Windshield wiper blades are something that isn’t discussed much. You’re told how often to change your oil, but how often do you change your wipers?
When to Change Your Wiper Blades
The simple answer is once per year. The exception would be if you’re spending time up in the mountains and frequently dealing with ice and snow. When your wipers have to struggle with getting the snow or ice off of the windshield it’ll wear them out sooner. So, you’ll be replacing them every 6 months.
But if you’re living in the valley and not driving in a lot of snowy, icy stuff then you might get away with 2 years before changing them out. The more you put the wipers through, the sooner you’ll need to replace them.
How much you spend on wiper blades can be a factor, as well. Cheap wipers will split, tear and warp rather quickly. The higher cost blades will do a wonderful job keeping good visibility for a long time. It might be best to spend more to have a clearer windshield.
Changing Blades Yourself
Some car and truck owners like to change the blades themselves to save money. They’ll purchase a set of generic blades that fit their vehicle from Costco or an auto parts store like Pep Boys. Then they’ll swap out the new for the old, torn up blades.
You take your chances buying blades like this. Many times, the universal blades will list your car year and model as compatible and it won’t be. Or there will be a complicated trick in order to get them onto to your wipers, leaving you watching youtube videos for hours trying to figure it out. It would have been far better to just pay the extra $10 and have your mechanic change your blades along with your oil change.
