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.
You can also use mineral spirits instead of water, if you prefer. [3] X Research source 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. [4] X Research source You can use a shop towel instead of a microfiber cloth if you prefer.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Turn your vehicle on and let it defrost for 10-15 minutes if you can’t get the ice off with the scraper.
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. [14] X Research source
