Why You Should Change Your Windshield Wiper Blades Often

Posted: Feb 12, 2014
Author: Country Town Tire & Auto Service Center

When you are out driving your car, day or night, and no matter what the weather, eighty percent of the decisions you make will be based on visibility. Hence, you need to make sure you can always see as well as possible out of your front and back windows.

Many cars now have windshield wiper blades on the back window, but 100% of cars are required to have windshield wipers on their front windows. Windshield wiper blades are something most people don’t think too much about in connection to maintaining their vehicle. You’ll do an oil change, have a tune-up, and have all engine problems diagnosed, but when it comes to windshield wiper blades, you probably are thinking along the lines of ‘I’ll get to them eventually.’

The problem is that, since people don’t change them as often as they should, it usually doesn’t happen until you are in a situation where you need to use the windshield wipers to clear your vision and the blades are bad. Then what do you do?

Windshield wiper blades are made of rubber, so they wear down just like your tires wear down and need to be replaced. When the wipers clear the windshield, they wear themselves down from use, and can get nicks from bugs or dust on the glass. Also, the sun can dry out the rubber, causing it to crack and break. Bit by bit, the blades are being worn down until you find a moment where you are making one of those important driving decisions and you can’t fully see what’s going on.

Not only can bad windshield wiper blades make it so your windshield cannot be cleaned, but damaged blades can also damage the glass in your windshield. It is suggested that you should change the blades every 6 to 12 months due to the exposure to all sorts of weather and general wear and tear. Since windshield wiper blades are not very expensive, it might be wise to schedule changing them just as you schedule an oil change or a tune-up for your vehicle.

Need new windshield wiper blades in Hickory NC? Visit us at Country Town Tire and Auto Service Center. We are a full-service auto shop with ASE-qualified mechanics. Give us a call today!