Content

• Steps
• Method 1 of 3: Clean your windshield and wipers
• Method 2 of 3: Eliminate Common Causes of Squeaking
• Method 3 of 3: Replace parts
• Tips
• Warnings
• What do you need

The piercing squeak of windshield wipers can make driving in rainy weather unbearable. Most often, the squeak is caused by the fact that the windshield of the car or the wipers themselves are dirty, therefore, first of all, they must be thoroughly cleaned. If this step doesn't work, you can try to fix other common causes of squeaking, such as hardened wiper blades or loose retainers. However, if your wipers are warped, start to fall apart and break, you may need to replace them completely.

Steps

Method 1 of 3: Clean your windshield and wipers

1. 1 Remove dirt from the wipers themselves. Raise the wiper arm (leash) away from the windshield so that the wipers do not touch it. Dampen a paper towel with a little hot soapy water or rubbing alcohol. Wipe down the rubber wiper blades (brushes) until the paper towel stops getting dirty.
   • Do not forget to also clean the levers and all moving joints of the windscreen washer mechanism. Moving joints may start to malfunction and creak due to dirt build-up in them.
   • To clean the wipers, you will likely need a few paper towels. If the paper towels are too flimsy, use two towels at a time, or replace them with a regular rag.
   • If the wiper arms are not fixed in the raised position from the glass, first hold one wiper with your free hand and clean it with the other hand, then repeat the procedure with the second wiper.
2. 2 Thoroughly wash the windshield glass cleaner. Apply a generous amount of ammonia-free glass cleaner to your windshield. Then wipe it with a clean, soft, lint-free cloth such as microfiber. Move from top to bottom and work until the glass is clear.
   • Glass cleaner can be replaced with undissolved white wine vinegar. Pour it into a spray bottle and use it in the same way as glass cleaner. Try to keep the vinegar out of the painted parts of the machine.
   • Ammonia-based cleaners can damage car paint and accelerate plastic degradation. If the glass cleaner does not contain ammonia, this will be clearly indicated on the label.
3. 3 If the windshield is very dirty, use baking soda. For a more powerful cleaning effect, simply sprinkle a generous amount of baking soda on a water-dampened paper towel. Then wipe the windshield with it from top to bottom.
4. 4 To quickly cope with a squeak that suddenly arises on the road, use alcohol wipes. If the windshield wipers suddenly begin to creak when you are on the road, you will no longer have ordinary household tools at hand. Keep some alcohol wipes in the car for this case. When the wipers creak, simply wipe them down with alcohol wipes.

Method 2 of 3: Eliminate Common Causes of Squeaking

1. 1 Fill washer fluid reservoir. Often, wipers begin to slip on the glass and creak due to the lack of washer fluid on the glass. Check the washer fluid level and top up if necessary. This will keep the sprinklers ready to stop squeaking.
2. 2 If necessary, adjust the position of the wiper blades (brushes). The wipers are designed so that their rubber blades (brushes) follow the movement of the levers. If the wiper blades are pressed against the glass too much and are unable to deflect back when you move the levers back and forth, bend the levers slightly away from the glass so that they less press the wipers.
   • Wiper blades that are too tightly pressed against the glass are not able to swing evenly in one direction or the other, following the levers, which can cause rattling and squeaks.
   • The wiper blades should never "eat" into the glass or remain upright while driving on the windshield.
3. 3 Try softening the rubber wiper blades. Coarse wiper blades can make rattling noises and squeaks. In some cases, wipers are rude from the very beginning (from the moment of purchase), while others are coarse under the influence of the environment. If the wipers are over a year old, they should simply be replaced, but newer wipers can be tried to soften with one of the following remedies.
   • ArmorAll tool. Apply a generous amount to a paper towel. Rub ArmorAll into the rubber wiper blades in a circular motion to soften them.
   • Medical alcohol. Dampen a paper towel with rubbing alcohol. Gently rub the rubber wiper blades with a towel damp with alcohol.
   • WD-40. Use this product sparingly as excess WD-40 can dry out the rubber. Spray some WD-40 on a paper towel, lightly rub the rubber wiper blades with it, then wipe dry.
4. 4 Adjust the nuts securing the wiper arms. Check if the wipers and washer levers are too loose or tightly pressed against the glass. Too much or insufficient friction between glass and wipers can lead to rattles and squeaks.
   • Typically the levers can be adjusted with a wrench by tightening the nuts at their base clockwise or loosening them in the opposite direction.
   • You may need to experiment to find the optimal nut position. Ideally, the wiper blades should stand confidently on the glass, but be free enough to be able to swing in one direction or the other, moving along the windshield.
5. 5 Remove any film that may add friction from the glass. Common car protective surfactants such as Rain-X or certain waxes can cause rattles and squeaks from wipers. Try removing the annoying sound with regular car polish.
   • The film left behind by some vehicle protective surfactants can increase friction between the wiper blades and the windshield, causing unpleasant noises, including squeaks.

Method 3 of 3: Replace parts

1. 1 Replace the rubber wiper inserts. If the rest (not rubber) parts of the wipers are still in good condition, then it goes without saying that they themselves do not need to be replaced. Sometimes the rubber on the blades starts to deteriorate faster than the rest of the wiper blades (especially in a fairly sunny climate). In this case, it is wiser to replace these rubber inserts.
2. 2 Regularly change the wipers yourself. Pull the metal wiper arm away from the windshield. At the junction point of the wiper with the lever, you will see fasteners. The wiper lock can be found here. Open the retainer, remove the old wiper, put on a new one and reattach the retainer.
   • On some cars, the wipers on the levers are secured with a push latch or hook. Manually release the wipers from the retainers and remove from the levers.
   • There are various opinions about how often you should change your wipers, for example every 6 or 12 months, but it is usually a good idea to change them just before the warm rainy season.
3. 3 Replace the wiper arms completely. Look down to the base of the wiper arm. Pay attention to the nut sticking out in this place. Remove the nut with a wrench. Now you can remove the lever itself. Attach the new lever in its place and tighten the nut. The wiper mechanism is now in perfect working order again.
   • Over time, from constant use, the wiper arms on which the wipers are attached can also lose shape and flexibility, resulting in squeaks.

Tips

• Once you've found the perfect model for your car's windshield wipers, be sure to write down their make and type so that you don't have to pick them up again in the future.

Warnings

• Foreign contamination splashing onto your car can cause wipers to squeak. When it rains, try not to create or get caught in large splashes of water.
• Never add dishwashing liquid to the washer container. This can cause the windshield to squeak even more.
• Replacing wipers can take a lot of trial and error, as different brands of cars need wipers of different sizes and styles.
• Never wax your windshield as this can make the windshield and wipers very slippery and you lose good visibility in poor weather conditions.
• Do not turn on wipers on a frozen windshield. This will only speed up their wear and may even tear them.

What do you need

• Microfiber rags (several pieces)
• Replacement wiper bands (2 pieces)
• New wiper arms (2 pieces)
• Replacement wipers (2 pieces)
• Rubbing alcohol
• Atomizer (s)
• White wine vinegar
• WD-40
• Wrench (optional)