Wipe Away your Winter Blues

It is a new year here in central PA. Time to have a clear vision of what lies ahead. Where to start, you ask? Yoga classes? Join a running club? Meditation? That's a negative, ghostrider. We're taking about your wiper blades

Shortly after this photo, Subaru's rallycross driver and his $300,000 race car
 had his race ended due to a failed wiper blade and zero visibility. Yikes.

Your wiper blades are like the unsung hero on your Subaru. Doing their job each and every time they are called upon. But the only time you care to notice them is when they just cannot perform the way they did in their younger days. We all know when our wipers are ready for retirement; streaks, squeaks, and maybe even the rubber filament actually tearing away from the blade. And some or all of these wiper problems will happen when you absolutely need them the most, like at night, in the middle of January, when it is freezing rain and you are stuck behind a coal truck that is more than capable of covering your windshield with a muddy mist every two seconds for the next 10 miles. Your frustration is off the charts all because you didn't respect the job your wiper blades do for you and your Subaru. Boooo!!!!

Ok, ok, don't beat yourself up over it too much. Remember those three weeks of meditating classes you took last New Year? Take a deep breath, count to 10, and lets get some new wiper blades so dreadful vision out of your Subaru is a thing of the past. So, you head to your local super store where you see dozens of different kinds, different styles, from different manufacturers. You try to look through that gigantic catalog that is completely falling apart and probably has the page you need ripped out anyway to see what size and style goes on your car.

Stop.

We're going to make this incredibly easy on you. Stop in at your parts department at your local Subaru dealer, tell them what kind of Subaru you have, have them installed as you wait(all of about two minutes), pay the man, and go back to not worrying about your wipers for another year. It really is that simple. So much frustration and unsafe driving eliminated in one fell swoop. Seriously, don't be "that guy" who spends a day researching all the different wiper blade manufacturers, what percentage of silicone the blade is made of, which style is more areadynamic, blah, blah, blah. Subaru now offers their "beam" blade that has an internal spring that bends the wiper to the contour of the windshield and it works fantastic and will last fine until you replace them next year at the same time. Once a year people, your wipers, regardless of how they are performing 365 days after you installed them, get replaced once a year. Do it at your state inspection, do it at labor day, heck, do it when we turn the clocks back. Just pick some time you are going to remember every year and do it. The'y'll set you back about $30 which may be one of the biggest "bangs for your buck" in terms of the safety they'll provide you vs old, worn out wipers.

Boom! Now your Subie has fresh new wipers. Well done! But, there are a few things you can do to ensure they perform at their optimum level for the next year. I know, I'm pushing it. I should be happy you replaced your wipers before their rubber was tearing off and flapping in the wind. But really, these are simple steps to keeping your wipers performing like new the entire time they are on your car:

1. Use your windshield wash! Not just two seconds after a bug splatters against your windshield, either! After your drive home for the day(if it's more than a mile or two), or numerous times throughout a long trip, consider spraying the windshield wash a few times to clean your window off. Whether you see it or not, your windshield is constantly getting junk on it, like dirt, oil, bugs, etc. By cleaning the windshield often, you are ridding the icky stuff little by little when it is still within the capabilities of your wipers. Going days or even weeks without using your wipers will make their job more difficult ten fold when you do need them due to having to also wipe across weeks worth of road debris. That being said, top your windshield wash off with every fill-up.
2. Clean your windshield and wipers! The fact is, regardless of #1, your wipers and windshield will eventually become filthier than windshield wash will be able to take care of. It's then that you need to grab your favorite glass cleaner and paper towels and physically clean your windshield maybe twice a month or as needed. Then, lift your wipers up and clean the rubber blades numerous times, each time using a different spot of the towel. Remember, the cleaner the surface of your windshield and wiper blades are, the more efficient  they will be at removing water and dirt from your windshield.
3. Snow coming? Get your wipers up! If snow is in the forecast, lift your wipers up while your car is parked. That way when you do come out to clean your windshield off, there is no chance of your wipers freezing to the window and no chance of you nicking the rubber blade with your ice scraper.

So there you have it. As you can see, there is nothing earth-shattering about putting on new wipers and caring for them for one year. Your efforts will reward you immensely the first time you actually have to depend on your wipers to get you and your Subaru home on that cold, miserable night. Go on, give your windshield wipers some love. They are counting on you, so you can count on them!

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