Torque Shop: Clean car wiper blades regularly to prevent streaks when driving in the rain

Even when my wiper blades are just a few months old, they often leave streaks on the windscreen. How often should I be changing them?

Most motorists think about their wipers only when it rains. Until then, these slim strips of rubber mounted on some type of frame sit idly on the windscreen.

On hot, dry days, minute airborne particles, including abrasive dust, can settle on the blades. The cleaning element on the blades, which are made from synthetic rubber or silicone, can be resting on windscreen glass that is as hot as 50 deg C, even when the ambient temperature is at 35 deg C. When it gets this warm, fine dust that settles on the windscreen and wiper blades tends to stick to the rubber.

Under such conditions, using the wipers, especially during a light drizzle, will result in some of the debris being dragged across the windscreen by the rubber blades. Over time, minute scratch lines will be made on the glass surface.

Abrasive dust is the main reason wiper blades deteriorate quickly. So, it helps to regularly hose down the windscreen or wipe the blades with a wet cloth so that they are cleared of it.

There is no specific replacement interval for wiper blades and the usable life could vary depending on weather, periodic cleaning and quality of the blades. Besides being clean with no traces of contaminant, wipers must also be pliable to be effective when you are driving in rain. Hardened wiper blades cannot clear the windscreen without leaving streaks.

The type and quality of the blades also matter and since these are not particularly costly items, go for the best-known car accessory brands. Also, ensure the size and type are suitable for your car. Different cars have different mounting systems that determine how the blades are fitted to the wiper arms.

Maintain the original blade length and type of frame the rubber is fixed on.

There are basically two types of wiper blades. They are visually dissimilar enough that you cannot end up with the wrong one.

Conventional blades are made of rubber strips mounted on metal frames that allow some degree of adaptation to windscreen curvature. Another common type of wipers look like rubber strips with no frame, so they seem floppier and are more suited to cars with heavily curved windscreens.

In either case, remember to replace them with quality products of the original size and design, and clean the rubber every now and then.