How to stop wiper blades from squeaking

The windscreen wiper blades could be one of the most under-appreciated parts on our cars today.

You probably only remember your car has them when it starts to rain and you can’t see where you’re going!

All of a sudden, your wiper blades have become some life-saving bits of equipment on your car.

With the number of features, gadgets and tech in cars that are rolling off the production line, wiper blades generally fall under the radar until you encounter your next downpour.

Even then, apart from the fact that they’re making it possible for you to drive, there’s not much to notice about your wiper blades, that is until they start that dreaded squeak.

Is there anything more irritating than that continuous screeching noise as they pass across your windscreen?

Your windscreen wiper blades have now become the most noticeable part on your car and you can’t stop staring at them, pleading with them to fall silent.

So How Do You Stop Them From Squeaking?

The most obvious way to prevent your wiper blades from squeaking is to make sure there is enough moisture on the windscreen to allow them to travel smoothly.

Basically, don’t use them on a dry windscreen!

If you clean your windscreen often whilst driving, making sure your car is topped up with enough wiper fluid will ensure there’s minimal friction between the blade and the windscreen surface when you engage the wipers and squeaking is less likely.

That leads us on to that painful noise being caused by something as simple as a dirty windscreen, a dirty wiper blade or a piece of debris stuck under the wiper blade.

The easiest way to check is to lift up your wiper arms and check that nothing is stuck on the bottom of the blades and that they’re clear of any dirt.

Quickly wiping down the blade can’t hurt either!

If there’s nothing to find, a healthy application of glass cleaner onto your windscreen should help clear out any stubborn build up of dust, dirt or grime.

To really help the blades glide smoothly, you can also apply some acrylic cleaner to act as a lubricant.

If that fails, or only provides short term relief, then you might have to accept the fact that you have cracked, worn or deteriorated wiper blades.

Unfortunately, this means it’s game over and you’ll now have to replace your entire car. Here’s a useful article we wrote on how to avoid buying a dud car, it may come in handy.

Just kidding!

Hopefully, you’re still with me and haven’t gone into a state of panic, because you’ll be glad to hear that if your wiper blades are in need of replacing, it will cost you only around $15 to $30 per blade. Phew!

This price could actually come in a little lower or higher, depending on whether your model allows just simple blade refills or require the entire wiper assembly to be replaced. 

Whilst checking to make sure your windscreen and blades are clean is the most cost-effective way to stop the squeak, sometimes replacing them completely can be the most straight-forward answer.

There’s good news in all of this!

Some of the expert mechanics on AutoGuru offer wiper-blade refills as a complimentary extra when you make a booking with them!

If you’re due for a service and your wiper blades are squeaking you into madness, be sure to look out for a mechanic offering this complimentary extra when you make a booking.