Wiper blades

[astraman]

How often should you change wiper blades.I have just bought a car which is 6 months old but have noticed some small scrapes in the shape of the wiper blade path on the windscreen.There seems no damage to the blades so should i change them or is it natural to incur some scratches due to debris in the blades path.The car has done 5000 miles if this helps.Cheers.

[pug100]

Hi,
Wiper blades are usually made of rubber ( there are silicone ones but they cost more) and as rubber is a natural product it deteriorates with age and exposure to the elements. As a guide car wiper blades usually last around 12 to 18 months before they need replacing but that depends on if the car is garaged or out in all weathers.
If the blades leave arcs of dirt on the screen that's a good indication they need replacing, but you could lift the blades off the screen and give them a good wipe first to see if they're just dirty.
A good tip in frosty weather is never use the wipers to scrape the ice off your screen that will wreck them in no time (imagine using the palm of your hand to scrape the ice) Use de-icer first and let it do the job for a few mins before using a screen scraper to clear the ice. Make sure that the blades aren't iced to the screen before using them.

[anotheoldgit]

One should give the blades a wipe with a wet cloth every so often, this will get rid of any grit that can accumulate on the blades, especially during a dry period.