Don't clean wiper blades, just clean the windscreen, expert says

By dpa | 22 September 2016


MUNICH: When preparing their car for adverse weather conditions, drivers shouldn't clean the rubber of 21st-century windscreen wiper blades with cloths or with anything else, an expert says.

"Any cleaning of the rubber lips peels away the graphite layer along the wipers, whether it's wet or dry, whether using glass cleaner or just water," explains Jochen Oesterle of a major automobile club, ADAC.

This graphite layer ensures that the wipers glide across the windscreen steadily, cleanly and smoothly.

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"If this layer is removed, the wiper blades will begin to rub and cause streaking." This, in turn, affects visibility and also shortens the wipers' lifespan. "Under normal circumstances, dirt will not stick to the rubber itself," says Oesterle.

However, the windscreen itself should always be clean and free of insect remains. The latter increase abrasion and wear on the wiper, and can be dealt with easily and efficiently with the same automotive glass cleaning fluid you load into the window washer tank.

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