blades
A further step to prevent this is to soak a sponge or cloth in washer fluid, and continue to clean your blades regularly. This will make sure that any contamination is removed and will therefore avoid any scratches on your windscreen.
Try not to use your wipers dry
When you operate your wipers on a dry windscreen, the blades create a squeaking sound. This can cause any debris that’s been caught to scratch the glass on your windscreen, which can be costly to repair. If it’s not raining or snowing, and you need to operate your windscreen wipers, be sure to spray washer fluid beforehand.
Find Replacement Wipers
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