Changing your wiper blades is relatively painless to do yourself and there have been substantial changes in technology recently that have improved aftermarket wipers significantly. Did you know that the sun wears down the rubber on your wiper blades more than rain? For this reason, we recommend changing your wiper blades twice a year regardless of how often you use them.
If your window has a layer of frost, ice or snow on it, we recommend that you use an ice scraper before using your wipers. The crystals on ice will cause micro cuts in the rubber compound on your wiper blades and cause them to wear out much faster.
Most new aftermarket wiper blades are beam blades, which do not have the metal brackets, joints and hinges. Beam blades have a more uniform contact patch, which helps prevent streaking. Another feature becoming more common in aftermarket blades is the aerodynamic shape that creates additional downforce on the blade when driving expeditiously. When driving quickly, the air passing over these blades pushes the wiper into the windshield and helps prevent the blades from chattering or streaking.