How to Fit Wiper Blades

Before you go about changing windscreen wipers, it’s worth doing a bit of preparation ahead of time to ensure the best results. 

Make Sure You Have the Right Replacement Blades

Ahead of their removal, it’s important you’re replacing your old blades with the correct replacements. Be sure to use our reg checker to make sure you don’t end up purchasing blades that aren’t the right fit for your car. 

Clean Your Windscreen

Give your windscreen a clean to get rid of any dirt, tree sap or bugs that might have gathered there during recent journeys. It’s also worth clearing any leaves or debris from the base of the windscreen below where your new wiper blades will sit.

Protect Your Windscreen

When replacing the wiper blades, the wiper arm can snap back into place unexpectedly. And since the metal arm is exposed when the rubber blade is removed, there’s a chance it can damage both the windscreen and wiper arm’s spring – meaning a costly repair job.

To avoid this, placing something soft against the windscreen glass, such as a rolled-up towel, should do the trick. 

With the towel in place, you’re now ready to remove your old wiper blades.

Lift the Wiper Arms

Lift each wiper off the glass one at a time. When the arm is raised, you’ll be able to see the fastening mechanism or clip of the blade so you can remove them. Certain vehicles might need their wipers moved into a specific position to gain access to them – have a flick through your vehicle’s manual or look online to double-check if they do. 

Unclip the Old Blades

With the arms lifted, you can now remove them. How you remove them depends on the type of blade you have. You’ll either have to slide the blade down the arm and unhook it, or you’ll have to locate the clip holding the blade in place, unclip it and remove it that way. 

Did you know that wiper blades can be recycled? Instead of chucking them out, take them to your local waste collection facility, where they can be recycled and reused.

Clip Your New Blades In

Attaching your new wiper blades is simply a case of using whichever method you used to remove the old ones but in reverse. 

Take care when attaching them. Too much force can cause the clips or the housing to crack and break. Also, be aware that some cars may use different-sized blades for the passenger and driver sides; make sure you’re attaching the right length to the right side. 

There’s a chance you may also need to use different clips to attach your wiper blade arms. If so, these new clips will come with your fresh set of blades. Attach the new clip to the wiper blade before attaching the unit to the wiper arm, and you’re good to go.

Place Your Wipers Back on the Screen

With your new blades nice and secure, remove the protective towel you laid earlier and place the blades back onto the windscreen or rear window. 

Take Them for a Test Swipe

If you’ve fitted them correctly and you’re happy with the way they look, it’s time to test them out. Properly fitted blades shouldn’t leave any streaks, make any squeaks, or judder as they move. If they are, you’ll have to re-fit them.

Given how often they’re used, the rubber and silicone in the blades of windscreen wipers wear out slowly but surely, causing their performance to degrade. What starts with a small streak can then affect the blade’s ability to clean and clear your windscreen.

For this reason, you should change your wiper blades every six to 12 months depending on your average mileage, and more often in wet and snowy climates.