Check your windshield washer solvent and defrosters, too

Windshield wipers are petroleum products. They have a rubber blade that is intended to sweep snow, rain and sleet off of the windshield. But, when McHenry turns cold and blustery, will they continue to do the job, and do it well?

Every time the wipers sweep the windshield, the friction reduces the face of the rubber blade. Over time, that sharp edge of rubber is dulled. While this isn’t necessarily a big deal in the warmer months where water is about the only challenge wipers may face, in the winter, that changes.

In the winter, wipers have to deal with ice, slush, sleet and freezing rain. Often, road salt is part of the mix. If that’s the only effect of winter on the ability of wipers to do their job, that would be enough. But it’s more than that.

In the winter, rubber hardens. The wipers stiffen. And if they don’t have a clean rubber blade to sweep the windshield clean, they’ll leave streaks wherever they have gaps, cuts or breaks. At the same time, there is greater friction when the rubber blades are hard.

This is where windshield washer solvent comes in to play. Washer solvent is like a lubricant, as well as a cleansing fluid. It eases the process while the wipers do their job.

Think about it: you’ve heard the wipers making that screeching noise but, when you hit the button and spray some solvent on the windshield, the volume of the screech reduces if it doesn’t completely go away.

As a cleaning solution, washer solvent is critical. It’s snowing. The spray from the cars in front of you is throwing a fine mix of road salt and moisture onto your windshield. Because it’s so fine, the mix instantly dries and/or freezes onto your windshield. A layer of that gray matter is forming on the windshield

Eventually, it gets so bad that you hit the wipers. But all they do is spread the grayness or simply slide over it with no appreciable effect. You have to use your windshield washer solvent to soften the gray film so the wipers can work.

If you don’t have good wipers, the job is half done at best. But there is one more critical factor to consider; your defrosters better work, too.

The defrosters are a touchy thing. If you don’t apply some heat to the inside of the windshield, ice will build up on the wipers and their effectiveness will increasingly fail. Or, if you heat the windshield too much, the mix dries into a sheet on the windshield. If you’re driving for an appreciable distance, you could run out of washer solvent before you get there.

Your vision is your first line of defense when driving safely. If you can’t see a hazard, you can’t avoid it. Or, at the least, you won’t see it as quickly and won’t have all the time you could have to avoid it.

It’s a good idea to replace your wipers before winter sets in. Have your solvent and defrosters checked, too.

There are different types of wiper blades. Some are harder than others to install. If you have any doubts, as your trusted auto repair shop to install new wiper blades for you, before another McHenry winter sets in.