Like everything else in a car, your windshield wipers have a life span. When you start seeing streaks on the windshield or the bugs are no longer being wiped off are two big signs, you may need to get your windshield wipers replaced. It does depend on how often you use them and how hazardous the road conditions are, but generally, they should last between 2 and 3 years. Russell and Smith Honda have the best tips on how to prolong your windshield wiper life.
Clean your windshield wipers once a month.
As your windshield wipers clean the windshield throughout their lives, they gather dirt and debris on their rubber edge. If they are not cleaned regularly, the dirt and debris can cause damage to the windshield or damage to the wipers themselves. Soak a clean cloth in washer fluid or rubbing alcohol and wipe your blades regularly to avoid any cutting their lifespan short. Washing your car also prevents this wiper build up. Showering your vehicle once or twice a month in the summer and more often in wet or cold seasons will give you the cleanest, longest-lasting blades.
Avoid parking in the sun.
Parking in the shade, when available, is the best possible choice. In addition to getting into a cooler car, parking in the shade ensures the safety of many parts of your car, including the wipers. The rubber on the blades will get dried out the longer they are baked in the sun. The windshield wipers will get inflexible, hard, and brittle and will no longer clean well.
Do not operate when dry.
These blades were intended to be operated on a wet surface. They need moisture, whether from rain, snow, or windshield washer fluid to work well and preserve their lives. Operating your wiper blades can even cause dry debris to scratch the glass permanently. Use moisture always to get the best use out of your windshield wipers. That being said, make sure your windshield wiper fluid is filled. Make the correct mixture of windshield wiper fluid to antifreeze for the weather you are driving in.
Be careful when getting rid of windshield frost.
Always put your blades up when scraping your windshield. When they are down and you scrape the ice and frost from your windshield, the sharp edge of the scraper can tear or cut into the rubber blade.
It is easy to know if your wipers are damaged. Are there high-pitched screeching sounds when you activate them? Do they leave streaks across the windshield? Do you find the wipers skipping or even splitting across their track? If any of these are true, it is time to replace them.
Source: rshonda.com