how often change windshield wiper blades?

[Robertslowpoke]

Good morning!! I live in Massachusetts. we usually have a pretty good winter. how often might I want to change my windshield wiper blades?

thanks for all your great advice!!
best,


bob

 

[sciphi]

If they're streaking. That's usually every 6 months to a year by me.

 

[simple_gifts]

I find an alcohol rubbing pad across the rubber sometimes gets a bit more life out of WW blades, but I also had one self destruct 40 miles into a 500 mile journey so preemptive replacement is always preferable

 

[Chris142]

I replace mine when the rubber falls off. Every few years for the front and I just replaced my rear one for the first time since I bought the Jeep in 02.

 

[callbay]

I replace mine at the first sign of them going bad. Seems like every year and a half or so although all our vehiles are keep in garages out of the sun.

 

[jmsjags]

like simple_gifts said, if they start streaking you can clean them with alcohol. i usually just dip a cotton ball in rubbing alcohol and clean them that way. then i take a cotton ball dipped in water and go back over the wiper blades again to keep the alcohol from drying them out. if you do this at every sign of streaking the blades will last you quite a while. you really don't need to replace them unless the rubber starts peeling off or the blades get too brittle to grip the windshield properly

 

[Turk]

Every Fall.

Most people only do every 2-3 years at best. I like a clean windshield when I use the wipers & washers.

 

[TJPark01]

earlier often than later. Use aquapel or rain-x on the windshield first,this will makes the wipers last longer and help with visibility.

 

[dparm]

Every spring and every fall. My father worked in Bosch's wiper division for 25 years and this is the advice he gave me.

Replace in the fall because the summer heat and UV has hardened the rubber and it takes a set. Replace again in the spring because the cold winter has made the rubber brittle.

And no, you should not be using RainX anywhere. Bosch paid for third party studies years ago and found it creates a very unsafe condition at night where the water droplets act like tiny lenses to blind the driver from other headlamps.

 

[meangreen01]

I wipe them a coupe times a year with rubbing alcohol and a paper towel. I also keep my windshield clean and apply rain-x. I think a lot of times people prematurely replace wipers because of streaking that is caused by road grime and oils that accumulate on both of them.

I've got a set of Bosch blades that are 6 yrs old and still look and work great. I've got another set of Peak blades that are almost 3 yrs that work pretty good, but were cheaper than the Boschs and will be getting replaced soon. Not because of poor performance, but because the paint has faded rather badly. I now see where the money was saved during the manufacturing between the two.

For some reason, I tend to have to replace my rear wipers much more frequently than the two for the windshield. I'm lucky to get two yrs out of those before they tear.

 

[MNgopher]

Replace when needed. It will vary depending on the car, climate, wiper blades used, and overall usage. One of my cars goes about 3 year between blades (Jeep Cherokee). The other 2 are more like once a year (both have much more curved windshields).

 

[JHZR2]

I run PIAA super silicone squeeges, and have never replaced them since swapping. It has been years now! Still nice clear swipes.

 

[Bill in Utah]

I take a baby wipe to my blades once a month and seem to change the wiper blades when they *start* to loose their effectiveness.

Seems to be around every 2-3 years. I use the Anco(sp) wipers that come with everything you need to attach to the arms for around $5-$7.

Here with the salt on the roads all the time from Oct-Apr for ice protection the blades need to work. Use a LOT of wiper fluid.

Bill

 

[jmsjags]

Originally Posted By: dparm
And no, you should not be using RainX anywhere. Bosch paid for third party studies years ago and found it creates a very unsafe condition at night where the water droplets act like tiny lenses to blind the driver from other headlamps.

i don't use it often, but i put some on my fiancee's car when i detailed it a couple weeks ago. i ended up driving it that night for a good 20 miles or so and never once used the wiper blades. i had no problem whatsoever seeing anything or getting blinded by headlights. i thought it was pretty awesome.

 

[Smokefan1977]

I wipe them down monthly with a swab and replace every Fall. no high dollor blades just simple Ancos.

I put some Optix frameless on my wifes truck a few months back. Nice blades so far so I might try them next. Sams club had a decent price on them

 

[mechtech2]

If you get more than six months of GOOD performance out of a wiper blade, that's great!

 

[HTSS_TR]

In So Cal, OEM blade lasted about 5-6 years, good aftermarket blade lasted about 3-4 years.

Probably because we don't have any rain from around April-May until November-December. On average, we have about 20-25 rainy days a year that we need to use wiper.

 

[bigdawg74]

I replace whenever I see the first signs of reduced visibility. Usually it is at the beginning of the fall rainy season, and then about 4 months after that. Cheap Ancos are easy to replace often.

 

[dwendt44]

My car(s) sit outside all winter, year around actually.

Seems the factory blades last for two years or so here. That was my observation until I got my current vehicle, haven't had it a year yet and the blades are getting bad; as in chatter and not wiping the glass clear their full length.

Of course, GM has had a habit of going 'cheaper is better' for some time now.

 

[01rangerxl]

I don't have a schedule. As soon as they give me any problems I just get another set. It's about $16 for a pair of Tricos. I can deal with that every 1-2 years.