Windshield wiper blades use a kind of plastic rubber to grip the glass, and but the rubber doesn’t last forever. Over time it’ll harden and crack, taking less and less water with it each time you turn on the wipers, and if you let it go on long enough the blade will eventually start to fall off the wiper. But there are ways to make wipers last longer than they could.

Park Indoors or Under Something

Sunlight and UV radiation are main reasons why wiper blades age. This means you can keep them in good shape by parking in a garage at home and at work, and if a full roof isn’t available, you can get the next best thing by setting up an awning over your driveway or by parking in the shade under a big, leafy tree.

Keep the Blades Clear of Ice

When you know it’s going to snow and you’re parked outside, you can pull your wipers up off the glass so ice doesn’t glue them in place. And if the storm takes you by surprise, be careful and remove the wipers before you start scraping the ice and snow off. Scraping ice off the blades with a hard plastic scraper is a good way to make them start to crack.

Wiper blades don’t last very long even if you take good care of them, but on the bright side they have a standardized design, they don’t cost much, and they’re easy to replace. Still, you might as well make the most of each wiper blade.

Image via Flickr by Tim Patterson

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