Do you lift your windshield wipers up when parking your car?
If so, I think the reason is obvious. Like what I use to believe, it helps extend the life of the wiper blades. But after some trials and experiments, I'm not so convinced it makes a difference.
First up, I think this practice is an adaptation of what is generally practiced on some countries that experience extreme weather conditions like cold (snow) or hot, dessert like conditions. But this does not generally apply here in the Philippines.
In some countries, they use to lift the wiper blades during a snow storm to avoid the blades from sticking to the glass and for convenience scraping the ice buildup on the windshield - understandable.
On hot weather, some claims that extreme heat from the windshield can cause the wiper blades to brittle up and crack therefor ruining it - I don't think so. Ambient temperatures in the Manila during summer can reach up to 40-45°C. Blades touching the windshield (assuming the windshield is hotter at 50°) will not cause the "flexible" wiper blades to crack as long as it is not under any abnormal stress. A little bit of heat will cause the blades to flex and conform to the natural shape of the windshield which can improve its performance.
On the contrary, as you lift the wiper blades of the windshield , it changes shape as it relaxes. As it heats up during the day, it is fixated on this relaxed shape. Then as you fold back the blades to the windshield, it needs to flex a little bit more to adapt to the contour of the windshield. This cycle happens each and every time you do this. And this extra stress might cause the blades to develop breaks and cracks that shortens the life of the blade. I don't have a quantitative or a microscopic evidence for this hypothesis but this is what I can conclude based on actual experience.
I used to do this religiously, especially when parking on hot open space under the sun. But after less than a year (4 to 6 months) I observed deterioration from the wiper blades already. I replaced the wiper blades and as expected it worked flawless. This time, I stopped the habit (or should I say, changed the the habit) of lifting the wiper completely under any conditions. Except of course when I clean it up - which I think is what made a difference.
This time around, I dedicated more time and attention on keeping the windshield and the wiper blades clean. As I see dirt accumulate on the windshield, I take the time to grab a squeegee, clean the windshield and the wiper blades. This can be performed in under 3 minutes before I drive to work while the engine is warming up and I'm finishing up a stick of cigarette. This is also done every time I gas up (thanks to those kind gas pump attendants). On some weekends, I personally clean my car and I pay special attention cleaning the wiper blades with denatured alcohol or some WD-40.
Next up, I did not use plain water filling up the windshield washer fluid reservoir but distilled water. The lesson came from my old car (which I used for a good 12 years) that often has a clogged windshield spray nozzle. This was because of some calcium buildup on the nozzle. Tap water seems to have a lot of minerals like calcium that accumulates as the water dries up after spraying water on the windshield. Since water and dirt accumulates on the wiper blades as well, this can cause deterioration on the wiper blades if not properly cleaned up. Since I started using distilled water, no more clogged spray nozzles and nasty watermarks on the windshield from the water sprayer. This also means no calcification on the wiper blades that may cause problems.
Other helpful tips that worked for me:
1) If you see that the windshield is relatively dusty, and if the situation is favorable, don't use the wiper to clean it off. You might want to manually dust it off using using a feather duster or a soft cloth. Wipe the accumulated dust on the wiper blades. Dust are like abrasives that can scratch the glass, much more the rubber wiper blades.
2) Top-up the windshield washer reservoir regularly (again, I'm using distilled water). This will help the wiper blades clean the windshield effectively since water can help remove the accumulated dirt. Adding commercially available windshield cleaner is better. Always use this in combination with the wiper blades.
3) Be gentle when cleaning the wiper blades. Don't use too much force or stress since this can bend the retainers or springs holding the blades out of shape.
And so there it is, even without the habit of lifting the windshield wiper every time I park, I still get more than a year of good performance from my windshield wiper blades.
Still, the key here is keeping it clean and proper maintenance. And there are no shortcuts to this as easy as lifting a wiper blade.
Would like to know your thoughts, let me know what you think in the comments section.
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