Prepping your car for warmer months is one of the most important maintenance cycles you can keep. The changing of seasons can be hard on a vehicle and require preparation with an eye toward reliability and safety. Perhaps the most often overlooked items on your seasonal checklist are your wiper blades.
They are right in front of your face, but unless you are using them, they are out of sight, out of mind. At least, until they start to streak, leaving dirty arcs across your windshield until your next fuel stop. Then you scrub the window and forget until the next time it rains. Maybe you find yourself looking at a new set in the store, but it may not be time to spend that money just yet.
The problem is most likely not the wipers themselves, but build up of road gunk on the blades. Especially after winters that have seen salted or sanded roads, residue can build up on the edge of your blade. This impedes its ability to maintain even contact with the surface of your windshield and can even drag fresh grime onto the clean glass months after the last snowflake has fallen. Your windshield wipers are one of the most important safety features of your automobile, give them the care they deserve.
Cleaning the wipers is simple. Find a clean rag or terry cloth and get some rubbing alcohol. Wet the cloth, and rub down the blades. Depending on the amount of gunk, it may take a few passes, but the difference will be clear as glass.
For more information or to schedule a full warm weather checkup, contact us. We have proudly served the Boulder, Colorado, area since 2005. We look forward to being your ASE certified auto mechanic.