5 quick money-saving tips to take care of your windshield wipers!

Inexpensive, inconspicuous but very important - that's right, it's your windshield wipers! 

I bet wipers are among the most neglected parts of a car, and chances are people even spend a bit too much changing them one too many times a year.

Don't be one of them; read on to see how you can save that money for nice makan-makan sessions instead.

1. Never run your wipers on a dry windshield

By design, windshield wipers are only to be used on wet surfaces. When they’re used on dry glass, they’ll wear out faster (because its abrasive), and that means spending unnecessarily on wipers in the long run.

When there’s dust and dirt buildup on your windshield, wash it first (either by pressing a button or pulling the stalk) and the nozzles should automatically spray some water and start wiping.

While we’re on it, remember to keep your windshield washer fluid topped up!

2. Clean your wiper blades

Long story short, dragging sand and dust on your windshield isn’t going to be good. You can avoid accumulation of dirt under your blades by wiping them off with a damp cloth.

The best practice for this is every week, or at least every time you wash your car. 

A point to note though - stay away from alcohol-based cleaners. They’ll degrade rubber/silicone (wiper blade materials) faster. Plain water is just fine.

3. Keep your windshield clean

Sure, wiper blades clean your windshield but the less you work them, the longer they’ll last. To help prolong your wipers’ longevity, make sure you clean your windshield every so often - a quick wipe every week with a damp cloth and a dry down should do the trick. 

There’s the squeegee in petrol stations too but use with caution - the water usually isn’t very clean which means pieces of dirt and grime could still be stuck on the sponge.

4. Making sure your wiper stalks are properly tightened

It goes without saying that wipers work best when they’re attached to the car. To make sure your wiper doesn’t go flying off the next time you use it in very heavy rain, check the little screw inside the dust cap from time to time. Ideally it's tight enough that it feels secure, but do not overtighten it. 

This is also used to adjust your wiper blades.

5. Replace your wiper blades when it's time

Wiper blades are consumables, so even as we take care of them, there will be a time when replacements are the only logical step.

A good rule of thumb is to change them every six months, as after that you’ll start to notice a decline in its performance - especially when they start to smear, skip or squeak. 

Visually, you can see it starting to be dry, cracked or split.

Quick-and-easy, save some money!

There you go, simple tips that’ll save you some jalan-jalan money. While you’re at it, take a look at more quick-and-easy maintenance tips for your car linked below!

Check these four fluids before driving

Save money with these three tyre car tips