Regularly top up your wiper fluid reservoir

A good way to make sure this doesn’t run out on you is to make a habit of topping it up every time, or every other time, you stop for petrol. This should be as basic and essential as checking your oil. The ability to quickly and effectively clean your windscreen with your wipers to regain a good level of visibility is very important for safe driving. Windscreen cleaner additives and homemade wiper fluid mixes can both provide speedy removal of diesel spray, bugs, road film and dirt.

Regularly inspect and clean your wiper blades

A good time to make sure your wipers are clean and free of debris is, again, while you’re filling up at the service station. After you’ve got the petrol flowing, lift up both of your wipers and use the station’s window washing gear and cleaning fluid to give your wipers a good clean (a damp cloth is also good). You might even want to use the water can too, to really make sure there is no grit or debris left to potentially cause scratching. Use the window washer to give the entire windscreen a thorough washing before pushing the wipers back down onto the screen.

Replace old wiper blades before they become a problem

Wiper blades often have a much short lifespan than we’d like them to, but their replacement cost is relatively small when compared to other vehicle parts, so it pays to change these as soon as they show signs of wear and tear. If left to get really bad, wiper blades can fail completely and the metal parts of the wiper unit can come into contact with the windscreen – a scenario to avoid!

Never run your wipers across a dry windscreen

Make sure you always spray wiper fluid onto your windscreen as the first step in cleaning it (often this is done by pulling the windshield wiper and washer lever towards you, or pressing a button at the end of the lever). The windshield washer fluid will act to flush away any small pieces of dirt and debris that may have accumulated on your wiper blades or stuck to the windscreen. It’s also a good idea to take the time at the petrol station to use their window-washing equipment to clean the corners of the windscreen that the wipers can’t reach. This prevents the possibility of this road grime and debris moving down to within the wipers’ reach and causing scratching.

If your windscreen does get scratched, get professional advice

If you lack the time or confidence to attempt a DIY repair, or you’re just not sure how to gauge the severity of the damage, bring your car into Fast Autoglass and we’ll be happy to make an assessment. Scratches can often be polished out before they get worse, saving you a lot of money in the long run.