How to Change Your Wiper Blades

Most every driver has been in this situation. As you’re driving, the rain or snow starts falling lightly. No big deal, right? You flip the lever for your windshield wipers…and try to peer out through the streaks. It’s almost impossible to see because the smearing rain makes taillights and traffic lights look like a Jackson Pollock painting. Yup, this is when you wish you knew how to change your wiper blades.
But don’t fret too much. Once you get through this bit of precipitation, you can change your wipers easy enough. It’s a simple process, even if you’ve never done it before. Here’s how to change your wiper blades.

Steps to Changing Your Wiper Blades

• Lift the wiper arm. Spring tension is all that’s holding the windshield wiper blade against the glass. When you lift the wiper arm, one of two things will happen. Either it’s going to lift up vertically and hold itself there, or it will lift about 10 inches off the glass and want to return.
• Secure the wiper arm up. Slide a rolled-up towel under the wiper arm. In the event the arm springs back to the glass, you don’t want it to smash your windshield.
• Squeeze the clip. Where the wiper blade pivots on the wiper arm, there’s a clip. Squeeze the clip upward, against the wiper arm. It will release a tab that snaps into the arm and holds it in place.
• Slide the wiper blade off. While holding the clip, pull the wiper blade down along the wiper arm to release it from the wiper arm. It can be tough, requiring some wiggling and jiggling to get it loose.
• Slide the new wiper blade into place.

You’ll hear the tab click into place once the wiper blade is all the way on.

• Lower the wiper arm.Take out the towel and gently lower the wiper arm until the blade contacts the windshield. You’re all done!