Most people in SoCal hardly ever use them, so much so that when the first drops of rain hit the windshield we reach deep into our memory banks to remember just how to turn them on. Your vehicle’s wipers are an important safety item that gets little attention, and when they are in poor condition they can be annoying at best and downright dangerous in the worst case scenarios.
It seams simple enough…a strip of rubber or silicone sweeping away water from the smooth surface of your windshield, but inactivity and neglect can cause major problems. Even if they are not used, wiper blades deteriorate over time, leaving you with a streaky mess that can be impossible to see through.
The biggest culprits are ultraviolet rays from the sun and ozone that is free-floating in the air. Both can deteriorate the edge of the rubber wiper blade, causing small pits and imperfections. The blades can also become stiff over time, so they don’t flex and follow the contours of the windshield. When this happens, water is not smoothly swept from the glass, but is left behind in small channels, leaving streaks every time the wipers sweep back and forth.
The solution is replacing the wipers or blades at least once per year. The best time is just ahead of the anticipated rainy season. Fresh blades will squeegee the water away uniformly, providing a clear view of the road ahead. New wiper blades don’t cost much and are easy to replace, but they can literally be lifesavers and certainly make it much more enjoyable to be driving in rainy weather.
